What Is Sallie Mae?

By Matthew DiLallo – Updated Dec 13, 2025 at 5:09 PM EST

Key Points

Sallie Mae provides diverse student loans and financial tools, including a top scholarship app.
Sallie Mae's loans differ from federal ones, offering more borrowing flexibility based on credit.
These private loans cover broader education costs than federal programs, including full attendance.

The Student Loan Marketing Association, or Sallie Mae, was created in 1972. The entity has undergone many changes over the last half-century. It has transitioned from a government-sponsored enterprise to a publicly traded corporation now called SLM Corporation (SLM +0.61%). The financial company offers private student loans, savings products, and credit cards.

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Graduate cap lying atop one-hundred-dollar banknotes — Image source: Getty Images.

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Sallie Mae

Sallie Mae is a U.S. corporation that specializes in student loans, providing financing for higher education expenses.

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About the Author

Matt DiLallo has been a contributing Motley Fool stock market analyst specializing in covering dividend-paying companies, particularly in the energy and REIT sectors, since 2012. He also covers pre-IPO companies, ETFs, and other investing topics. He holds an MBA from Liberty University.

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SLM is an advertising partner of Motley Fool Money. Matt DiLallo has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.