April 15th Application Deadline for The Sallie Mae Fund 'First in My Family' and 'American Dream' Scholarships RESTON, Va., March 29 /PRNewswire/ -- The Sallie Mae Fund -- the philanthropic arm of the nation's leading saving-and-paying for college company, Sallie Mae -- today reminded students and families that several important scholarship application deadlines are right around the corner. For those students looking to apply for The Sallie Mae Fund "First in My Family" or "American Dream" scholarships, applications must be received no later than April 15, 2007. Interested applicants can download applications today at http://www.salliemaefund.org/. Developed in partnership with the Hispanic College Fund, The Sallie Mae Fund "First in My Family" scholarship program offers scholarships ranging from $500 to $5,000 to Hispanic-American students who are the first in their family to attend college, and have financial need. The "American Dream" program was developed in partnership with the United Negro College Fund, and offers scholarships ranging from $500 to $5,000 to African-American students with demonstrated financial need. Another major Sallie Mae Fund scholarship program, the "Unmet Need" scholarship program, provides last-dollar resources to students with a combined income of $30,000 or less and has a deadline of May 31, 2007. The Sallie Mae Fund offers scholarships through a number of programs that address a common barrier to higher education access. These scholarships provide vital funds for students and families who in many cases would not be able to afford a higher education. This year, The Sallie Mae Fund will once again provide $2.5 million in college scholarships to roughly 1,000 deserving students pursuing higher education this fall. Thousands of students from across the country have realized their dream of a college education through scholarships provided by The Sallie Mae Fund. "First in My Family" scholarship winners have expressed their gratitude and continued support for these programs: "No one in my family was able to further his or her education past high school, and I feel very proud for having achieved that ... I feel fortunate to be chosen for this award and wish to extend my gratitude to this program. You have taken a big burden of worry away from my family." Andrea Solano, Freshman Notre Dame University South Bend, Ind. "This money will help with my tuition and make it possible for me to continue my education. I hope to give back to the community that has given me so much throughout my lifetime and this scholarship gives me the ability to do that ... This is one of the most meaningful awards I have won and I look forward to receiving more like this." Darryl Auguste, Sophomore Yale University New Haven, Conn. " ... Just knowing there are people out there that care about the education of Latinos in the United States makes me want to worker harder, and use my accomplishments as a 'thank you.' Many of us sometimes are stopped or discouraged from continuing school because of economic problems, but foundations like this are what makes the future of tomorrow brighter." Gabriela Perez, Sophomore DePaul University Chicago, Ill. " ... Once again in my life, you and people like you are giving me the chance and the key to new opportunities and new doors for a higher level of education. My family and I cannot begin to describe how grateful we are. I thank you for your confidence and willingness to help me achieve my goals and for making my dream of attending a four-year university come true." Citali Perez-Jimenez, Junior University of Washington, Seattle Seattle, Wash. " ... Because of your generosity, my bill at the University of Illinois will be $11 a semester! Once again thank you from the bottom of my heart for this scholarship, and for selecting me amongst the thousands that applied. Thank you, thank you, thank you! Thank you for allowing me to study into a higher education and helping me pursue my dreams of becoming a physician." Regina Mendez, Freshman University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Urbana, Ill. " ... It hasn't been easy these two years, but with the help of organizations like yours who make dreams come true, students like myself can pave our way to a higher education that will bring success to our lives and families." Tanya Castillo, Junior University of Illinois at Chicago Chicago, Ill. " ... Due to various socioeconomic factors, accessing higher education has been challenging, however, with the support from my family and The Sallie Mae Fund First in My Family Scholarship award, I am able to devote full attention to becoming a good nurse." Armando Reyes, Junior University of Colorado, Health Sciences Center Boulder, Colo. "You have truly been one more big reason for us to get inspired to continue to achieve small things that someday, god willing, will help us arrive at that place where we should all strive to arrive at -- to be able to help others achieve their dreams." Ashley Dalmau, Freshman University of Notre Dame South Bend, Ind. "I would like to thank The Sallie Mae Fund for this donation and investing in my education. This award expresses your belief in me and what I can accomplish; your trust encourages me to keep striving. This award will help me pay for tuition and books, and it will allow me to allocate more time toward school." Carlos Ayala, Senior University of Washington-Seattle Campus Seattle, Wash. " ... Thanks to your generous contributions, my chances of succeeding have greatly increased by giving me the opportunity to focus entirely on school instead of going to school and working full time trying to pay for it." Fernando Hernandez, Freshman University of New Mexico Alburquerque, N.M. "I'd like to thank you for making this scholarship available to those of us who come from families who have never been to college and are, therefore, very proud to be the first to represent our families in this way. It is a great thing that I am able to represent my family in a way that was not possible for past generations, although they would have hoped it would be for future generations." Gabriel White, Sophomore University of Colorado at Denver Denver, Colo. " ... I am enormously appreciative of the help that is being given to me by this foundation ... Your contribution towards students who don't have the resources to pursue an education, although it may not seem like it, helps us significantly." Katherine Lopez, Freshman Montgomery College Germantown, Md. These testimonials represent only a small fraction of students that have benefited from The Sallie Mae Fund scholarship programs. For a complete listing of 2006 scholarship recipients and testimonials or for 2007-2008 scholarship information and deadlines, visit http://www.salliemaefund.org/. The Sallie Mae Fund, a charitable organization sponsored by Sallie Mae, achieves its mission -- to increase access to a postsecondary education for America's students -- by supporting programs and initiatives that help open doors to higher education, preparing families for their investment, and bridging the gap when no one else can. For more information, visit http://www.salliemaefund.org/. DATASOURCE: The Sallie Mae Fund CONTACT: Rick Castellano, +1-703-984-5535, , for The Sallie Mae Fund Web site: http://www.salliemaefund.org/ Company News On-Call: http://www.prnewswire.com/comp/827187.html

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