With Back to School Season Approaching, Now's The Time to Earn Cash Back for College with Upromise by Sallie Mae

NEWARK, Del.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

Whether beginning kindergarten or senior year, millions of students are headed back to school this fall and have some shopping to do in order to be prepared. In fact, according to the National Retail Federation, the average family spends nearly $700 on school supplies during back-to-school season. Upromise by Sallie Mae is here to help families save while they shop; Upromise members can earn up to 5 percent or more cash back for college while they shop at more than 850 popular online retailers like Staples, Dell, Macy's and Gap.

“We have four children, one of whom is in college now, so we are always looking for opportunities to try to save for college as much as possible,” says Upromise member Craig Z. of Boston, Mass. “With our online purchases, especially around back-to-school time, we use the Upromise website as a launch pad to shop at numerous online stores and ultimately to earn savings for our kids.”

Membership to Upromise by Sallie Mae is free and provides cash back through online purchases at many major retailers, dining out, buying gas, shopping with the Upromise credit card or even buying or selling a home. When consumers choose to shop through Upromise.com, they can accelerate their college savings. In addition, with the Upromise World MasterCard, families can double their earnings on online purchases with up to earn 10 percent cash back.

“As a mother with three of my own heading back to school, I've seen firsthand how those bills can quickly add up,” said Erin Condon, vice president, Upromise by Sallie Mae. “That said, it's rewarding for Upromise members to know that purchases today can make a difference down the road when it comes time to pay for college.”

To date, Upromise by Sallie Mae members have earned more than $850 million to be used toward college savings. Cash rewards can be invested in an eligible 529 plan, used to help pay down an eligible student loan, transferred into an FDIC-insured Sallie Mae High-Yield Savings Account or withdrawn by check.

Join the conversation on how to save, plan and pay for college at Facebook.com/SallieMae and Facebook.com/Upromise. To learn more about planning for college, visit SallieMae.com/planforcollege.

Sallie Mae SLM is the leading financial services company specializing in education. Whether college is a long way off or just around the corner, Sallie Mae can help turn education dreams into reality for American families. With products and services that include Upromise rewards, scholarship search and planning tools, private education loans, insurance, and online banking, Sallie Mae offers solutions that help families save, plan, and pay for college. Learn more at SallieMae.com. Commonly known as Sallie Mae, SLM Corporation and its subsidiaries, including Upromise, Inc., are not sponsored by or agencies of the United States of America.