Sallie Mae, the nation’s saving, planning, and paying for college company, today announced the continuation of its monthly Plan for College Sweepstakes, which offers a chance to win $1,000 to those who register for the company’s free college planning tools. Each November, to commemorate National Scholarship Month, the company increases the prize to $5,000.

According to “How America Pays for College,” the annual study by Sallie Mae and Ipsos, nearly all families believe college is a worthwhile investment, yet only 40 percent have a plan to pay for it. Sallie Mae makes planning for college easy with a variety of free online tools, including the College Planning Calculator, which helps students and families research college costs and build a customized savings plan, and Scholarship Search by Sallie Mae, an easy-to-use and customizable scholarship tool with access to 5 million scholarships valued at $24 billion.

The following high school and college students were Plan for College Sweepstakes winners in 2017:

  • Cienna Morgan of Casa Grande, Arizona
  • Olivia Fonseca of Murphys, California
  • Alicia Acosta of Signal Hill, California
  • Kaylee Ramirez of Twentynine Palms, California
  • Rebecca Smith of Baton Rouge, Louisiana
  • Cassandra Panek of West St. Paul, Minnesota
  • Kayla Fozzard of O’Fallon, Missouri
  • Rebecca Struwe of Depew, New York
  • Ashleigh Diefenbach, Lewis Center, Ohio
  • Matthew Brown of Doylestown, Pennsylvania
  • Leah Strong of Home, Pennsylvania
  • Diana Chiusano of Tobyhanna, Pennsylvania

“I was beyond excited when Sallie Mae told me I had won the sweepstakes,” said Ashleigh Diefenbach of Lewis Center, Ohio, the $5,000 sweepstakes winner for National Scholarship Month. “Even the smallest amounts make a difference when it comes to paying for college. Thank you, Sallie Mae, for offering this sweepstakes.”

Registering for any or all of Sallie Mae’s college planning tools is free, and Sallie Mae does not sell or share any information with third-parties. Everyone who registers is automatically entered to win the monthly sweepstakes, now in its 10th year.

“Our research has shown that families who have a plan to pay for college save significantly more and borrow less,” said Martha Holler, senior vice president, Sallie Mae. “Our monthly sweepstakes gives families an extra incentive to jumpstart that planning-for-college process.”

When it comes to paying for college, Sallie Mae recommends families follow its 1-2-3 approach: first, maximize money that does not need to be repaid, such as scholarships and grants; second, explore federal student loans; and, third, consider a responsible private education loan.

For official sweepstakes rules, visit Plan for College Sweepstakes. No purchase necessary. Void where prohibited. Odds of winning depend on number of entries received.

For more information on saving, planning, and paying for college, visit SallieMae.com.

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.