NEWARK, Del.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--
Sallie Mae, the nation’s saving, planning, and paying for college company, recently earned a 2017 Governor’s Financial Literacy Award from the state of Wisconsin for “Dee-1’s Knowledge for College Tour,” which visited Milwaukee last year to help local high school students effectively plan for college. Selected by the Wisconsin Governor’s Council on Financial Literacy, Sallie Mae is one of only seven organizations and 11 individuals to receive this prestigious honor.
Sallie Mae’s “Dee-1’s Knowledge for College Tour” featured former middle-school-teacher-turned-hip-hop-artist Dee-1 performing “Sallie Mae Back,” the viral hit song he wrote to celebrate paying off his student loans, and emphasizing the importance of planning for, and graduating from, college. Sallie Mae brought the tour to Milwaukee — one of six cities on the national schedule — in September 2017.
In Milwaukee, Sallie Mae and Dee-1 hosted two performances in collaboration with the office of Wisconsin Lt. Gov. Rebecca Kleefisch, the Wisconsin Department of Financial Institutions, the leadership of Milwaukee Public Schools, and Junior Achievement of Wisconsin, engaging with nearly 1,000 high school students. A number of the students who attended said they previously thought college was unattainable, but Dee-1 helped them see a path to higher education.
Dee-1 also shared his messages throughout Milwaukee Public Schools by recording public service announcements encouraging students to add college to their plans and to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). In addition, Sallie Mae awarded two $5,000 college scholarships, one at each performance, and the company donated $15,000 to Junior Achievement of Wisconsin.
“We are so honored to receive the Wisconsin Governor’s Financial Literacy Award,” said Lisa Mitchell, vice president, Sallie Mae. “This award celebrates collaboration among a hip-hop star, high schools, community organizations, the highest levels of state government, and our bank, and it pays tribute to the common desire to help high school students expand their financial knowledge, envision their futures, and embark on a path to higher education.”
In addition to its free Scholarship Search tool, Sallie Mae offers a variety of free online tips, tools, and resources to help students plan for college, borrow responsibly, and manage credit. For more information, visit SallieMae.com.
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.
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