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Students at a Paying for College Bus Tour stop, Reading PA

Congressman Chaka Fattah celebrates 19th Annual Conference on Higher Education

The Sallie Mae Fund donates $500,000 to establish conference endowment fund

PHILADELPHIA, Pa., Feb. 11, 2005—Congressman Chaka Fattah and lead sponsor, The Sallie Mae Fund, today opened the annual Fattah Conference on Higher Education. Celebrating the 19th year of the conference and the eighth year of their sponsorship, The Sallie Mae Fund today also announced a $500,000 grant to start an endowment fund to ensure that the conference continues for years to come.

This regional informational and scholarship conference has helped more than 10,000 minorities attain graduate degrees in its 19-year history. Founded in 1987 to help students who are attending Pennsylvania state institutions prepare for college, the conference focuses on academics, admissions and financial aid. Workshops for Philadelphia high school seniors as well as speakers further help to motivate and prepare attendees.

Congressman Chaka Fattah and The Sallie Mae Fund, a charitable organization sponsored by Sallie Mae, recognize that a successful Pennsylvania economy depends on a highly trained and educated workforce. The global economy, with no physical borders, depends increasingly on professionals with advanced degrees. Advanced degrees, beyond the four-year degree level, are becoming the "universal passport" across the globe and a crucial element for business and academic success.

"If we are not preparing the next generation of leaders with the knowledge to compete on an academic level with young people in Japan, India or Europe, than as a nation, we are not serious about maintaining our economic and creative edge around the world," said Congressman Fattah founder of the conference. The Congressman stressed that a workforce with college graduates from all ethnic groups is vital to the success of a creative and dynamic economy.

As conference sponsor, The Sallie Mae Fund will conduct six of it popular free Paying for College workshops for the more than 800 Philadelphia public high school students attending the conference.

"The Sallie Mae Fund is committed to increasing access to higher education," said Susan Corsini, vice chair of The Sallie Mae Fund. "We hope that our grant to start an endowment fund for the conference will secure college opportunities for many more Philadelphia students in the years ahead."

In addition to the workshops sponsored by The Sallie Mae Fund and panel discussions throughout the weekend, high schoolers will hear about real life education experiences from students currently enrolled in graduate programs. The Fund will also host Paying for College workshops on Feb. 19, 26 and March 5 in Philadelphia for high school seniors. Families can visit www.salliemaefund.org for more information.

Keynote speakers attending the Annual Fattah Conference over the past 19-years have included: noted civil rights leaders, Rev. Jesse L. Jackson, renowned brain surgeon, Dr. Benjamin Carson, and a host of prominent individuals from across the country.

The Sallie Mae Fund, a charitable organization sponsored by Sallie Mae, achieves its mission—to increase access to a post-secondary education for America's students—by supporting programs and initiatives that help open doors to higher education, prepare families for their investment, and bridge the gap when no one else can. For more information visit www.salliemaefund.org.