Sallie Mae helps student loan customers

Sallie Mae is proud of the work we have done over the last 37 years to help more than 31 million students make the investment in college. Contrary to the erroneous information presented by your columnist (“U.S. Should Pay For College,” Sept. 30, 2010), the overwhelming majority of students who borrow repay their loans successfully, especially because on average college graduates earn more and have higher levels of employment than those without college degrees.

In fact, unemployment levels for those with college degrees continue to be half that of those who did not go to college. The latest Department of Labor figures released earlier this month show unemployment at 4.6 percent for those with bachelor’s degrees and higher, compared to 10.3 percent for those with only a high school diploma. Further, according to the Department of Labor, the median wage of a bachelor’s degree recipient is 32 percent higher than the average worker.

Sallie Mae has a strong track record of helping student loan customers avoid default and preserve or rebuild their good credit, which in turn helps Americans access lower-cost credit in the future, taxpayers save dollars on federally guaranteed student loans, and colleges retain their eligibility for federal financial aid for students. During the last 12 months, Sallie Mae helped more than 2 million customers resolve their past-due accounts and avoid default on $38 billion in federal and private student loans.  In addition, Sallie Mae celebrated 422,000 customers as they successfully paid their student loans in full over the past year.

Patricia Nash Christel
Managing Director, Corporate Communications
Sallie Mae
Reston, Virginia

Mine isn’t safe, despite promises

Anybody remember the old Highlights for Children magazine, where each issue featured an activity, “What is Wrong with this Picture?”

Take a look at the photograph in the article, “North Wind Tours Kennecott Mine,” on page 3 of last week’s North Wind. Can anyone see anything wrong with this picture from the Yellow Dog Plains?

Personally, I see a lot wrong with it, particularly when compared with photos of the way this place used to look. Although, if the “WIWWTP” game, using this photo, had been provided for children, a disclaimer may have been required. Some kids might think this is a super-duper sandbox filled with Tonka trucks and want their dads to build them one in the backyard.

Actually, there have been a number of photos taken recently in Kennecott’s con (de)struction zone that are even more aesthetically pleasing than this one that would not be selected for a travel magazine, believe me.

Matt Johnson, Kennecott’s manager of government and community relations (or fill in your own title kids – this is reallife Mad Libs) professes his personal love for the U.P. Yeah, he loves living in God’s creation, but he doesn’t have a problem with destroying it a few miles down the road for somebody else. Matt should try googling his own company to find out what kind of unethical operators they really are. Kennecott couldn’t care less about how they leave the U.P.

Unfortunately, donning a hard hat and steel-toed boots is not going to keep our water safe.

Barb Bradley
NMU, 2010 Alumnus