Sallie Mae, the nation’s saving, planning, and paying for college company, today announced a $10,000 grant to the Delaware Adolescent Program, Inc. (DAPI) to support the nonprofit’s summer 2015 Pathway to College and Career Program. DAPI helps teen parents graduate from high school and motivates them to pursue college educations. The grant was made by The Sallie Mae Fund, Sallie Mae’s charitable foundation.

During the four-week Pathways to College Program, which starts today and runs through July 9, approximately 20 eighth through 12th graders from throughout Delaware will be able to earn credit for coursework they were unable to complete during the regular academic year. This is the program’s second year; Sallie Mae also supported the program’s launch in 2014.

“Through our partnership with Sallie Mae, DAPI initiated the summer credit recovery portion of our Pathways to College and Career Program, and now Delaware’s pregnant and parenting teens have an option to catch up on credits during the summer months and increase their opportunities for higher education,” said Lucy O’Donnell, executive director, DAPI. “As a result of this program, we’ve experienced a 67-percent increase in young moms choosing college.”

Participating students can earn course credits through a combination of online and in-person classes taught by state-certified teachers. Classes are offered in English, math, science, and history, and all lessons complement the student’s home school course work.

“For teen parents, graduating from high school, let alone attending college, may seem out of reach,” said Bonnie Beasley, senior vice president, Sallie Mae Bank, and president, The Sallie Mae Fund. “DAPI is helping to change that perception, and the Pathways to College and Career Program offers a roadmap for academic success for these young parents. We are pleased to continue to support this important initiative and help these teen parents on the path toward college.”

The Sallie Mae Fund supports employee volunteerism and community service in communities where Sallie Mae employees live and work. Since 2001, The Fund has contributed more than $125 million in community support and programs that facilitate access to higher education.

More information and free tools and tips about saving, planning, and paying for college are available at SallieMae.com.

The Delaware Adolescent Program, Inc. (DAPI) is Delaware’s only statewide comprehensive school-based program serving pregnant and parenting teens and their families. DAPI provides academic instruction, social services, child care, on-site therapeutic counseling, and health services. For more information, visit DAPI.org.

Sallie Mae (NASDAQ: SLM) is the nation’s saving, planning, and paying for college company. Whether college is a long way off or just around the corner, Sallie Mae offers products that promote responsible personal finance, including private education loans, Upromise rewards, scholarship search, college financial planning tools, and online retail banking. 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.