Nov 10, 2017   SOURCE: BusinessWire

Sallie Mae Thanks Veterans and Honors Military Servicemembers with $50,000 Grant to Folds of Honor

Sallie Mae — the nation’s saving, planning, and paying for college company — will mark Veterans Day this year with a tribute to military servicemembers, past and present, and a $50,000 contribution to Folds of Honor, a national nonprofit organization that provides scholarships to the spouses and dependent children of servicemembers fallen or disabled while on active duty. This is the fourth consecutive year Sallie Mae has observed Veterans Day with a $50,000 gift to Folds of Honor.

“Our motto is ‘Honor Their Sacrifice and Educate Their Legacy,’ and partners like Sallie Mae help us put those words into action,” said Major Dan Rooney, Folds of Honor founder and F-16 fighter pilot who served three tours of duty in Iraq. “This gift will allow us to support those who most certainly deserve it, and we can help ensure that no family is left behind in the pursuit to protect our American freedoms.”

The $50,000 grant from The Sallie Mae Fund, the company’s charitable foundation, was presented during a ceremony at Sallie Mae’s Newark, Del., headquarters. Employees gathered to express their gratitude to veterans and current servicemembers alike, and to share in a moment of silence that was observed at Sallie Mae offices across the U.S.

“We pause today to recognize the enormous contributions and, in some cases, supreme sacrifices made by the courageous men and women who have committed themselves to defending America, and we salute their selfless service,” said Tim Hanrahan, senior vice president, Sallie Mae. “Folds of Honor and Sallie Mae share a common desire to help make the dream of higher education a reality, and it is our distinctive honor to make a down payment on our future freedom with this gift.”

Sallie Mae demonstrates its commitment to veterans and servicemembers year-round with resources and benefits for customers and employees in the military. For customers, the company has a specialized group of customer service representatives trained to work with military families; makes it easy for customers to request military benefits; and goes a step further by proactively providing benefits for eligible customers.

For employees on active duty, Sallie Mae continues salary and benefits beyond what is required by federal or state law, offers flexible scheduling to accommodate service schedules, and provides other assistance. These efforts have been recognized by the Delaware Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve, which presented its Above and Beyond Award to the company, and its Patriot Award to four of the company’s managers.

For more information about the benefits and resources available to military personnel, visit SallieMae.com/military.

Sallie Mae (Nasdaq: SLM) is the nation’s saving, planning, and paying for college company. Whether college is a long way off or just around the corner, Sallie Mae offers products that promote responsible personal finance, including private education loans, Upromise rewards, scholarship search, college financial planning tools, and online retail banking. 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.