The Sallie Mae Fund announced that it has distributed nearly $1 million in loan relief and scholarship funds to families impacted by the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001 through The Sallie Mae 911 Education Fund. The Sallie Mae 911 Education Fund was established last October with an initial contribution of $1.5 million from The Sallie Mae Fund, the charitable arm of Sallie Mae.
The 911 Education Fund has enabled more than 50 spouses and co-borrowers of those who were killed, declared missing or deemed permanently disabled in the terrorist attacks to pay their Sallie Mae student loans. In addition, the fund has provided scholarship dollars for postsecondary education to two dozen children of those who died or suffered debilitating injuries in the attacks. These scholarships have been made available not only to children of those lost on airplanes and in office buildings on Sept. 11, but also to children of rescue workers who were lost in the line of duty, including police, fire and emergency medical personnel. State financial aid administrator associations from affected states have assisted in disbursing funds from the 911 Education Fund to eligible children of victims to use at in-state institutions.
Applications and guidelines for The Sallie Mae 911 Education Fund loan relief and scholarship program can be found at www.thesalliemaefund.org or by calling 800-441-4043.
"By establishing the 911 Education Fund, The Sallie Mae Fund was able to respond quickly, disbursing a quarter of a million dollars in scholarships and loan relief in the first three months following the attacks, and nearly triple that amount in the nine months since then," said Albert L. Lord, vice chairman and chief executive officer, Sallie Mae.
Posted September 11, 2002 on www.NASFAA.org, Web Site of the
National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators (NASFAA).
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