Sallie Mae Assists 2.2 Million Student Loan Customers to Avoid Default

434,000 Customers Successfully Complete Student Loan Payment Last Academic Year

NEWARK, Del.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--In the last academic year, Sallie Mae, the nation’s No. 1 financial services company specializing in education, successfully helped 2.2 million customers navigate difficult financial circumstances and avoid the consequences of default on $44 billion in federal and private student loans.

“Once you can afford to increase or double up on your payments, do it. Paying off my student loan is as good of a feeling as the first time I crossed the finish line in a half marathon.”

One such customer is Gresha V., a single mother from Fort Meyers, Fla., who experienced a temporary gap in employment earlier this year. “Sallie Mae worked with me so that I did not have to default on my loan,” she said. “They gave me time to get caught up with my other bills.” Three months ago, Gresha paid her student loan off entirely. “My advice to anyone who may be experiencing issues in making their student loan payments is to have an open line of communication with the default prevention people. They are there to help.”

Sallie Mae offers a variety of informational resources to help families make wise borrowing decisions and identify repayment options that work for their individual situation. As a matter of practice the company also encourages in-school loan payments to help students graduate with less debt. Sallie Mae’s free financial literacy website, CollegeAnswer.com, provides a repayment calculator and information to help understand repayment options.

In total, Sallie Mae services federal and private education loans for 10.5 million customers—the vast majority of whom manage their payments successfully. For those customers who do need extra help, default prevention specialists educate them about payment options, including Income-Based Repayment (IBR), which enables federal student loan customers to cap monthly payment at 15 percent of discretionary income. For private education loans, customers who have fallen behind may qualify for reduced payments or temporary suspension in payments. Since 2009, Sallie Mae has modified $1.1 billion in private education loans with interest rate reductions or extended repayment terms.

“This economy continues to pose real financial challenges. Our work with distressed borrowers focuses on preserving their good credit standing and minimizing overall loan costs,” said Jack Remondi, president and chief operating officer, Sallie Mae. “It’s so important that when customers struggle financially, they contact us to discuss one-on-one the available options to help them avoid the severe credit consequences of delinquency or default.”

In the past academic year, 434,000 Sallie Mae customers reached the major financial milestone of successfully paying their student loans in full. “I can’t put into words how college prepared me intellectually and mentally for what the world has to offer,” says Ray S., a Mississippi State University graduate and sales executive for a food packaging company. “Once you can afford to increase or double up on your payments, do it. Paying off my student loan is as good of a feeling as the first time I crossed the finish line in a half marathon.”

Join the conversation on how to save, plan and pay for college at Facebook.com/SallieMae.

Sallie Mae (NASDAQ: SLM) is the nation’s No. 1 financial services company specializing in education. Whether college is a long way off or just around the corner, Sallie Mae turns education dreams into reality for its 25 million customers. With products and services that include 529 college savings plans, Upromise rewards, scholarship search tools, education loans, insurance, and online banking, Sallie Mae offers solutions that help families save, plan, and pay for college. Sallie Mae also provides financial services to hundreds of college campuses as well as to federal and state governments. Learn more at SallieMae.com. Commonly known as Sallie Mae, SLM Corporation and its subsidiaries are not sponsored by or agencies of the United States of America.