Achieva.com Teams Up With Leading Provider of Education Loans; College Prep Web Site Working With Sallie Mae To Provide Comprehensive `Pay for College' Content and Functionality.

Business Editors & Education/Internet Writers

SAN MATEO, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--May 23, 2000

Achieva.com, the most comprehensive online college admissions and counseling service, today announced a partnership with Sallie Mae (NYSE:SLM) to provide financial aid information to college-bound students and their families through the Achieva.com Web site (www.Achieva.com). Achieva.com visitors will have access to content from wiredscholar.com(SM), a new Internet destination developed by Sallie Mae that offers in-depth college financing information for students, parents and guidance professionals.

Wiredscholar.com content will be integrated with Achieva.com's existing offerings, providing Achieva.com users with a comprehensive resource for making college more affordable. Achieva.com users also will have access to wiredscholar.com's online Federal and private loan origination capabilities.

"Our partnership with Sallie Mae complements Achieva.com's online offerings perfectly; it makes our site a complete information source for college-bound students and their families," said Steve Feuling, vice president and general manager, Achieva Consumer Online Division. "We are working toward a goal of achieving leadership in a currently untapped category, and by partnering with Sallie Mae, we will significantly increase the options offered to high school students."

About Achieva.com

Based in San Mateo, Achieva.com is the first and only comprehensive online college admissions and counseling service that provides personal guidance and peace of mind to parents and students through all aspects of the college admissions process -- not just test prep. The Achieva College Prep Centers have successfully placed an astonishing 100 percent of its students in four-year colleges, with 85 percent attending one of their top choices. Achieva.com has incorporated this proven college guidance approach into a proprietary online Achieva College Advantage Program(TM) that combines admissions counseling, test preparation, and detailed scholarship, financial aid, and college information to offer the richest possible college preparation resource. Along with offering its proven programs to families worldwide via the Internet, Achieva has extended its franchise through its Schools Division, which delivers online college prep, test prep and study skills tutoring programs directly to school districts. Achieva is an independent venture owned by its management and employees and can be found on the Web at (http://www.achieva.com).

About Sallie Mae

Sallie Mae, founded 26 years ago, provides funds for educational loans, primarily federally guaranteed student loans originated under the Federal Family Education Loan Program (FFELP). The company currently owns or manages student loans for 5.3 million borrowers and also provides parents, students and educators with comprehensive information on the financial aid process. Through its specialized subsidiaries and divisions, Sallie Mae also provides an array of consumer credit loans, including those for lifelong learning and K-12 education, and business and technical outsourcing services for colleges and universities. More information is available at www.salliemae.com. Wiredscholar is an independent Sallie Mae brand that extends the company's commitment to helping students achieve higher education. For more information, visit www.wiredscholar.com. SLM Holding Corp. and its subsidiaries, other than the Student Loan Marketing Association, are not sponsored by or agencies of the United States.