Sallie Mae Introduces CD-ROM to Help

Sallie Mae Introduces CD-ROM to Help
Black Students Navigate the Path to College

WASHINGTON
The Sallie Mae Fund has developed an interactive CD-ROM that targets African-American students to help them and their families “navigate the path to college.” The Fund, which is the philanthropic arm of the Sallie Mae student loan financing organization, introduced “The Key: An Interactive Guide to Planning and Paying for College” CD-ROM last month at the 2006 Congressional Black Caucus’ annual conference. The Sallie Mae Fund has made 15,000 free copies of the CD-ROM available.

The CD-ROM features information on college and test preparation, a research guide on historically Black colleges and universities, tutorials on essay writing and college applications, free access to SAT and ACT online preparation and financial aid tips. Celebrities also make appearances on the CD-ROM, including actress and talk-show host Ananda Lewis, “Grey’s Anatomy” actor Isaiah Washington and former Olympic gymnast Dominique Dawes.

“The African-American community has all the promise in the world, and for many a college education is within reach,” says Leslie Meek, chair of the CBC Spouses and wife of U.S. Rep. Kendrick B. Meek, D-Fla. “This new interactive tool created by The Sallie Mae Fund will really go a long way in helping African-American families successfully prepare for college.”

The Fund had the CD-ROM developed after learning from HBCU administrators that Black students and their parents needed a resource to aid in college preparation. The CD-ROM represents part of the Fund’s African-American College Access Initiative, established in October 2005.

According to the Sallie Mae Fund, more than 90 percent of Black families believe that a college education can lead to a more successful life, yet 25 percent of Black students have been shown to be unable to name a single source of financial aid.

A core mission of The Sallie Mae Fund is helping minorities realize their dreams of a college education. We hope this new interactive resource will help parents and students feel more confident about the application process,” says Kathleen deLaski, president of the Fund.

© Copyright 2005 by DiverseEducation.com