Sallie Awards $500,000 in Scholarships to Help Students Advance Their Education and Career Goals

Sallie Mae (SLM) announced that The Sallie Mae Fund awarded $500,000 through its Bridging the Dream Scholarship Program with the Thurgood Marshall College Fund.

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The Bridging the Dream Scholarship Program Provides $10,000 Scholarships to 30 High School Seniors and 20 Graduate Students Nationwide

NEWARK, Del.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- In celebration of National Scholarship Month, Sallie today announced the newest recipients of its Bridging the Dream Scholarship Program. The Sallie Mae Fund, in partnership with the Thurgood Marshall College Fund (TMCF), awarded $500,000 in scholarships to help students access and complete higher education.

Through this year’s program, 30 high school seniors received $10,000 scholarships based on financial need, academic achievement, leadership, and service. In addition, 20 graduate students pursuing advanced degrees also received $10,000 scholarships.

Since 2021, The Sallie Mae Fund has awarded more than $5.5 million in scholarships to nearly 1,500 students through its Bridging the Dream and Completing the Dream Scholarship Programs.

"Making higher education more accessible and affordable means helping students and families use every resource available to them, and scholarships are a critical part of that," said Nicolas Jafarieh, Executive Vice President, Sallie. "The Bridging the Dream Scholarship Program is one way we're helping remove financial barriers and supporting students on their path to a degree."

For Makenzie Hill, a criminal justice student at Clark Atlanta University, the scholarship helps her pursue her goal of serving and advocating for others in her community. "It is a reminder that there are people who believe in students like me and are willing to invest in their futures," said Hill. "I hope to use my education to stand up for those whose voices have often been overlooked."

"When we invest in students, we invest in the leaders, professionals, and changemakers of tomorrow," said Dr. Harry L. Williams, President and CEO, Thurgood Marshall College Fund. "Our partnership with The Sallie Mae Fund helps students continue their education and put their talents to work in their communities."

This year's recipients are:

Bridging the Dream Scholarship for High School Seniors:

• Chizara Igbokwe, Duke University
• Connor McFadden, Clemson University
• Craig Myles, Clark Atlanta University
• Elijah Reginal, Grambling State University
• Elizabeth DeFlanders, Tuskegee University
• Erick Lewis, Tuskegee University
• Jaden Smith, Alabama State University
• Kaiyah Sandridge, University of Southern California
• Kaleb Smith, Alabama State University
• Kamau Elston, Florida A&M University
• Kayden Alford, Virginia State University
• Kennedy Savage, Pace University
• Khi Taylor, Temple University
• Kristian Bolden, Alabama State University
• Lucas Bredberg, University of Cincinnati
• Lynne Irakoze, Howard University
• Ma'Kiyah Rice, Spelman College
• Mahollan McLean, Howard University
• Makenzie Hill, Clark Atlanta University
• Marcos Zeleke, Tuskegee University
• Maximus Miller, Virginia State University
• Morgan Winston, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
• Samiyah Belton, Hampton University
• Sanai Wadelington, Howard University
• Savana Demars, University of North Carolina at Charlotte
• Serenity Parks, Florida A&M University
• Sophia Paquin, University of South Carolina
• Taliah Lewis, Spelman College
• Thailynn Jolie, Florida A&M University
• Tiffany Lucas, Tuskegee University

Bridging the Dream Scholarship for Graduate Students:

• Aniah Roberts, Morgan State University
• Ashley Robertson, Southern University and A&M College
• Brennan Cox, Indiana University Bloomington
• Brentavius Boyd, Howard University
• Brielle Mendenhall, University of North Carolina at Greensboro
• Carla Washington, South College
• Daerzio Harris, South Carolina State University
• Davian Morgan, Howard University
• Erinne Weber, Jackson State University
• Freddie Wright, University of Georgia
• Jennifer Bolotovsky, York College (CUNY)
• Joseph Hines II, Meharry Medical College
• Kamille Buck, Florida A&M University
• Malcolm Walker, New York University
• Matthew Parchment, Stevens Institute of Technology
• Milton Lewis, Clark Atlanta University
• Nasya Becton, Morehouse School of Medicine
• Rahul Parekh, University of Maryland Eastern Shore
• Reginald Fain, Tuskegee University
• Tamir Jacobs, Delaware State University

How Sallie Supports Students From College Planning to Graduation
In addition to the Bridging the Dream Scholarship Program, Sallie offers free tools, resources, and other scholarship opportunities to help students and families plan and pay for higher education, including:

• Scholly^® Scholarships, to find and apply for scholarships.
• Scout^® College Search, to explore and compare colleges.
• A college savings guide, to plan and save.
• A step-by-step FAFSA^® Guide, to navigate financial aid.
• The Sallie Mae Fund's Completing the Dream Scholarship Program, to help students facing financial challenges stay on track to graduation.

To learn more about the Bridging the Dream Scholarship Program, visit https://www.salliemae.com/about/scholarship-opportunities/.

Sallie Mae (Nasdaq: SLM) believes education and life-long learning, in all forms, help people achieve great things. As the leader in private student lending, we provide financing and know-how to support access to college and offer products and resources to help customers make new goals and experiences, beyond college, happen. 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.

Category: Community and Philanthropy

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20261102015178/en/

media@salliemae.com

Source: Sallie Mae

Key Terms

fafsa regulatory

The FAFSA is the U.S. government form students use to apply for federal financial aid for college, including grants, work-study, and federal loans. It acts like a single key that determines eligibility and amount of aid, which affects how many students can afford higher education and the flow of tuition and loan dollars into the education sector—information investors use to gauge demand, revenue, and credit risk for schools and lenders.