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

The Sallie Mae Fund donates $300,000 to establish school choice scholarship program in nation's capital

Grant to Archdiocese of Washington to provide education options for Latino families

RESTON, Va., Apr. 5, 2005—The Sallie Mae Fund, a charitable organization sponsored by Sallie Mae, today announced a $300,000 donation to the Archdiocese of Washington to establish The Sallie Mae Fund Scholarship Program. The program is designed to provide education options to Latino fourth and fifth grade students attending D.C. public schools.

The Sallie Mae Fund's program will provide scholarship awards of up to $3,000, which are renewable for one year.

The Latino population in the District has grown by more than 40% during the past 15 years. The arrival of new immigrants has spurred much of this growth; 71% of Latino students at D.C. public schools have limited English proficiency and, as a group, have not made performance gains during the past five years.

"This is a small but important step to offer education choices to the fastest growing immigrant population in the nation's capital," said Kathleen deLaski, president of The Sallie Mae Fund.

Latino students constitute eight percent of the student population at the 21 Archdiocese of Washington Catholic elementary schools in the District. These schools are highly successful—99% of Catholic school students graduate and 97% go on to college.

"Many Latino families want to consider Catholic school for their children, but cost has been a tremendous barrier. We are very grateful to The Sallie Mae Fund for helping these families by establishing a new scholarship program that gives Latino students the opportunity to excel in our Catholic schools," said Dr. Patricia Weitzel—O'Neill, superintendent of Catholic Schools for the Archdiocese of Washington.

"This is a tremendous opportunity for Latino families in the District of Columbia to receive the support they need to realize their children's educational goals and the benefits of a private school education," said Lori Kaplan, executive director of the Latin American Youth Center.

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.