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The Sallie Mae Fund provides grant to help support more than 3,500 at-risk students in Bell County

$20,000 grant will assist students at three local high schools.

KILLEEN, Texas, June 16, 2006—The Sallie Mae Fund, a charitable organization sponsored by Sallie Mae, announced today that it will commit $20,000 to the Communities In Schools program to help at-risk students in Bell County. The grant will foster the academic pursuits of more than 3,500 students benefiting from the Communities In Schools program at Killeen High School, Ellison High School and Shoemaker High School in the Killeen Independent School District.

Employees from Sallie Mae's Killeen servicing center will provide additional support for the program through mentoring and tutoring. "Sallie Mae is a strong believer in helping its employees give back to the communities in which they live and work," said Servicing Center Head, Deborah Bragg. Sallie Mae employees regularly volunteer in communities across the country to support education at the grassroots level. This is the 10th year that employees from Sallie Mae's Killeen servicing center have volunteered for local education initiatives.

The Communities In Schools program helps students commit to graduate from high school through activities that address individual students' needs and increase parental involvement. This support helps improve the chances for success in life as a whole. The program makes students aware of the consequences of poor decisions and stimulates an awareness of higher education opportunities through visits to regional institutions of higher learning.

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.