Sallie Mae Rated One of '100 Best Corporate Citizens' by Corporate Responsibility Officer Magazine

RESTON, Va., Feb. 14 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Sallie Mae, the nation's leading saving- and paying-for-college company today announced that it has been named one of America's "100 Best Corporate Citizens" by Corporate Responsibility Officer magazine. This is the company's fifth appearance on the prestigious list. More than 1,100 companies participated in the survey.

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"Our core mission at Sallie Mae is to increase access to higher education so that all Americans can achieve their dream of a higher education," said Sallie Mae spokeswoman Martha Holler. "That mission drives our business practices, as well, and we are delighted to see that philosophy once again acknowledged and supported."

Now in its eighth year, the 100 Best Corporate Citizens list has gained national recognition as an indicator of best practices in the area of corporate social responsibility. Companies considered for the list include U.S. firms in the Russell 1000, the S&P 500, and Boston-based KLD Research & Analytics, Inc.'s (KLD) Domini 400 Social Index. These firms are ranked on their performance in eight stakeholder categories: shareholders, community, governance, diversity, employees, environment, human rights and product. Social scores use KLD's assessment of "strengths" and "concerns" demonstrated in each category.

Since 1973, Sallie Mae has helped more than 21 million Americans achieve a college education. The company believes that a college degree should be within the reach of every American, regardless of their background or financial status. In recognition of providing scholarships and financial aid information to America's neediest students and families, Sallie Mae also received the prestigious Ron Brown Award for Corporate Leadership at a ceremony recently held at the White House.

More details regarding the 100 Best Corporate Citizens list are available on the CRO website at http://www.thecro.com/

SLM Corporation , commonly known as Sallie Mae, is the nation's leading provider of saving- and paying-for-college programs. The company manages $142 billion in education loans and serves nearly 10 million student and parent customers. Through its Upromise affiliates, the company also manages $15 billion in 529 college-savings plans, and assists more than 7.5 million members with automatic savings through rebates on everyday purchases. Sallie Mae and its subsidiaries offer debt management services as well as business and technical products to a range of business clients, including higher education institutions, student loan guarantors, and state and federal agencies. More information is available at http://www.salliemae.com/. SLM Corporation and its subsidiaries are not sponsored by or agencies of the United States of America.