Earn an A+ in Saving Money While Back to School Shopping with Sallie Mae’s Upromise

NEWARK, Del.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--As America gears up for the school year, Upromise by Sallie Mae helps parents and students shop smart this back-to-school season. According to a survey by the National Retail Federation, the average family plans to spend more than $800 to send their college student to campus this fall or more than $600 for their elementary or high schooler. Smart consumers can get cash back for college on nearly every item on their list at Upromise.com/BacktoSchool. Each week one major online retailer, including Kohl's, Pottery Barn Teen, and Kmart, will boost its contribution for college to 10 percent.

“Upromise helps consumers with students of any age stock up and save up with cash back for college.”

“Getting ready for the school year can help students of all ages get ready for college,” said David Coppins, president of Upromise, a service of Sallie Mae, the nation’s No. 1 financial services company specializing in education. “Upromise helps consumers with students of any age stock up and save up with cash back for college.”

“I always start my shopping at Upromise.com to find where to get the best savings – especially during shopping seasons such as getting ready for school, and the savings add up considerably over time,” said Alicia, an active SuperSaver Upromise member who has saved $14,000 since 2002 for her two children. “I always purchase my children’s school supplies and clothing online through Upromise partners such as Staples and Target.”

As parents and college students stock up on technology, clothing, uniforms, backpacks, textbooks and dorm décor, Upromise partners offer cash back on the season’s must-haves:

Study up. Students can earn college savings on an iPad at Apple Store (1 percent college savings) and e-readers including the Nook Wifi^® eReader from BarnesandNoble.com through Upromise. College students can also get 3 percent of their money back when buying new or used textbooks or e-textbooks from Chegg.com and Textbooks.com through Upromise. Plus, Barnes & Noble now offers two ways to save: 3 percent via online purchases or 3 percent in-store for purchases of $150 or more when you use a card registered in your Upromise account.
Get organized. You’ll need notebooks, pens, calendars, planners, labels, and more. Shop Officemax.com or Staples.com through Upromise and get 2 percent cash back for college.
Carry on. eBags.com through Upromise (10 percent college savings) features lunch boxes of all designs, traditional and wheeling backpacks, and laptop bags from top name brands like The Northface, JanSport and Timbuk2.
What to wear? Go to Upromise.com to find the latest fall styles at stores like Lands’ End (3 percent), Nordstrom (3 percent), Old Navy (5 percent) and Gap (5 percent). You’ll save big while looking stylish on your first day of school.
Technically speaking. Find all of your technology products through Upromise merchants including a Dell laptop (2 percent) or a tablet from BestBuy (2 percent).

Upromise offers college savings from 1 to 25 percent and online coupons at 900-plus online retailers. No matter where you shop, the Upromise World MasterCard offers 1 percent on anything you buy, along with 2 percent extra when you make eligible online purchases through Upromise.

Free to join at Upromise.com, members have earned more than $625 million in cash rewards since 2001 to help save and pay for college. Cash earned from everyday spending goes directly into a Upromise account and can be invested in a tax-deferred 529 plan, deposited into a Sallie Mae High-Yield Savings Account, used to help pay down a Sallie Mae eligible student loan, or requested by check. So far in 2011, out of the millions of dollars earned through Upromise, members have deposited $13.2 million into Upromise 529 plans, $1.2 million in Sallie Mae High-Yield Savings Accounts and $3 million was applied directly to a linked Sallie Mae student loan.

Sallie Mae (NYSE: SLM) is the nation’s No. 1 saving, planning and paying for college company. Serving 23 million customers, Sallie Mae offers innovative savings tools, tuition payment plans and education loans that promote responsible financial habits and reward success. Through its subsidiaries, the company manages or services $234 billion in education loans and administers $38 billion in 529 college savings plans. Members of its Upromise college savings rewards program have earned $625 million to help pay for college. Sallie Mae is also one of the leading financial service providers for universities and governments at all levels, including supporting $8 billion in ecommerce transactions annually at nearly 1,000 campuses. More information is available at www.SallieMae.com. SLM Corporation and its subsidiaries, commonly known as Sallie Mae, are not sponsored by or agencies of the United States of America.