SPONSOR FOCUS
The Sallie Mae Fund
The Foundation is grateful to The Sallie Mae Fund for its commitment and support of the Imagine America scholarship and award programs. This year, The Sallie Mae Fund donated $35,000 to the Imagine America II scholarship program. This grant makes $1,000 scholarships available to thirty-five students enrolled at participating Imagine America member career colleges. Eligible students are previous recipients of the Foundation's Imagine America high school scholarship who have maintained a minimum 3.5 grade point average and at least a 95 percent attendance record.
The Sallie Mae Fund, a charitable organization sponsored by Sallie Mae®, achieves its mission to increase access to higher education for America's students by supporting programs and initiatives that help open doors to higher education, prepare families for their college investment, and bridge the gap when no one else can. Since 2001, The Sallie Mae Fund has awarded $7.4 million in scholarships to help over 3,000 students enroll in college. In addition to sponsoring the Imagine America II scholarship, The Sallie Mae Fund sponsors many other scholarship programs, such as:
The Sallie Mae 911 Education Fund
The Sallie Mae 911 Education Fund was created in response to the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001. The scholarship program is open to children of those who were killed or permanently disabled as a result of the terrorist attacks and who are enrolled as full-time undergraduate students at approved, accredited institutions. Scholarship awards of up to $2,500 per applicant, per school year, are available and may be renewed annually, subject to satisfactory academic progress. Deadline: Open.
Unmet Need Scholarship
Open to families with a combined income of $30,000 or less, this program is intended to supplement financial aid packages that fall more than $1,000 short of students' financial needs. This scholarship is not designed as a substitute for aid provided by an institution. The program is open to U.S. citizens and permanent residents who are accepted or enrolled as full-time undergraduate students at approved, accredited institutions. Students must have a minimum 2.5 grade point average (on a 4.0 scale) to be eligible to apply. Recipients will be selected based on financial need. Scholarships range from $1,000 to $3,800.
"Writers of Passage" Scholarship
In partnership with the National Association for Equal Opportunity in Higher Education, this program involves an essay competition that awards winning students from a historically black college or university with a $5,000 college scholarship. Universities of scholarship winners will receive a $20,000 grant from The Sallie Mae Fund.
American Dream Scholarship
Established in partnership with the United Negro College Fund, the American Dream scholarship program is open to African-Americans with financial need. Applicants must be U.S. citizens or permanent residents with a minimum 2.5 grade point average (on a 4.0 scale), who meet Pell Grant eligibility criteria and are enrolled full-time at approved, accredited, undergraduate institutions. Scholarships range from $500 to $5,000.
First in My Family® Scholarship
The First in My Family scholarship program, developed in partnership with the Hispanic College Fund, offers scholarships to Hispanic-American students who are the first in their family to attend college and have financial need. The program is open to Hispanic-Americans who are U.S. citizens or permanent residents enrolled as full-time undergraduate students at approved, accredited institutions. Students must have a minimum grade point average of 3.0 (on a 4.0 scale). Scholarships range from $500 to $5,000.
For more information about these and other scholarship programs, please visit www.salliemaefund.org.