Sallie Mae Earns Governor's Financial Literacy Award for Planning for College Efforts in Wisconsin

Award Recognizes Company's ‘Bridging the Dream Tour Starring Dee-1' and Collaboration with the Wisconsin Department of Financial Institutions

The Wisconsin Governor's Council on Financial Literacy has selected Sallie Mae as a recipient of the Governor's Financial Literacy Award for the Bridging the Dream Tour Starring Dee-1. The award recognizes individuals and organizations for excellence in promoting financial literacy among Wisconsin residents. Governor Tony Evers and First Lady Kathy Evers presented the award during a recent ceremony at the State Capitol in Madison.

The nationwide Bridging the Dream Tour Starring Dee-1 visited Green Bay and reached nearly 2,000 high school students from 23 area schools, more than doubling last year's event. Dee-1, former educator turned hip-hop artist, in partnership with Sallie Mae and the Wisconsin Department of Financial Institutions, promoted the importance of planning for and graduating from college and performed his viral anthem about paying off his student loans, "Sallie Mae Back."

The event also featured a state-wide college fair featuring 15 colleges and universities. In addition, Sallie Mae provided financial aid information, including scholarship and college planning tools, for students and counselors. 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.

"We're honored to be recognized for our efforts to raise awareness about the importance of financial literacy in Wisconsin," said Lisa Mitchell, vice president, Sallie Mae. "Each year we've strived to raise the bar and deliver a dynamic program that not only supports the ongoing efforts of the state, but also furthers our commitment to helping students and families succeed at every step of the saving, planning, and paying for college process. This award confirms that the Bridging the Dream Tour Starring Dee-1 continues to accomplish both."

Whether it's figuring out how to pay for college, getting ready to repay student loans, or simply learning how to build a budget, April — Financial Literacy Month — is the perfect time to take advantage of Sallie Mae's free tools, like Scholarship Search and the College Planning Calculator, to help get your finances in order. For more information, visit SallieMae.com.

Sallie Mae 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, free scholarship search tools, free 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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