Grocery Shopping Network and Upromise, Inc. Join Forces to Make College Dreams a Reality

MINNEAPOLIS--(BUSINESS WIRE)--You can earn free flights and hotel rooms when you shop, why not cash for college? Grocery Shopping Network (GSN), a leading provider of proprietary software to grocery store retailers, announces a new partnership with Upromise® the largest college savings rewards program. Now, at more than 21,000 grocery stores that partner with Upromise and GSN, consumers can not only save money on groceries, they can also earn and save money for college.

Through Upromise’s Grocery program, members can earn money back for college when they make everyday purchases on thousands of eligible grocery, health and household items at participating grocery and drug stores. GSN has added new functionality that grocery retailers can offer online to help consumers find products participating in Upromise. As consumers create their shopping lists online via their grocery store Web sites, GSN’s software identifies all participating items in the Upromise program, helping consumers to maximize their Upromise earnings.

Grocery Shopping and College Saving Made Simple

GSN-powered grocery store Web sites allow consumers to save money and time by planning their shopping trips online, where they can view circular ads and in-store promotions; build, print and save grocery lists; retrieve and print manufacturer and store coupons; and browse more than 64,000 recipes and 160 cooking videos.

“More shoppers than ever use online tools to plan and execute their shopping chores, and that’s why we’ve developed dynamic online capabilities for grocery store Web sites – to make grocery shopping easier and more convenient than ever,” said Andy Robinson, CEO, Grocery Shopping Network. “By partnering with Upromise, we can extend that service by bringing attention to this fantastic organization that is serving an important need – the challenge of paying for college.”

“With Grocery Shopping Network’s technology it’s easier to select and buy Upromise participating products and maximize the opportunity to earn college savings on grocery purchases,” said Ronnie Perchik, senior vice president, Upromise. “This program can help Upromise members earn the most college savings for their grocery spending, and spread the word about the importance of saving for college and how participating in Upromise can give you a helping hand.” A complete list of grocery stores, corporations and products participating in Upromise can be found at www.upromise.com.

About Upromise

Launched in April 2001, today Upromise is the largest private source of college funding contributions in America, with more than 8 million members and $400 million in member rewards. Membership is free and can help families save money for college while making everyday purchases of products and services at more than 21,000 grocery and drug stores, 14,000 gas stations, 8,000 restaurants, as well as thousands of retail stores, and more than 575 online shopping sites. Upromise partners include Citi®, ExxonMobil Corporation, Bed Bath & Beyond®, McDonald’s®, JCPenney.com, LandsEnd.com, Sears.com and hundreds of others. Upromise also makes it easy for families to start their own college savings strategy through tax-advantaged 529 college savings plans offered through Upromise Investments, Inc. or by using Upromise contributions to help pay down eligible student loans. Upromise is a wholly owned subsidiary of SLM Corporation (NYSE: SLM), commonly known as Sallie Mae, the nation’s leading provider of saving-and-paying-for-college programs. Upromise is headquartered in Newton, Mass., and has more than 350 employees. For additional information, visit www.upromise.com.

About Grocery Shopping Network

Grocery Shopping Network provides grocery retailers’ Web sites with a suite of proprietary software products that integrate shopping list building, recipes and meal planning with relevant, focused advertising content. GSN (www.groceryshopping.net) brings together the Web and in-store supermarket shopping experience. A GSN-powered site enables consumers to seamlessly shop their store, be presented with sales and promotions in the context of the items they are planning to purchase, access and save recipes for the items they plan to purchase, plan meals and utilize the many discount offers (including coupons) made available by brand manufacturers.