Exhibit 99.1
salliemae_logoxraspxnowhit.jpg
News Release
For Immediate Release

Sallie Mae Reports Second Quarter 2026 Financial Results

NEWARK, Del., July 23, 2026 Sallie Mae (Nasdaq: SLM), formally SLM Corporation, today released second quarter 2026 financial results. Complete financial results and related materials are available at www.SallieMae.com/investors. The materials will also be available on the Securities and Exchange Commission’s website at www.sec.gov.

Sallie Mae will host an earnings conference call today, July 23, 2026, at 5:30 p.m. ET. Executives will be on hand to discuss various highlights of the quarter and to answer questions related to Sallie Mae’s performance. A live audio webcast of the conference call and presentation slides may be accessed at www.SallieMae.com/investors and the hosting website.

A replay of the webcast will be available via the company’s investor website approximately two hours after the call’s conclusion.
###

Sallie Mae (Nasdaq: SLM) believes education and life-long learning, in all forms, help people achieve great things. As the leader in private student lending, we provide financing and know-how to support access to college and offer products and resources to help customers make new goals and experiences, beyond college, happen. 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.










Contacts:
Media
Media, media@salliemae.com

Investors
Investor Relations, IR@salliemae.com





salliemae_logoxraspxnowhit.jpg


Sallie Mae Second Quarter 2026 Financial Results

NEWARK, Del., July 23, 2026 — Sallie Mae (Nasdaq:SLM), formally SLM Corporation, today released its second quarter 2026 financial results.

$0.29
GAAP Diluted Earnings
Per Common Share

4.5%
Private Education Loan Originations Growth from Year-Ago Quarter

$113M
Net Charge-Offs

$195M
Non-Interest Expenses

“We delivered a strong second quarter and first half of the year and are encouraged by our momentum as we enter peak season. The product enhancements and investments we’ve made to serve more students and families, combined with the strength of our portfolio and growing customer demand, reinforce our confidence in the outlook for the remainder of 2026 and beyond.”

Jonathan Witter, CEO, Sallie Mae

Second Quarter Results Reflect Stable Earnings Performance and Continued Originations Growth
GAAP diluted earnings per common share were $0.29, a decrease from $0.32 in the year-ago quarter but consistent with expectations and representing continued demand for Private Education Loans and disciplined decisions across funding, expenses, and capital management.
Private Education Loan originations increased 4.5% from the year-ago quarter.
Average loans outstanding, net, totaled $21.1 billion during the quarter.

Earnings Supported by Strategic Balance Sheet Actions
Sold $420 million of Private Education Loans, including $399 million of principal and $21 million of capitalized interest through our strategic partnerships business.
 The Company issued $500 million of unsecured Senior Notes in May 2026, using the proceeds to complete a cash tender offer and satisfaction and discharge of the $500 million outstanding unsecured Senior Notes due in November 2026.
Non-interest expenses totaled $195 million, as the Company launched new and enhanced loan products in preparation for peak season expansion due to PLUS reform. Full year non-interest expenses are anticipated to remain consistent with the Company’s expectations and full year guidance.
Earnings for the quarter were supported by a lower cost of funds, 4.13%, compared to 4.22% in the year-ago quarter.








Capital Deployment Demonstrates Balanced Growth and Earnings Performance
The Company’s $200 million accelerated share repurchase (“ASR”) concluded in June 2026, including the final delivery of 0.9 million shares in the second quarter, resulting in a total of 9.3 million shares repurchased under the ASR.
At June 30, 2026, $242 million of capacity remained available under the Company’s 2026 Share Repurchase Program.
On June 15, 2026, the Company paid a quarterly common stock dividend of $0.13 per share.

Credit Performance within Expectations
Net charge-offs were $113 million, an increase from the year-ago quarter, which we believe is primarily driven by misaligned third-party debt resolution practices affecting a small, high-ability-to-pay segment of borrowers progressing straight through delinquency to default, and related shifts to our recovery strategies.
Delinquencies as a percentage of loans in repayment were 3.72% for the second quarter of 2026, compared with 3.51% for the second quarter of 2025.



2026 Guidance*
For the full-year 2026, the Company expects:

$3.10 - $3.20
Diluted Earnings
Per Common Share

12% - 14%
Private Education Loan Originations Year-Over-Year Growth

$365 - $385
million
Net Charge-Offs

$750 - $780
million
Non-Interest Expenses
*The 2026 Guidance and related comments constitute forward-looking statements and are based on management’s current expectations and beliefs. There can be no guarantee as to whether and to what extent this guidance will be achieved. The Company undertakes no obligation to revise or release any revision or update to these forward-looking statements. See our Forward-Looking Statements disclosures on pg. 4 for more information.

Investor Contact: Investor Relations, IR@salliemae.com                 Media Contact: Media, media@salliemae.com


















2



Quarterly Financial Highlights
Q2 2026Q1 2026Q2 2025
Income Statement ($ millions)
Total interest income$602$649$657
Total interest expense269274280
Net interest income333375377
Less: provisions for credit losses126(11)149
Total non-interest income6818527
Total non-interest expenses195171167
Income tax expense229216
Net income5930871
Preferred stock dividends444
Net income attributable to common stock$55$304$67
Ending Balances ($ millions)
Private Education Loans held for investment, net$19,531$19,887$21,160
Private Education Loans held for sale, net172236
Deposits19,89520,52520,482
Brokered8,2468,6768,592
Retail and other11,64911,84911,890
Key Performance Metrics ($ in millions)
Net interest margin4.75%5.29%5.31%
Yield - Total interest-earning assets8.59%9.14%9.25%
Private Education Loans10.25%10.46%10.62%
Cost of Funds4.13%4.13%4.22%
Efficiency Ratio(1)
48.6%30.6%41.4%
Return on Assets (“ROA”)(2)
0.8%4.2%1.0%
Return on Common Equity (“ROCE”)(3)
9.9%56.4%12.6%
Private Education Loan sales$420$3,332$—
Per Common Share
GAAP diluted earnings per common share$0.29$1.54$0.32
Average common and common equivalent shares outstanding (millions)190198213
















3




Footnotes:

(1) We calculate and report our Efficiency Ratio as the ratio of (a) total non-interest expenses numerator to (b) the net denominator, which consists of net interest income plus total non-interest income.

(2) We calculate and report our Return on Assets (“ROA”) as the ratio of (a) GAAP net income numerator (annualized) to (b) the GAAP total average assets denominator.

(3) We calculate and report our Return on Common Equity (“ROCE”) as the ratio of (a) GAAP net income attributable to common stock numerator (annualized) to (b) the net denominator, which consists of GAAP total average equity less total average preferred stock.



***






















































4




CAUTIONARY NOTE AND DISCLAIMER REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

This press release contains “forward-looking statements” and information based on management’s current expectations as of the date of this press release. See SLM Corporation’s most recently filed Annual Report on Form 10-K and subsequent filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC Filings”) for definitions and descriptions of terms used in this presentation. Statements that are not historical facts, including statements about SLM Corporation’s beliefs, opinions, expectations, and/or statements that assume or are dependent upon future events, are forward-looking statements. These include, but are not limited to, the strategies, goals, and assumptions of SLM Corporation and its subsidiaries, collectively or individually as the context requires (the “Company,” “we,” “our,” or “us”); the Company’s expectation and ability to execute loan sales (including sales under the Company’s strategic partnership) and share repurchases; the Company’s expectation and ability to pay a quarterly cash dividend on the Company’s common stock in the future, subject to approval of the Board of Directors; the Company’s 2026 guidance; the Company’s three-year horizon outlook; the Company’s credit outlook; the impact of acquisitions the Company has made or may make in the future; the Company’s projections regarding originations, net charge-offs, non-interest expenses, earnings, balance sheet position, and other metrics; any estimates related to accounting standard changes; and any estimates related to the impact of changes in credit administration practices, including the results of simulations or other behavioral observations.
Forward-looking statements are subject to risks, uncertainties, assumptions, and other factors, many of which are difficult to predict and generally beyond the Company’s control, which may cause actual results to differ materially from those reflected in such forward-looking statements. There can be no assurance that future developments affecting the Company will be as anticipated by management. The Company cautions readers that a number of important factors could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed in, implied by, or projected in such forward-looking statements. These factors include, among others, the risks and uncertainties set forth in Item 1A., “Risk Factors,” and elsewhere in SLM Corporation’s SEC Filings; increases in financing costs; limits on liquidity; increases in costs associated with compliance with laws and regulations; failure to comply with consumer protection, banking, and other laws or regulations; changes in laws, regulations, and supervisory expectations, especially in light of the goals of the current federal administration; the ability to timely develop new products and services and the acceptance of those products and services by potential and existing customers; changes in accounting standards and related changes in significant accounting estimates, including those regarding the measurement of the Company’s allowance for credit losses and the related provision expense; any adverse outcomes in significant litigation to which the Company is a party; credit risk associated with the Company’s exposure to third parties, including counterparties to the Company’s derivative transactions; the effectiveness of the Company’s risk management framework and quantitative models; changes in the terms of education loans and the educational credit marketplace (including changes resulting from new laws and the implementation of existing laws); and changes in the demand for the Company’s deposit products, including changes caused by new or emerging market entrants or technologies. The Company could also be affected by, among other things, changes in funding costs and availability; reductions to credit ratings; cybersecurity incidents, cyberattacks, risks related to artificial intelligence (“AI”), and other failures or breaches of operating systems or infrastructure, including those of third-party vendors; the societal, demographic, business, and legislative/regulatory impacts of pandemics, other public health crises, severe weather events, and/or natural disasters; damage to reputation; risks associated with restructuring initiatives, including failures to successfully implement cost-cutting programs and the adverse effects of such initiatives on the business; changes in the demand for higher education, educational financing, or financing preferences of lenders, educational institutions, students, and their families, including changes to the amount or availability of funding that educational institutions, students, or their families receive from government sources; changes in laws and regulations with respect to the student lending business and financial institutions generally; changes in banking rules and regulations, including increased capital requirements; increased competition from banks and other consumer lenders; changes in customer creditworthiness; changes in the general interest rate environment, including the rate relationships among relevant money-market instruments and those of earning assets versus funding arrangements; rates of prepayments on loans owned by the Company; and changes in general economic or macroeconomic conditions, including, but not limited to, changes due to inflation, stagflation, recession, shifts in the labor market, and changes to government policies or initiatives, such as tariffs, trade wars, wars, immigration, and student visa policies, which could negatively impact consumer or business sentiment, demand for higher education, demand for student loans, financial and business results and/or modeling, and the ability to successfully effectuate any acquisitions, strategic partnerships, or initiatives. The preparation of the Company’s consolidated financial statements also requires management to make certain estimates and assumptions, including estimates and assumptions about future events. These estimates or assumptions may prove to be incorrect.

All oral and written forward-looking statements attributed to the Company are expressly qualified in their entirety by the factors, risks, and uncertainties set forth in the foregoing cautionary statements, and are made only as of the date of this press release or, where the statement is oral, as of the date stated. The Company’s past performance is not indicative of future results, and actual results may differ materially from any projections and/or estimates herein. The Company does not undertake any obligation to update, supplement, or revise any forward-looking statements or estimates to conform to actual results or changes in the Company’s expectations, nor to reflect events or circumstances that occur after the date on which such statements were made. In light of these risks, uncertainties, and assumptions, you should not place undue reliance on any forward-looking statements or estimates discussed herein.














5



SLM CORPORATION
CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS (Unaudited)
June 30,December 31,
(Dollars in thousands, except share and per share amounts)20262025
Assets
Cash and cash equivalents$4,588,129 $4,241,265 
Investments:
Trading investments at fair value (cost of $37,986 and $37,606, respectively)
55,938 49,250 
Available-for-sale investments at fair value (cost of $1,775,289 and $1,812,408, respectively)
1,716,712 1,758,070 
Other investments107,088 115,394 
Total investments1,879,738 1,922,714 
Loans held for investment (net of allowance for losses of $1,354,014 and $1,430,318, respectively)
19,531,493 20,332,124 
Loans held for sale172,466 933,256 
Restricted cash206,858 177,263 
Other interest-earning assets77 120 
Accrued interest receivable1,602,311 1,562,811 
Premises and equipment, net123,433 122,193 
Goodwill and acquired intangible assets, net58,546 59,974 
Income taxes receivable, net373,056 347,260 
Other assets43,304 47,315 
Total assets$28,579,411 $29,746,295 
Liabilities
Deposits$19,894,501 $21,060,151 
Short-term borrowings— 498,415 
Long-term borrowings5,844,116 5,362,494 
Other liabilities366,125 373,877 
Total liabilities26,104,742 27,294,937 
Commitments and contingencies
Equity
Preferred stock, par value $0.20 per share, 20 million shares authorized:
Series B: 2.5 million and 2.5 million shares issued, respectively, at stated value of $100 per share
251,070 251,070 
Common stock, par value $0.20 per share, 1.125 billion shares authorized: 445.7 million and 443.2 million shares issued, respectively
89,136 88,650 
Additional paid-in capital1,261,748 1,240,250 
Accumulated other comprehensive loss (net of tax benefit of ($14,669) and ($13,446), respectively)
(43,790)(40,128)
Retained earnings5,041,088 4,734,313 
Total SLM Corporation stockholders’ equity before treasury stock6,599,252 6,274,155 
Less: Common stock held in treasury at cost: 257.7 million and 244.0 million shares, respectively
(4,124,583)(3,822,797)
Total equity2,474,669 2,451,358 
Total liabilities and equity$28,579,411 $29,746,295 
6


SLM CORPORATION
CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF INCOME (Unaudited)
Three Months EndedSix Months Ended
 June 30,June 30,
(Dollars in thousands, except share and per share amounts)2026202520262025
Interest income:
Loans$539,936 $597,609 $1,142,198 $1,196,376 
Investments17,124 13,710 32,092 28,456 
Cash and cash equivalents44,995 45,440 77,074 88,017 
Total interest income602,055 656,759 1,251,364 1,312,849 
Interest expense:
Deposits191,078 201,478 391,687 405,617 
Interest expense on short-term borrowings2,737 3,613 7,865 7,014 
Interest expense on long-term borrowings75,419 74,848 143,580 148,428 
Total interest expense269,234 279,939 543,132 561,059 
Net interest income332,821 376,820 708,232 751,790 
Less: provisions for credit losses125,663 148,718 114,197 172,004 
Net interest income after provisions for credit losses207,158 228,102 594,035 579,786 
Non-interest income:
Gains (losses) on sales of loans, net14,939 (13)161,252 187,722 
Gains (losses) on securities, net8,001 (2,641)5,603 (13,019)
Other income45,346 29,430 86,008 58,117 
Total non-interest income68,286 26,776 252,863 232,820 
Non-interest expenses:
Operating expenses:
Compensation and benefits100,253 84,900 203,699 175,730 
FDIC assessment fees5,143 9,782 9,584 22,185 
Other operating expenses88,900 71,664 151,374 122,019 
Total operating expenses194,296 166,346 364,657 319,934 
Acquired intangible assets amortization expense687 898 1,427 1,919 
Total non-interest expenses194,983 167,244 366,084 321,853 
Income before income tax expense80,461 87,634 480,814 490,753 
Income tax expense21,936 16,362 114,335 114,941 
Net income58,525 71,272 366,479 375,812 
Preferred stock dividends3,581 3,972 7,136 7,928 
Net income attributable to SLM Corporation common stock$54,944 $67,300 $359,343 $367,884 
Basic earnings per common share$0.29 $0.32 $1.87 $1.75 
Average common shares outstanding188,576 209,282 191,999 209,978 
Diluted earnings per common share$0.29 $0.32 $1.85 $1.72 
Average common and common equivalent shares outstanding190,384 213,220 194,109 214,098 
Declared dividends per common share$0.13 $0.13 $0.26 $0.26 


7