Sallie Mae Fund National Bus Tour to Visit Children's Aid to Educate Latinos about College Financial Aid Options

September 20, 2006

Contact:
Beth Guerard,703-984-5621
beth.guerard@salliemae.com

Elly Spinweber, 703-741-7513
espinweber@golinharris.com

National partner MTV Tr3́s and its VOCES (Voices) campaign holds on-air contest for students; local partner Univision Ch. 41 hosts a call-in show for Spanish-speaking community

WHAT:
The Sallie Mae Fund’s fall 2006 Paying for College Bus Tour visits the New York area Wednesday, Sept. 27 and Thursday, Sept. 28 to educate Latino students and families about attending and paying for higher education. Workshops and counseling sessions will offer bilingual, hands-on access to financial resources and information on scholarships, grants, loans and federal aid. At each workshop, students will have the opportunity to win $250, $500 or $1,000 college scholarships!

National partner MTV Tr3́s, through its VOCES (Voices) campaign, will offer three New York-area students the opportunity to highlight the education dreams and obstacles of Hispanic teens in his or her own words. In partnership with Youth Venture and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and through contests at Bus Tour events around the country, MTV Tr3́s will choose dozens of student videographers and provide them video cameras. MTV Tr3́s will select stories for broadcast on the network and to be featured online at www.mtv3voces.com.

Additionally, the Spanish-language network Univision Communications’ New York affiliate WXTV-Ch 41 will hosts a LIVE call-in program on Thursday, Sept. 28 from 6 p.m. to 11 p.m. Spanish-speaking financial aid advisors will be available to answer questions on all aspects of paying for college for the Latino viewing audience and refer students and parents to The Sallie Mae Fund’s information in Spanish on Ch. 41’s Web site.

WHY:
- More than 18,000 Latino students will graduate from area high schools in 2007. It is estimated that only 16 percent of them will graduate from college.
- Eighty four percent of New York Latinos do not have a college degree.
- If all ethnic groups in New York had the same educational attainment and earnings as whites, total personal income in the state would be about $18.1 billion higher, and the state would realize an estimated $6.3 billion in additional tax revenues.

WHEN:
6 p.m. to 8:30 p.m., Wednesday, Sept. 27
6 p.m. to 8:30 p.m., Thursday, Sept. 28

WHERE:
9/27 – The Children's Aid Society, Frederick Douglass Children's Center, 885 Columbus Ave., New York, NY
9/28 - New Explorers High School, 701 St. Ann's Ave., Bronx, NY

WHO:
Area Latino students and families
Lilyan Prado, tour spokesperson
Local financial counselors, MTV Tr3́s, Univision

VISUALS/PHOTO OPPS:
- At each workshop, a local student winning a college scholarship
- Vibrant tour vehicle with interactive college counseling center inside
- National spokesperson Lilyan Prado delivering interactive workshops and distributing financial aid resources
- Students working with financial aid counselors
- Local Latino community members learning about financial aid information

ADDITIONAL STOPS:
Open to media only
- 9:15 a.m. to 10 a.m., Sept. 28, New Explorers High School, 701 St. Ann's Ave., Bronx, NY
- 11:00 a.m. to 11:37 a.m., Sept. 29, Edward A. Reynolds West Side High School, 140 West 102nd St, New York, NY

For more information about national nonprofit The Sallie Mae Fund, visit www.thesalliemaefund.org.