The Sallie Mae Fund, a charitable organization sponsored by Sallie Mae, achieves its mission — to increase access to higher education for America's students — by supporting programs and initiatives that help open doors to higher education, prepare families for their college investment, and bridge the gap when no one else can.

In addition, The Sallie Mae Fund encourages employee volunteerism and community service in the communities where Sallie Mae employees live and work.

Sallie Mae established a donor-advised fund at The Community Foundation for the National Capital Region in 1992, with an initial grant of $2 million, to institutionalize its history of educational programs, scholarships, employee volunteerism, and community service.

In the late 1990s, The Fund's giving efforts evolved to focus on access philanthropy — promoting that a higher education is accessible and affordable to all. Since 2001, The Sallie Mae Fund has contributed more than $121 million, largely to address key barriers to college access.