Sallie Mae joins with DSU to research why some students drop out

Sallie Mae, the publicly traded student loan company based in Newark, has a surprising level of Delaware pride for a company not readily associated with the state. For example, a few years ago, it commissioned local artist Rick Hidalgo to create oversized paintings of Delaware landmarks for its HQ.

Now, it’s partnering with Delaware State University (DSU) for an initiative to help reduce the number of college dropouts in the US.

The $1 million research endowment to Delaware’s historically Black university will support a comprehensive three-year “Persistence and Completion Pilot Program.” The initiative aims to identify the reasons degrees aren’t completed and help students come back and finish while coming up with policy recommendations. Part of the money will go toward scholarships for DSU students at risk of dropping out for financial reasons.

In a time when corporations have quietly pulled back on their DEI commitments made during the summer of 2020 — not to mention the wave of lawsuits targeting organizations and companies with programs designed to uplift Black people professionally — partnering with an HBCU and financially helping its students stay on track through graduation is not exactly a status quo move. We do like to see it. (But be careful with those student loans, kids!)