Sallie Mae’s ‘Make College Happen Challenge’ to Reward Students Planning for College
Nation’s Saving, Planning, and Paying for College Company to Award
nearly $25,000 to High School Students Who Creatively Describe How They
Plan to Pay for College
NEWARK, Del.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–How do you plan to pay for college? That is the question students ages
14-18 will answer as part of Sallie Mae’s “Make College Happen
Challenge.” The contest, conducted in partnership with By Kids for Kids,
a leader in education that inspires innovation in youth, will reward 10
high school students who creatively communicate their plan to pay for
college in videos, photos, essays, songs, or poems.
Available to students nationwide, Sallie Mae’s “Make
College Happen Challenge” will award a first place prize of $10,000;
second place $5,000; third place $2,500; and $1,000 to seven
semifinalists. Students may submit their entries Oct. 15 through Dec. 15.
“We work with students, families, and schools to create dynamic
educational programs designed to foster innovation and provide our young
people with the skills they need to compete in a 21st century
economy,” said Norman Goldstein, CEO & Founder, By Kids For Kids.
“Providing the motivation and incentive to reach for and achieve the
dream of a college education is integral to that mission. We are proud
to partner with Sallie Mae to help students and families get on the
right track to make college happen.”
The 10 finalists will be announced in January based on creativity of
entry, effective communication of the message, and potential of their
plan. The public will then have the opportunity to choose their favorite
entry from the 10 finalists by voting online for a week in February. Top
online voting entries combined with judges’ scores will determine the
contest winners who will be announced in March.
“Sallie Mae’s mission is to make the dream of higher education a
reality, and sometimes, to reach that dream, you need to be creative,”
said Martha Holler, senior vice president, Sallie Mae. “Every student
should have the opportunity to make college happen and that starts with
a plan. This contest acknowledges and rewards those students who are
taking those all-important steps to prepare for their future.”
Sallie Mae offers a number of free planning-for-college tools, including
the College
Planning Calculator and Scholarship
Search by Sallie Mae. The company recommends students and families
follow its 1-2-3 approach to paying for college: first, maximize money
that does not need to be repaid, such as scholarships and grants;
second, explore federal student loans; and, third, consider a
responsible private education loan.
For more information, visit www.makecollegehappenchallenge.com.
For contest rules, visit www.makecollegehappenchallenge.com/rules.
About By Kids For Kids
By Kids for Kids® (BKFK®) is an agency that empowers youth invention,
innovation, and entrepreneurship. BKFK provides a unique platform for
kids and teens to develop and showcase their ideas, inventions, and
entrepreneurship. The company provides free educational resources,
including curricula and challenges that promote social change, product
innovation, and entrepreneurial endeavors. Learn more: www.bkfk.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.
Contacts
Sallie Mae
Rick Castellano, 302-451-2541
rick.castellano@salliemae.com
or
By
Kids For Kids
Judy Klym, 203-921-9039
Judy@bkfk.com
