RESTON, Va., Dec. 26, 2007—SLM Corporation (NYSE: SLM), commonly known as Sallie Mae, today announced that it is commencing concurrent public offerings of common stock and mandatory convertible preferred stock to raise a total of $2.5 billion of capital. The company intends to apply approximately $2.0 billion of the net proceeds from the proposed offerings to physically settle its outstanding equity forward purchase contract, pursuant to which it will effect the repurchase of 44,039,890 shares of common stock deliverable to Sallie Mae under the contract. The dilutive impact of the two offerings will be partially offset by the physical settlement of the outstanding equity forward purchase contract. Any proceeds remaining after such settlement will be used for general corporate purposes.

UBS Investment Bank and Citi will serve as joint book-running managers for the offerings, which include the issuance of $1.5 billion of common stock and $1.0 billion of mandatory convertible preferred stock, series C. Copies of the prospectus supplements relating to the proposed offerings may be obtained by contacting UBS Investment Bank or Citi as follows:

UBS Investment Bank
Prospectus Department
299 Park Avenue
New York, N.Y. 10171
888/827-7275

Citi
Brooklyn Army Terminal
140 58th Street
8th Floor
Brooklyn, N.Y. 11220
718/765-6732

Shelf registration statements relating to the shares of common stock and the shares of mandatory convertible preferred stock have previously been filed with, and have been declared effective by, the Securities and Exchange Commission. This press release shall not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy nor shall there be any sale of these securities in any jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to the registration or qualification under the securities laws of any such jurisdiction. Any offer will be made only by means of a prospectus, including a prospectus supplement, forming a part of the related effective registration statements. 

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This press release contains “forward-looking statements” including expectations as to future market share, the success of preferred channel originations and future results. These statements are made pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Because such statements inherently involve risks and uncertainties, actual results may differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Such risks include, among others, changes in the terms of student loans and the educational credit marketplace arising from the implementation of applicable laws and regulations, and from changes in such laws and regulations, adverse results in legal disputes, changes in the demand for educational financing or in financing preferences of educational institutions, students and their families, and changes in the general interest rate environment. For more information, see the company’s filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including the preliminary prospectus supplements relating to the proposed offerings. All information in this release is as of Dec. 26, 2007. The Company does not undertake any obligation to update or revise these forward looking statements to conform the statement to actual results or changes in the Company’s expectations.

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For more information contact: 
Martha Holler (703) 984-5178 (media)
Steve McGarry (703) 984-6746 (investors)