Recipients Include Students from Chandler, Douglas, Glendale, Mesa, Phoenix and Tucson

To celebrate the accomplishments and dreams of students in Arizona, Southwest Student Services Corporation (Southwest), a nationally recognized higher education lender headquartered in Gilbert, Ariz., has awarded scholarships totaling $14,000 to eight high school seniors and college students from across the state.

The awards are part of Southwest's commitment to providing students with scholarships to help offset the cost of attending college, and to reward students for their outstanding academic and community performance. Over the last decade, Arizona residents have received nearly $200,000 in scholarships from Southwest.

"Each year, we give scholarships to several deserving Arizona students, as well as a cash award to recognize a distinguished Arizona high school counselor," said Rich Nickel, president, Southwest Student Services Corporation. "We award these scholarships to recognize the achievements of the recipients and to help students pursue their dreams of receiving a college education. Southwest is committed to helping families and students throughout Arizona and across the nation by providing education resources and financing that help make going to college a reality."

Southwest is pleased to announce its 2005 scholarship and award recipients:

Southwest's High School Counselor of the Year Award -- Hollis Hemingway, a counselor at Mountain View High School in Tucson, received a $500 cash prize and an award plaque after being named Southwest's 2005 Arizona High School Counselor of the Year. Her hard work and dedication, demonstrated through innovation, leadership and mentoring skills, helped students realize their full career and education potential.

  * Amber Spears, a senior at Mountain View High School and a resident of
    Tucson, received a $500 scholarship for nominating Hemingway.

Community College Scholarships -- Four renewable $500 scholarships were awarded to Arizona high school seniors with strong service and academic backgrounds.

  * Ashley Calderon, of Alhambra High School and a resident of Phoenix,
    plans to attend Glendale Community College.
  * Dalia Escalera, of Westwood High School and a resident of Mesa, plans to
    attend Mesa Community College.
  * Joel Alexis Greer, of Douglas High School and a resident of Douglas,
    plans to attend Pima Community College.
  * Lauren Nicole Hopper, of Hamilton High School and a resident of
    Chandler, plans to attend Chandler-Gilbert Community College.

The Anne Lindeman Memorial Scholarship -- Three, $1,000 scholarships were awarded to undergraduate seniors pursuing a course of study in education, social sciences or health sciences. These scholarships memorialize the philosophy and accomplishments of Anne Lindeman, the former executive director of the Governor's Council on Aging, and a former Arizona state legislator who fought to improve education as well as the quality of life for seniors. Lindeman also served as a Southwest board member. This year's recipients include:

  * Shanon Bjerke, a resident of Tucson and a senior at the University of
    Arizona studying nursing.
  * Darla Cocio, a resident of Tucson and a senior at the University of
    Arizona studying secondary education.
  * Heather Hall, a resident of Glendale and a junior at Arizona State
    University-West studying special education.

Southwest also funds a number of additional annual scholarships for students in partnership with Arizona's public universities and high schools.

About Southwest Student Services Corporation

Southwest Student Services Corporation serves schools and borrowers at every education level that seek financial aid counseling, student loan funding, loan origination, loan consolidation, and life-of-the-loan servicing. The company is among the top 30 originators of federal student loans, issuing more than $1.8 billion in student loans annually, and it is the nation's ninth largest holder of federal student loans with a portfolio of more than $5 billion.

Southwest is known nationally for providing innovative, money-saving benefits and exceeding customer expectations. In 23 years of service, Southwest has helped more than 1 million people reach their educational goals.

Southwest Student Services Corporation is a wholly owned subsidiary of SLM Corporation, commonly known as Sallie Mae. SLM Corporation (NYSE:SLM) is the nation's leading provider of education funding, managing nearly $112 billion in student loans for 8 million borrowers. SLM Corporation and its subsidiaries are not sponsored by or agencies of the United States of America.

Source: Southwest Student Services Corporation

CONTACT: Kathleen C. Harris, Vice President of Southwest Student
Services Corporation, +1-480-461-6511, or KHarris@sssc.com

Web site: http://www.sssc.com/

NOTE TO EDITORS: For additional information about Southwest Student Services Corporation, visit www.sssc.com or contact Kathleen Harris, vice president at 480-461-6511 or e-mail KHarris@sssc.com.