SLM Corporation, operating as Sallie Mae, is a financial services company specializing in private education loans for students and families pursuing higher education. The company originates and services Private Education Loans—not backed by government—through its flagship Smart Option Student Loan product and specialized graduate and career-focused loan programs, while also offering FDIC-insured deposit products through Sallie Mae Bank and operating education planning platforms through subsidiaries. Revenue is generated primarily through interest income on the education loans it originates and holds, funded through deposits and asset-backed securities, with a newer capital-light model generating fee-based revenue from loan sales while retaining servicing relationships. Sallie Mae operates as a regulated depository institution serving students and families across over 2,100 higher education institutions and competes with large banks and specialty finance companies in a market driven by college enrollment, cost of attendance, and federal aid availability.