/C O R R E C T I O N -- Sandy Spring Bancorp, Inc./.

In the news release, Sandy Spring Bancorp Announces 2nd Quarter Dividend, issued yesterday, May 26, by Sandy Spring Bancorp, Inc. over PR Newswire, we are advised by the company that in the third sentence, the close of business date is June 6, 2005 rather than June 7, as originally issued inadvertently. Complete, corrected release follows:

Sandy Spring Bancorp Announces 2nd Quarter Dividend

OLNEY, Md., May 26 /PRNewswire/ -- Sandy Spring Bancorp, Inc., the parent company of Sandy Spring Bank, announced that its Board of Directors has declared a regular quarterly dividend of $0.21 per share for the 2nd quarter of 2005. Compared to the second quarter of 2004, the second quarter dividend for 2005 represents an increase of $0.02 per share. The dividend is payable on June 16, 2005 to shareholders of record as of the close of business on June 6, 2005.

  (Logo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20010424/SSPRINGLOGO-a )

  About Sandy Spring Bancorp/Sandy Spring Bank

With $2.3 billion in assets, Sandy Spring Bancorp is the holding company for Sandy Spring Bank and its principal subsidiaries, Sandy Spring Insurance Corporation and The Equipment Leasing Company. Sandy Spring Bancorp is the third largest publicly traded banking company headquartered in Maryland. Sandy Spring is a community banking organization that focuses its lending and other services on businesses and consumers in the local market area. Independent and community-oriented, Sandy Spring Bank was founded in 1868 and offers a broad range of commercial banking, retail banking and trust services through 30 community offices and 45 ATMs located in Anne Arundel, Carroll, Frederick, Howard, Montgomery, and Prince George's counties in Maryland.

Visit http://www.sandyspringbank.com/ for more information.

CONTACT: Hunter R. Hollar, President & Chief Executive Officer, [e-mail], or Philip J. Mantua, Executive V.P. & Chief Financial Officer, [e-mail] of Sandy Spring Bancorp, [phone]

Web site: http://www.sandyspringbank.com/