Dee-1, the former middle school teacher turned hip-hop artist and motivational speaker, and Sallie Mae, the nation’s saving, planning, and paying for college company, will again partner for the “Dee-1’s Knowledge for College Tour” to educate students on the importance of planning for college.

The “Knowledge for College Tour” officially kicks off in Cleveland on Sept. 20 at 10 a.m. More than 2,000 students from 26 area high schools are expected to attend. Dee-1 and Sallie Mae will then travel to schools and community organizations in Indianapolis, Atlanta, Milwaukee, Philadelphia, and Houston. One student in the audience at each session on the tour will receive a $5,000 scholarship for college from Sallie Mae.

“Going to college is a huge financial and time commitment, so it’s all about having a game plan,” said Dee-1. “People are hungry for information and that’s what we’ll be providing on this tour: things like researching and applying for scholarships, filling out the FAFSA, and maxing out on money you don’t have to pay back before looking to loans.”

Born David Augustine, Dee-1 graduated from Louisiana State University then taught middle school in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, before pursuing his musical dream and signing with RCA Inspiration records. With his viral hit song “Sallie Mae Back,” Dee-1 brought a new lyrical twist to the hip-hop world: the promotion of financial responsibility, including planning for college.

“Nine in 10 families say they expect their child to go to college, but only four in 10 families actually have a plan to pay for it,” said Martha Holler, senior vice president, Sallie Mae. “Dee-1’s a terrific ambassador, taking what can be an overwhelming topic like planning and paying for college and distilling it into real and relevant advice that connects the dots for students and families. We are thrilled to partner with him again!”

During the tour stops, Dee-1 will highlight Sallie Mae’s free college planning tools like Scholarship Search, which is home to more than 5 million scholarships collectively offering more than $24 billion, and the College Planning Calculator, which allows users to see the full cost of college, not just tuition. Dee-1 will also encourage students to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) to be eligible for the more than $120 billion the government sets aside in grants, work-study funds, and federal student loans.

For more information about “Dee-1’s Knowledge for College Tour,” visit SallieMae.com/Dee1 and join the conversation on social media using #Dee1Knowledge.

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.