Sallie Mae 2005 Annual Report Download - page 9

SLM CORPORATION ANNUAL REPORT 2005 7
Our Values
Sallie Mae believes in giving back to the communities where
our customers live and work. In the wake of Hurricanes
Katrina and Rita, we made $15 million in interest-free
financing available to our customers. These zero-fee loans,
which could be used for food, shelter and other emergency
needs, helped thousands of customers when other financial
resources were not available. The company-sponsored
charitable organization, The Sallie Mae Fund, led a host
of response efforts, such as matching employee and school
donations to the American Red Cross and providing grants
to Scholarship America’s Disaster Relief Fund for Post-
Secondary Education.
Sallie Mae’s values have been recognized by a number
of organizations, including:
■Business Ethics magazine, which named Sallie Mae as one
of America’s “100 Best Corporate Citizens” by Business
Ethics magazine.
■National Association for Female Executives, which
included Sallie Mae on its list of the Top 30 Companies
for Executive Women.
■GovernanceMetrics International, which scored Sallie
Mae’s corporate governance “a 9.5,” placing
Sallie Mae well above the average for the 3,400 global
companies rated by GMI.
■Washington Business Journal, which ranked Sallie Mae as
the top local corporate philanthropist in our hometown.
At Sallie Mae, we value our role in the successful public-private partnership that is the Federal Family
Education Loan Program. We are proud to be part of a program that has helped so many students achieve
the dream of higher education. Our dreams are achieved when the promise of college access for every
American is achieved. The company’s 12,000 employees help make this happen. Their efficiency, innova-
tion and high ethical standards result in exceptional service to customers and return billions of taxpayer
dollars annually, reducing the cost of the student loan program and providing the federal government with
more dollars that can be directed toward other higher-education investments.