
1.	Significant Accounting Policies

Basis of Presentation

The accompanying unaudited, consolidated financial statements of SLM Corporation (“we,” “us,” “our,” or the “Company”) have been prepared in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles in the United States of America (“GAAP”) for interim financial information. Accordingly, they do not include all of the information and footnotes required by GAAP for complete consolidated financial statements. The consolidated financial statements include the accounts of SLM Corporation and its majority-owned and controlled subsidiaries and those Variable Interest Entities (“VIEs”) for which we are the primary beneficiary, after eliminating the effects of intercompany accounts and transactions. In the opinion of management, all adjustments considered necessary for a fair statement of the results for the interim periods have been included. The preparation of financial statements in conformity with GAAP requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the amounts reported in the consolidated financial statements and accompanying notes. Actual results could differ from those estimates. Operating results for the three and six months ended June 30, 2011 are not necessarily indicative of the results for the year ending December 31, 2011 or for any other period. These unaudited financial statements should be read in conjunction with the audited financial statements and related notes included in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2010 (the “2010 Form 10-K”).

Reclassifications

Certain reclassifications have been made to the balances as of and for the three and six months ended June 30, 2010 to be consistent with classifications adopted for 2011, and had no effect on net income, total assets, or total liabilities.

Recently Issued Accounting Standards

Troubled Debt Restructurings

In April 2011, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) issued Accounting Standards Update (“ASU”) No. 2011-02, Receivables (Topic 310), “A Creditor’s Determination of Whether a Restructuring Is a Troubled Debt Restructuring.” This new guidance clarifies when a loan restructuring constitutes a troubled debt restructuring. Under the new guidance, student loans for which we have granted certain concessions may now be considered troubled debt restructurings that were previously not and this may require us to increase the amount of our allowance for loan losses as certain types of forbearance usage may be considered a concession. This guidance is effective July 1, 2011, applied retrospectively to January 1, 2011. The most likely effect of implementing this new guidance would be to increase the size of our allowance for losses. At this time we have not completed the estimate of the change in our allowance for loan losses that could result from implementing this new guidance.

Fair Value Measurement and Disclosure Requirements

In May 2011, the FASB issued ASU No. 2011-04, Fair Value Measurement (Topic 820), “Amendments to Achieve Common Fair Value Measurement and Disclosure Requirements in U.S. GAAP and IFRSs.” These amendments (1) clarify the FASB’s intent about the application of existing fair value measurement and disclosure requirements; and (2) change particular principles or requirements for measuring fair value or for disclosing information about fair value measurements. This new guidance is effective prospectively for interim and annual periods beginning after December 15, 2011 and is not expected to have a material impact on our fair value measurements.