State Treasurer Clint Zweifel announces payment relief options for Joplin area residents with Sallie Mae student loans

Announcement impacts about 2,000 people in Joplin area

State Treasurer Clint Zweifel announces payment relief options for Joplin area residents with Sallie Mae student loans
Announcement impacts about 2,000 people in Joplin area

JOPLIN, Mo. – State Treasurer Clint Zweifel (ZWY-ful) said today that Sallie Mae, the nation’s No. 1 financial services company specializing in education, has agreed to put in place payment relief through September 30 for eligible student loan customers who need assistance in the Joplin area in response to the May 22 tornado.

“Sallie Mae services student loans for approximately 2,000 people in the Joplin area and has put in place payment relief options for those customers,” Treasurer Zweifel said. “It is imperative that people with loans call Sallie Mae as soon as possible and inform them of their situation so they can work through payment relief. I have worked with the people at Sallie Mae and they understand the challenges facing the residents of Joplin and are ready to help.”

For assistance, Sallie Mae customers should call (888) 272-5543 from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. CDT Monday through Thursday and 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. CDT on Friday.

“Sallie Mae is committed to the rebuilding effort and to providing assistance in the wake of this disaster,” said Michael Maier, senior vice president, Sallie Mae. “We stand ready to help our customers in Joplin make arrangements for payment relief, including postponement of payments through the end of September, but we need to hear from our customers. We are reaching out as well, but in the cases where homes have been destroyed, it is imperative we connect so we can discuss how we can meet our customers’ needs.”

Sallie Mae and Treasurer Zweifel will monitor progress, and will work to determine if payment relief efforts need to be extended beyond September.

About Sallie Mae
Sallie Mae (NYSE: SLM) is the nation’s No. 1 financial services company specializing in education. Serving 23 million customers, Sallie Mae offers innovative savings tools, tuition payment plans and education loans that promote responsible financial habits and reward success. The company manages or services $238 billion in education loans and administers $37 billion in 529 college savings plans, including MOST – Missouri’s 529 College Savings Plan. Members of its Upromise college savings rewards program have earned $600 million to help pay for college. Sallie Mae is also one of the leading financial service providers for universities and governments at all levels, including supporting $8 billion in ecommerce transactions annually at nearly 1,000 campuses. More information is available at www.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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