We wanted to help lighten her load.

Growing up in a violent neighborhood, Thelma Ramirez dreamed of a better life. She cleaned chalkboards at her local library for free schoolbooks with the hope that one day she'd go to college. Today, with the help of The Sallie Mae Fund's First in My Family Scholarship, Thelma is a student at a prestigious university.

This year, The Sallie Mae Fund awarded $2.6 million to 1,000 minority and low-income students, like Thelma.

The Sallie Mae Fund Scholarship Programs
Academic Year 2007-2008

Addressing financial need through scholarships is a key priority of The Sallie Mae Fund.
Applications, eligibility and deadline information for scholarships for the 2007-2008 academic year will be available starting mid-January 2007, except where noted, at The Sallie Mae Fund’s Web site, www.salliemaefund.org.

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.
Application: Apply online at www.hispanicfund.org
Deadline: April 15, 2007

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 Unmet Need Scholarship 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 are selected based on financial need. Scholarships range from $1,000 to $3,800.
Application: Download an application from www.salliemaefund.org
Deadline: May 31, 2007

American Dream Scholarship
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.
Application: Apply online at www.uncf.org
Deadline: April 15, 2007

Writers of Passage Scholarship
In partnership with the National Association for Equal Opportunity in Higher Education, this program is an essay competition that awards four winning students from an Historically Black College or University, or a predominantly black college, with a $5,000 college scholarship. Schools that scholarship winners are attending will also receive a $20,000 grant.
Application: Visit www.nafeo.org/ProgramsForStudents.htm
Deadline: January 26, 2007

Community College Transfer Scholarship
The Community College Transfer Scholarship Program, in partnership with the Hispanic Scholarship Fund, is open to Hispanic students transferring from a community college to an approved, accredited four-year institution.* Eligible students are Hispanic Americans who are U.S. citizens or permanent residents, full-time undergraduate students with a cumulative grade point average of 3.0 or higher (on a 4.0 scale). Award amounts range from $1,000 to $2,500.
Application: Download an application from www.hsf.net/scholarship/programs/cctransfer.php
Deadline: February 2, 2007

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 on an annual basis, subject to satisfactory academic progress.
Application: Download an application from www.salliemaefund.org
Deadline: Open

In addition, The Sallie Mae Fund awards $250 to $1,000 scholarships to future college students at each of its free, nationwide “Paying for College” workshops.

*Approved, accredited institutions are defined as Title IV eligible, accredited, postsecondary two- or four-year colleges or universities, vocational, or technical schools in the United States or Puerto Rico.

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, prepare families for their investment, and bridge the gap when no one else can.

Back to Previous Page