Vote Now! Finalists Named for Sallie Mae’s ‘Make College Happen Challenge’

Ten college-bound students from across the U.S. have been named finalists in Sallie Mae’s “Make College Happen Challenge,” and they are counting on you to help them win part of nearly $25,000 in scholarships being awarded by the company. Beginning today, the general public will have the opportunity to vote for their favorite entry at MakeCollegeHappenChallenge.com/vote. Voting closes on Feb. 15 at 11:59 p.m. EST.

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The “Make College Happen Challenge,” conducted in partnership with By Kids For Kids, a leader in education that inspires innovation in youth, asked entrants to creatively communicate their plan to pay for college. Online voters will be able to choose among entries that feature original songs, hand-illustrated videos, a poem, a video game, a comic book, and other creative submissions.

The first-place winner will receive $10,000; the second-place winner will receive $5,000, and the third-place winner will receive $2,500. The other seven finalists will receive $1,000 each.

“In many respects, these finalists are already winners because they are taking those all-important first steps to prepare for college,” said Martha Holler, senior vice president, Sallie Mae. “Each submission is incredibly creative, thoughtful, and engaging, which I’m sure will leave the general public and our judges with some very difficult decisions!”

The finalists for the “Make College Happen Challenge,” listed alphabetically by state of residency, are:

• Karis from Colorado, who wrote a poem.
• Nicolas from Georgia, who created a video game.
• Ebony from Georgia, who sings her plan.
• Colson from Iowa, who built a website to describe his plan.
• Kaci from Iowa, who submitted an animated video.
• Mason from Iowa, who submitted an animated video.
• Josephine from New Jersey, who sings her plan.
• Alexander from New Mexico, who submitted an animated video.
• Makaila from North Carolina, who describes her plan in a rap.
• Ellen from South Dakota, who submitted an illustrated comic book.

The finalists were selected by judges who evaluated entries on creativity, effectiveness of message, and feasibility and practicality of the plan. The online voting results will be combined with judges’ scores to determine the first-, second- and third-place winners, whose names will be announced on March 22.

“We are proud to partner with Sallie Mae, and we congratulate each of the ‘Make College Happen Challenge’ finalists,” said Norman Goldstein, CEO and founder, By Kids For Kids. “Helping students achieve the dream of a college education is integral to our mission of providing young people with the skills they need to compete in a 21st century economy.”

Sallie Mae offers a number of free planning-for-college tools, including the College Planning Calculator and Scholarship Search by Sallie Mae. The company recommends students and families follow its 1-2-3 approach to paying for college: first, maximize money that does not need to be repaid, such as scholarships and grants; second, explore federal student loans; and, third, consider a responsible private education loan.

For complete contest rules, visit MakeCollegeHappenChallenge.com/rules.

About By Kids For Kids

By Kids For Kids® (BKFK) is an agency that empowers youth invention, innovation, and entrepreneurship. BKFK provides a unique platform for kids and teens to develop and showcase their ideas, inventions, and entrepreneurship. The company provides free educational resources, including curricula and challenges that promote social change, product innovation, and entrepreneurial endeavors. Learn more: www.bkfk.com.

About Sallie Mae

Sallie Mae (NASDAQ: SLM) is the nation’s saving, planning, and paying for college company. Whether college is a long way off or just around the corner, Sallie Mae offers products that promote responsible personal finance, including private education loans, Upromise rewards, scholarship search, college financial planning tools, and online retail banking. Learn more at SallieMae.com. Commonly known as Sallie Mae, SLM Corporation and its subsidiaries are not sponsored by or agencies of the United States of America.

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