10-Q

UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

Form 10-Q

(Mark One)

þ QUARTERLY REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934

For the quarterly period ended June 30, 2018

or

¨ TRANSITION REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934

For the transition period from              to             

Commission File Number: 001-13251

SLM Corporation

(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

Delaware	52-2013874
(State or other jurisdiction of incorporation or organization)	(I.R.S. Employer Identification No.)
300 Continental Drive, Newark, Delaware	19713
(Address of principal executive offices)	(Zip Code)

(302) 451-0200

(Registrant’s telephone number, including area code)

(Former name, former address and former fiscal year, if changed since last report)

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant: (1) has filed all reports required to be filed by Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to file such reports), and (2) has been subject to such filing requirements for the past 90 days.    Yes  þ    No  ¨

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer, a smaller reporting company, or an emerging growth company. See the definitions of “large accelerated filer,” “accelerated filer,” “smaller reporting company,” and “emerging growth company” in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act.

Large accelerated filer	þ		Accelerated filer	¨
Non-accelerated filer	¨	(Do not check if a smaller reporting company)	Smaller reporting company	¨
Emerging growth company	¨

If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 13(a) of the Exchange Act.  ¨

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has submitted electronically and posted on its corporate Web site, if any, every Interactive Data File required to be submitted and posted pursuant to Rule 405 of Regulation S-T during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to submit and post such files).    Yes  þ    No  ¨

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a shell company (as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act).    Yes ¨ No þ

Indicate the number of shares outstanding of each of the issuer’s classes of common stock, as of the latest practicable date:

Class	Outstanding at June 30, 2018
Common Stock, $0.20 par value	435,380,601 shares

SLM CORPORATION

CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

INDEX

Part I. Financial Information
Item 1.	Financial Statements	3
Item 1.	Notes to the Financial Statements	10
Item 2.	Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations	43
Item 3.	Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures about Market Risk	71
Item 4.	Controls and Procedures	75
PART II. Other Information
Item 1.	Legal Proceedings	76
Item 1A.	Risk Factors	77
Item 2.	Unregistered Sales of Equity Securities and Use of Proceeds	78
Item 3.	Defaults Upon Senior Securities	78
Item 4.	Mine Safety Disclosures	78
Item 5.	Other Information	78
Item 6.	Exhibits	79

2

SLM CORPORATION

CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS

(In thousands, except share and per share amounts)

(Unaudited)

	June 30,			December 31,
	2018			2017
Assets
Cash and cash equivalents	$	2,043,789		$	1,534,339
Available-for-sale investments at fair value (cost of $185,749 and $247,607, respectively)	178,145			244,088
Loans held for investment (net of allowance for losses of $295,277 and $251,475, respectively)	20,308,581			18,567,641
Restricted cash	114,659			101,836
Other interest-earning assets	28,385			21,586
Accrued interest receivable	1,161,161			967,482
Premises and equipment, net	101,335			89,748
Tax indemnification receivable	153,470			168,011
Other assets	99,651			84,853
Total assets	$	24,189,176		$	21,779,584
Liabilities
Deposits	$	16,745,957		$	15,505,383
Long-term borrowings	4,217,119			3,275,270
Income taxes payable, net	79,772			102,285
Upromise member accounts	230,228			243,080
Other liabilities	187,398			179,310
Total liabilities	21,460,474			19,305,328
Commitments and contingencies
Equity
Preferred stock, par value $0.20 per share, 20 million shares authorized:
Series B: 4 million and 4 million shares issued, respectively, at stated value of $100 per share	400,000			400,000
Common stock, par value $0.20 per share, 1.125 billion shares authorized: 449.4million and 443.5 million shares issued, respectively	89,882			88,693
Additional paid-in capital	1,260,201			1,222,277
Accumulated other comprehensive income (net of tax expense of $7,448 and $1,696, respectively)	23,216			2,748
Retained earnings	1,096,359			868,182
Total SLM Corporation stockholders’ equity before treasury stock	2,869,658			2,581,900
Less: Common stock held in treasury at cost: 14.0 million and 11.1 million shares, respectively	(140,956		)	(107,644		)
Total equity	2,728,702			2,474,256
Total liabilities and equity	$	24,189,176		$	21,779,584

See accompanying notes to consolidated financial statements.

3

SLM CORPORATION

CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF INCOME

(In thousands, except per share amounts)

(Unaudited)

	Three Months Ended						Six Months Ended
	June 30,						June 30,
	2018			2017			2018			2017
Interest income:
Loans	$	454,045		$	336,739		$	884,093		$	661,496
Investments	1,694			2,201			3,641			4,344
Cash and cash equivalents	6,572			3,155			11,808			5,743
Total interest income	462,311			342,095			899,542			671,583
Interest expense:
Deposits	90,605			50,730			168,061			95,583
Interest expense on short-term borrowings	1,128			1,194			3,521			2,430
Interest expense on long-term borrowings	29,628			20,278			54,396			35,601
Total interest expense	121,361			72,202			225,978			133,614
Net interest income	340,950			269,893			673,564			537,969
Less: provisions for credit losses	63,267			50,215			117,198			75,511
Net interest income after provisions for credit losses	277,683			219,678			556,366			462,458
Non-interest income:
Gains on sales of loans, net	2,060			—			2,060			—
Losses on sales of securities, net	(1,549		)	—			(1,549		)	—
Losses on derivatives and hedging activities, net	(5,268		)	(3,609		)	(1,376		)	(8,987		)
Other income	12,295			10,629			21,937			21,975
Total non-interest income	7,538			7,020			21,072			12,988
Non-interest expenses:
Compensation and benefits	60,245			51,007			128,562			106,471
FDIC assessment fees	8,001			6,622			16,797			13,851
Other operating expenses	66,977			53,622			114,738			93,606
Total operating expenses	135,223			111,251			260,097			213,928
Acquired intangible asset amortization expense	92			117			184			234
Total non-interest expenses	135,315			111,368			260,281			214,162
Income before income tax expense	149,906			115,330			317,157			261,284
Income tax expense	40,074			44,713			81,071			95,724
Net income	109,832			70,617			236,086			165,560
Preferred stock dividends	3,920			3,974			7,317			9,549
Net income attributable to SLM Corporation common stock	$	105,912		$	66,643		$	228,769		$	156,011
Basic earnings per common share attributable to SLM Corporation	$	0.24		$	0.15		$	0.53		$	0.36
Average common shares outstanding	435,187			431,245			434,573			430,572
Diluted earnings per common share attributable to SLM Corporation	$	0.24		$	0.15		$	0.52		$	0.35
Average common and common equivalent shares outstanding	439,445			438,115			439,212			438,424

See accompanying notes to consolidated financial statements.

4

SLM CORPORATION

CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF COMPREHENSIVE INCOME

(In thousands)

(Unaudited)

	Three Months Ended						Six Months Ended
	June 30,						June 30,
	2018			2017			2018			2017
Net income	$	109,832		$	70,617		$	236,086		$	165,560
Other comprehensive income (loss):
Unrealized gains (losses) on investments	42			167			(4,085		)	(1,400		)
Unrealized gains (losses) on cash flow hedges	10,014			(2,029		)	30,304			2,750
Total unrealized gains (losses)	10,056			(1,862		)	26,219			1,350
Income tax (expense) benefit	(2,441		)	701			(6,343		)	(531		)
Other comprehensive income (loss), net of tax (expense) benefit	7,615			(1,161		)	19,876			819
Total comprehensive income	$	117,447		$	69,456		$	255,962		$	166,379

See accompanying notes to consolidated financial statements.

5

SLM CORPORATION

CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CHANGES IN EQUITY

(In thousands, except share and per share amounts)

(Unaudited)

			Common Stock Shares
	Preferred Stock Shares		Issued	Treasury		Outstanding		Preferred Stock			Common Stock		Additional Paid-In Capital		Accumulated Other Comprehensive Loss			Retained Earnings			Treasury Stock			Total Equity
Balance at December 31, 2016	7,300,000		436,632,479	(7,728,920	)	428,903,559		$	565,000		$	87,327	$	1,175,564	$	(8,671	)	$	595,322		$	(67,484	)	$	2,347,058
Net income	—		—	—		—		—			—		—		—			165,560			—			165,560
Other comprehensive income, net of tax	—		—	—		—		—			—		—		819			—			—			819
Total comprehensive income	—		—	—		—		—			—		—		—			—			—			166,379
Cumulative effect of the adoption of the stock compensation standard amendment	—		—	—		—		—			—		429		—			(264		)	—			165
Cash dividends:
Preferred Stock, Series A ($1.74 per share)	—		—	—		—		—			—		—		—			(3,961		)	—			(3,961		)
Preferred Stock, Series B ($1.39 per share)	—		—	—		—		—			—		—		—			(5,588		)	—			(5,588		)
Redemption of Series A Preferred Stock	(3,300,000	)	—	—		—		(165,000		)	—		—		—			—			—			(165,000		)
Dividend equivalent units related to employee stock-based compensation plans	—		—	—		—		—			—		96		—			(96		)	—			—
Issuance of common shares	—		5,229,774	—		5,229,774		—			1,046		13,448		—			—			—			14,494
Stock-based compensation expense	—		—	—		—		—			—		15,500		—			—			—			15,500
Shares repurchased related to employee stock-based compensation plans	—		—	(2,584,964	)	(2,584,964	)	—			—		—		—			—			(31,337		)	(31,337		)
Balance at June 30, 2017	4,000,000		441,862,253	(10,313,884	)	431,548,369		$	400,000		$	88,373	$	1,205,037	$	(7,852	)	$	750,973		$	(98,821	)	$	2,337,710

See accompanying notes to consolidated financial statements.

6

SLM CORPORATION

CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CHANGES IN EQUITY

(In thousands, except share and per share amounts)

(Unaudited)

		Common Stock Shares
	Preferred Stock Shares	Issued	Treasury		Outstanding		Preferred Stock		Common Stock		Additional Paid-In Capital		Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income		Retained Earnings			Treasury Stock			Total Equity
Balance at December 31, 2017	4,000,000	443,463,587	(11,087,337	)	432,376,250		$	400,000	$	88,693	$	1,222,277	$	2,748	$	868,182		$	(107,644	)	$	2,474,256
Net income	—	—	—		—		—		—		—		—		236,086			—			236,086
Other comprehensive income, net of tax	—	—	—		—		—		—		—		19,876		—			—			19,876
Total comprehensive income	—	—	—		—		—		—		—		—		—			—			255,962
Reclassification resulting from the adoption of ASU No. 2018-02	—	—	—		—		—		—		—		592		(592		)	—			—
Cash dividends:
Preferred Stock, Series B ($1.81 per share)	—	—	—		—		—		—		—		—		(7,317		)	—			(7,317		)
Issuance of common shares	—	5,944,946			5,944,946		—		1,189		17,663		—		—			—			18,852
Stock-based compensation expense	—	—	—		—		—		—		20,261		—		—			—			20,261
Shares repurchased related to employee stock-based compensation plans	—	—	(2,940,595	)	(2,940,595	)	—		—		—		—		—			(33,312		)	(33,312		)
Balance at June 30, 2018	4,000,000	449,408,533	(14,027,932	)	435,380,601		$	400,000	$	89,882	$	1,260,201	$	23,216	$	1,096,359		$	(140,956	)	$	2,728,702

See accompanying notes to consolidated financial statements.

7

SLM CORPORATION

CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS

(In thousands)

(Unaudited)

	Six Months Ended
	June 30,
	2018			2017
Operating activities
Net income	$	236,086		$	165,560
Adjustments to reconcile net income to net cash (used in) provided by operating activities:
Provisions for credit losses	117,198			75,511
Income tax expense	81,071			95,724
Amortization of brokered deposit placement fee	5,847			4,339
Amortization of ABCP Facility upfront fee	575			668
Amortization of deferred loan origination costs and loan premium/(discounts), net	5,115			4,069
Net amortization of discount on investments	985			872
Income on tax indemnification receivable	(3,453		)	(3,427		)
Depreciation of premises and equipment	6,475			5,365
Amortization of acquired intangibles	184			234
Stock-based compensation expense	20,261			15,500
Unrealized losses on derivatives and hedging activities, net	1,175			10,833
Gains on sales of loans, net	(2,060		)	—
Losses on sales of securities, net	1,549			—
Other adjustments to net income, net	3,296			2,998
Changes in operating assets and liabilities:
Increase in accrued interest receivable	(407,813		)	(324,684		)
(Increase) decrease in other interest-earning assets	(6,799		)	588
Decrease in tax indemnification receivable	17,994			29,817
Increase in other assets	(51,451		)	(20,586		)
Decrease in income taxes payable, net	(107,973		)	(139,775		)
Increase in accrued interest payable	11,295			3,275
Decrease in payable due to entity that is a subsidiary of Navient	(763		)	(1,244		)
Decrease in other liabilities	(8,288		)	(35,267		)
Total adjustments	(315,580		)	(275,190		)
Total net cash used in operating activities	(79,494		)	(109,630		)
Investing activities
Loans acquired and originated	(3,162,764		)	(2,347,344		)
Net proceeds from sales of loans held for investment	44,832			3,472
Proceeds from claim payments	27,000			24,907
Net decrease in loans held for investment	1,442,627			980,234
Purchases of available-for-sale securities	(2,914		)	(40,124		)
Proceeds from sales and maturities of available-for-sale securities	62,237			16,976
Total net cash used in investing activities	(1,588,982		)	(1,361,879		)
Financing activities
Brokered deposit placement fee	(18,885		)	(5,329		)
Net increase in certificates of deposit	947,437			308,069
Net increase in other deposits	331,926			51,447
Borrowings collateralized by loans in securitization trusts - issued	1,350,587			767,244
Borrowings collateralized by loans in securitization trusts - repaid	(411,904		)	(262,567		)
Issuance costs for unsecured debt offering	—			(423		)
Unsecured debt issued	—			197,000
Borrowings under ABCP Facility	300,000			—
Repayment of borrowings under ABCP Facility	(300,000		)	—
Fees paid on ABCP Facility	(1,095		)	(1,259		)

8

Redemption of Preferred Stock Series A	—			(165,000		)
Preferred stock dividends paid	(7,317		)	(9,549		)
Net cash provided by financing activities	2,190,749			879,633
Net increase (decrease) in cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash	522,273			(591,876		)
Cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash at beginning of period	1,636,175			1,972,510
Cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash at end of period	$	2,158,448		$	1,380,634
Cash disbursements made for:
Interest	$	207,872		$	121,601
Income taxes paid	$	111,173		$	139,828
Income taxes refunded	$	(3,790	)	$	(833	)
Reconciliation of the Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows to the Consolidated Balance Sheets:
Cash and cash equivalents	$	2,043,789		$	1,318,168
Restricted cash	114,659			62,466
Total cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash	$	2,158,448		$	1,380,634

See accompanying notes to consolidated financial statements.

9

SLM CORPORATION

NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

(Dollars in thousands, unless otherwise noted)

1. Significant Accounting Policies

Basis of Presentation

The accompanying unaudited, consolidated financial statements of SLM Corporation (“Sallie Mae,” “SLM,” the “Company,” “we,” or “us”) 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 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 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, 2018 are not necessarily indicative of the results for the year ending December 31, 2018 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, 2017 (the “2017 Form 10-K”).

Consolidation

The consolidated financial statements include the accounts of the Company and its majority-owned and controlled subsidiaries after eliminating the effects of intercompany accounts and transactions.

We consolidate any variable interest entity (“VIE”) where we have determined we are the primary beneficiary. The primary beneficiary is the entity which has both: (1) the power to direct the activities of the VIE that most significantly impact the VIE’s economic performance and (2) the obligation to absorb losses or receive benefits of the entity that could potentially be significant to the VIE.

Recently Issued and Adopted Accounting Pronouncements

In November 2016, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (the “FASB”) issued Accounting Standards Update (“ASU”) No. 2016-18, “Statement of Cash Flows (Topic 230): Restricted Cash.” Whereas restricted cash balances have traditionally been excluded from the statement of cash flows, this ASU requires restricted cash and restricted cash equivalents to be included within the beginning and ending totals of cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash presented on the statement of cash flows for all periods presented. Restricted cash and restricted cash equivalent inflows and outflows with external parties are required to be classified within the operating, investing, and/or financing activity sections of the statement of cash flows, whereas transfers between cash and cash equivalents and restricted cash and restricted cash equivalents should no longer be presented on the statement of cash flows. ASU No. 2016-18 also requires (a) the nature of the restrictions to be disclosed to help provide information about the sources and uses of these balances during a reporting period and (b) a reconciliation of the cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash totals on the statement of cash flows to the related balance sheet line items when cash, cash equivalents, and restricted cash are presented in more than one line item on the balance sheet. The reconciliation can be presented either on the face of the statement of cash flows or in the notes to the financial statements and must be provided for each period that a balance sheet is presented. We adopted the new accounting pronouncement on January 1, 2018, and the adoption did not have a material impact to our statement of cash flows.

In February 2018, the FASB issued ASU No. 2018-02, “Income Statement - Reporting Comprehensive Income (Topic 220): Reclassification of Certain Tax Effects from Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income,” which allows a reclassification from accumulated other comprehensive income to retained earnings for stranded tax effects resulting from the tax law and tax rate changes under the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 (the “Tax Act”) enacted on December 22, 2017. Under the Tax Act, deferred taxes were adjusted to reflect the reduction of the historical corporate income tax rate to the newly enacted corporate income tax rate, which left the tax effects on items within accumulated other comprehensive income stranded at an

10

SLM CORPORATION

NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)

(Dollars in thousands, unless otherwise noted)

1. Significant Accounting Policies (Continued)

inappropriate tax rate. This guidance is effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2018, and for interim periods within those fiscal years, with early adoption permitted. We adopted this standard effective January 1, 2018 and recorded a $0.6 million reclass from accumulated other comprehensive income to retained earnings in the first quarter of 2018.

2. Investments

The amortized cost and fair value of securities available for sale are as follows:

	June 30, 2018
	Amortized Cost		Gross Unrealized Gains		Gross Unrealized Losses			Estimated Fair Value
Available for sale:
Mortgage-backed securities	$	167,203	$	119	$	(6,906	)	$	160,416
Utah Housing Corporation bonds	18,546		—		(817		)	17,729
Total	$	185,749	$	119	$	(7,723	)	$	178,145
	December 31, 2017
	Amortized Cost		Gross Unrealized Gains		Gross Unrealized Losses			Estimated Fair Value
Available for sale:
Mortgage-backed securities	$	227,607	$	650	$	(3,210	)	$	225,047
Utah Housing Corporation bonds	20,000		—		(959		)	19,041
Total	$	247,607	$	650	$	(4,169	)	$	244,088

11

SLM CORPORATION

NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)

(Dollars in thousands, unless otherwise noted)

2. Investments (Continued)

The following table summarizes the amount of gross unrealized losses for our mortgage-backed securities and Utah Housing Corporation bonds and the estimated fair value for securities having gross unrealized losses, categorized by length of time the securities have been in an unrealized loss position:

	Less than 12 months					12 months or more					Total
	Gross Unrealized Losses			Estimated Fair Value		Gross Unrealized Losses			Estimated Fair Value		Gross Unrealized Losses			Estimated Fair Value
As of June 30, 2018:
Mortgage-backed securities	$	(1,568	)	$	49,747	$	(5,338	)	$	107,182	$	(6,906	)	$	156,929
Utah Housing Corporation bonds	—			—		(817		)	17,729		(817		)	17,729
Total	$	(1,568	)	$	49,747	$	(6,155	)	$	124,911	$	(7,723	)	$	174,658
As of December 31, 2017:
Mortgage-backed securities	$	(772	)	$	77,356	$	(2,438	)	$	110,500	$	(3,210	)	$	187,856
Utah Housing Corporation bonds	(77		)	4,923		(882		)	14,118		(959		)	19,041
Total	$	(849	)	$	82,279	$	(3,320	)	$	124,618	$	(4,169	)	$	206,897

Our investment portfolio is comprised primarily of mortgage-backed securities issued by Ginnie Mae, Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, with amortized costs of $72 million, $49 million, and $46 million, respectively, at June 30, 2018. We own these securities to meet our requirements under the Community Reinvestment Act. In the second quarter of 2018, we elected to sell nine securities totaling $41 million to better align the portfolio with the Community Reinvestment Act requirements, and we recognized a $2 million loss upon the sale of those securities. As of June 30, 2018, 75 of the 84 separate mortgage-backed securities in our investment portfolio had unrealized losses, and 35 of the 75 securities in a net loss position were issued under Ginnie Mae programs that carry a full faith and credit guarantee from the U.S. Government. The remaining securities in a net loss position carry a principal and interest guarantee by Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac, respectively. We have the ability and the intent to hold these securities for a period of time sufficient for the market price to recover to at least the adjusted amortized cost of the security. As of December 31, 2017, 62 of the 92 separate mortgage-backed securities in our investment portfolio had unrealized losses, and 31 of the 62 securities in a net loss position were issued under Ginnie Mae programs that carry a full faith and credit guarantee from the U.S. Government. The remainder carried a principal and interest guarantee by Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac, respectively.

We also invest in Utah Housing Corporation bonds for the purpose of complying with the Community Reinvestment Act. These bonds are Aa3 rated by Moody’s Investors Service. The amortized cost of the investment on the consolidated balance sheet at June 30, 2018 and December 31, 2017 was $19 million and $20 million, respectively. We have the intent and ability to hold these bonds for a period of time sufficient for the market price to recover to at least the adjusted amortized cost of the security.

12

SLM CORPORATION

NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)

(Dollars in thousands, unless otherwise noted)

2. Investments (Continued)

As of June 30, 2018, the amortized cost and fair value of securities, by contractual maturities, are summarized below. Contractual maturities versus actual maturities may differ due to the effect of prepayments.

Year of Maturity	Amortized Cost		Estimated Fair Value
2038	$	269	$	284
2039	3,099		3,203
2042	10,099		9,381
2043	15,371		14,823
2044	24,183		23,464
2045	28,117		26,883
2046	41,807		39,789
2047	59,890		57,416
2048	2,914		2,902
Total	$	185,749	$	178,145

The mortgage-backed securities have been pledged to the Federal Reserve Bank (the “FRB”) as collateral against any advances and accrued interest under the Primary Credit lending program sponsored by the FRB. We had $161 million and $218 million par value of mortgage-backed securities pledged to this borrowing facility at June 30, 2018 and December 31, 2017, respectively, as discussed further in Note 6, “Borrowings.”

3. Loans Held for Investment

Loans held for investment consist of Private Education Loans, FFELP Loans and Personal Loans. We use “Private Education Loans” to mean education loans to students or their families that are not made, insured or guaranteed by any state or federal government. Private Education Loans do not include loans insured or guaranteed under the previously existing Federal Family Education Loan Program (“FFELP”). We use “Personal Loans” to mean those unsecured loans to individuals that may be used for non-educational purposes. We began acquiring Personal Loans from third parties in the fourth quarter of 2016 and originating Personal Loans in the first quarter of 2018.

Our Private Education Loans are made largely to bridge the gap between the cost of higher education and the amount funded through financial aid, government loans and customers’ resources. Private Education Loans bear the full credit risk of the customer. We manage this risk through risk-performance underwriting strategies and qualified cosigners. Private Education Loans may be fixed rate or may carry a variable interest rate indexed to LIBOR. As of June 30, 2018, and December 31, 2017, 73 percent and 77 percent, respectively, of all of our Private Education Loans were indexed to LIBOR. We provide incentives for customers to include a cosigner on the loan, and the vast majority of loans in our portfolio are cosigned. We also encourage customers to make payments while in school.

In connection with the separation of Navient Corporation (“Navient”) from SLM (the “Spin-Off”), we retained the right to require Navient to purchase delinquent loans (at fair value) when the borrower has a lending relationship with both us and Navient (“Split Loans”). In the second quarter of 2018, we sold our remaining $43 million portfolio of Split Loans (both current and non-current loans) to Navient and recognized a net gain of $2 million.

FFELP Loans are insured as to their principal and accrued interest in the event of default, subject to a risk-sharing level based on the date of loan disbursement. These insurance obligations are supported by contractual rights against the United States. For loans disbursed on or after July 1, 2006, we receive 97 percent reimbursement on all qualifying claims. For loans disbursed after October 1, 1993, and before July 1, 2006, we receive 98 percent reimbursement on all qualifying claims. For loans disbursed prior to October 1, 1993, we receive 100 percent reimbursement on all qualifying claims.

13

SLM CORPORATION

NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)

(Dollars in thousands, unless otherwise noted)

3. Loans Held for Investment (Continued)

Loans held for investment are summarized as follows:

	June 30,			December 31,
	2018			2017
Private Education Loans:
Fixed rate	$	5,086,329		$	4,000,447
Variable rate	13,601,698			13,431,720
Total Private Education Loans, gross	18,688,027			17,432,167
Deferred origination costs and unamortized premium/(discount)	61,908			56,378
Allowance for loan losses	(261,695		)	(243,715		)
Total Private Education Loans, net	18,488,240			17,244,830
FFELP Loans	885,357			927,660
Deferred origination costs and unamortized premium/(discount)	2,496			2,631
Allowance for loan losses	(1,073		)	(1,132		)
Total FFELP Loans, net	886,780			929,159
Personal Loans (fixed rate)	966,080			400,280
Deferred origination costs and unamortized premium/(discount)	(10		)	—
Allowance for loan losses	(32,509		)	(6,628		)
Total Personal Loans, net	933,561			393,652
Loans held for investment, net	$	20,308,581		$	18,567,641

The estimated weighted average life of education loans in our portfolio was approximately 5.3 years and 5.5 years at June 30, 2018 and December 31, 2017, respectively.

14

SLM CORPORATION

NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)

(Dollars in thousands, unless otherwise noted)

3. Loans Held for Investment (Continued)

The average balance and the respective weighted average interest rates of loans in our portfolio are summarized as follows:

	Three Months Ended
	June 30,
	2018				2017
	Average Balance		Weighted Average Interest Rate		Average Balance		Weighted Average Interest Rate
Private Education Loans	$	18,764,768	9.03	%	$	15,687,803	8.33	%
FFELP Loans	898,095		4.51		980,478		3.87
Personal Loans	815,356		10.65		60,910		9.28
Total portfolio	$	20,478,219			$	16,729,191

	Six Months Ended
	June 30,
	2018				2017
	Average Balance		Weighted Average Interest Rate		Average Balance		Weighted Average Interest Rate
Private Education Loans	$	18,712,533	8.93	%	$	15,569,337	8.30	%
FFELP Loans	908,846		4.38		991,740		3.78
Personal Loans	672,792		10.65		48,464		9.24
Total portfolio	$	20,294,171			$	16,609,541

15

SLM CORPORATION

NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)

(Dollars in thousands, unless otherwise noted)

4. Allowance for Loan Losses

Our provision for credit losses represents the periodic expense of maintaining an allowance sufficient to absorb incurred probable losses in the held-for-investment loan portfolios. The evaluation of the allowance for loan losses is inherently subjective, as it requires material estimates that may be susceptible to significant changes. We believe the allowance for loan losses is appropriate to cover probable losses incurred in the loan portfolios.

Allowance for Loan Losses Metrics

	Allowance for Loan Losses
	Three Months Ended June 30, 2018
	FFELP Loans			Private Education Loans			Personal Loans			Total
Allowance for Loan Losses
Beginning balance	$	1,113		$	252,103		$	18,907		$	272,123
Total provision	252			46,264			16,378			62,894
Net charge-offs:
Charge-offs	(292		)	(42,270		)	(2,872		)	(45,434		)
Recoveries	—			5,598			96			5,694
Net charge-offs	(292		)	(36,672		)	(2,776		)	(39,740		)
Loan sales(1)	—			—			—			—
Ending Balance	$	1,073		$	261,695		$	32,509		$	295,277
Allowance:
Ending balance: individually evaluated for impairment	$	—		$	113,343		$	—		$	113,343
Ending balance: collectively evaluated for impairment	$	1,073		$	148,352		$	32,509		$	181,934
Loans:
Ending balance: individually evaluated for impairment	$	—		$	1,121,816		$	—		$	1,121,816
Ending balance: collectively evaluated for impairment	$	885,357		$	17,566,211		$	966,080		$	19,417,648
Net charge-offs as a percentage of average loans in repayment (annualized)(2)	0.17		%	1.14		%	1.36		%
Allowance as a percentage of the ending total loan balance	0.12		%	1.40		%	3.37		%
Allowance as a percentage of the ending loans in repayment(2)	0.16		%	2.02		%	3.37		%
Allowance coverage of net charge-offs (annualized)	0.92			1.78			2.93
Ending total loans, gross	$	885,357		$	18,688,027		$	966,080
Average loans in repayment(2)	$	698,197		$	12,909,623		$	815,741
Ending loans in repayment(2)	$	680,802		$	12,979,523		$	966,080

____________

⁽¹⁾ Represents fair value adjustments on loans sold.

⁽²⁾ Loans in repayment include loans on which borrowers are making interest only or fixed payments, as well as loans that have entered full principal and interest repayment status after any applicable grace period.

16

SLM CORPORATION

NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)

(Dollars in thousands, unless otherwise noted)

4. Allowance for Loan Losses (Continued)

	Allowance for Loan Losses
	Three Months Ended June 30, 2017
	FFELP Loans			Private Education Loans			Personal Loans			Total
Allowance for Loan Losses
Beginning balance	$	1,637		$	185,103		$	346		$	187,086
Total provision	228			49,166			492			49,886
Net charge-offs:
Charge-offs	(259		)	(32,728		)	(20		)	(33,007		)
Recoveries	—			4,396			—			4,396
Net charge-offs	(259		)	(28,332		)	(20		)	(28,611		)
Loan sales(1)	—			(913		)	—			(913		)
Ending Balance	$	1,606		$	205,024		$	818		$	207,448
Allowance:
Ending balance: individually evaluated for impairment	$	—		$	95,177		$	—		$	95,177
Ending balance: collectively evaluated for impairment	$	1,606		$	109,847		$	818		$	112,271
Loans:
Ending balance: individually evaluated for impairment	$	—		$	803,456		$	—		$	803,456
Ending balance: collectively evaluated for impairment	$	967,237		$	14,876,001		$	69,508		$	15,912,746
Net charge-offs as a percentage of average loans in repayment (annualized)(2)	0.14		%	1.08		%	0.13		%
Allowance as a percentage of the ending total loan balance	0.17		%	1.31		%	1.18		%
Allowance as a percentage of the ending loans in repayment(2)	0.21		%	1.93		%	1.18		%
Allowance coverage of net charge-offs (annualized)	1.55			1.81			10.23
Ending total loans, gross	$	967,237		$	15,679,457		$	69,508
Average loans in repayment(2)	$	757,186		$	10,523,225		$	61,439
Ending loans in repayment(2)	$	765,980		$	10,615,105		$	69,508

____________

⁽¹⁾ Represents fair value adjustments on loans sold.

⁽²⁾ Loans in repayment include loans on which borrowers are making interest only or fixed payments, as well as loans that have entered full principal and interest repayment status after any applicable grace period.

17

SLM CORPORATION

NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)

(Dollars in thousands, unless otherwise noted)

4. Allowance for Loan Losses (Continued)

	Allowance for Loan Losses
	Six Months Ended June 30, 2018
	FFELP Loans			Private Education Loans			Personal Loans			Total
Allowance for Loan Losses
Beginning balance	$	1,132		$	243,715		$	6,628		$	251,475
Total provision	483			88,134			29,826			118,443
Net charge-offs:
Charge-offs	(542		)	(79,623		)	(4,072		)	(84,237		)
Recoveries	—			10,685			127			10,812
Net charge-offs	(542		)	(68,938		)	(3,945		)	(73,425		)
Loan sales(1)	—			(1,216		)	—			(1,216		)
Ending Balance	$	1,073		$	261,695		$	32,509		$	295,277
Allowance:
Ending balance: individually evaluated for impairment	$	—		$	113,343		$	—		$	113,343
Ending balance: collectively evaluated for impairment	$	1,073		$	148,352		$	32,509		$	181,934
Loans:
Ending balance: individually evaluated for impairment	$	—		$	1,121,816		$	—		$	1,121,816
Ending balance: collectively evaluated for impairment	$	885,357		$	17,566,211		$	966,080		$	19,417,648
Net charge-offs as a percentage of average loans in repayment (annualized)(2)	0.15		%	1.08		%	1.17		%
Allowance as a percentage of the ending total loan balance	0.12		%	1.40		%	3.37		%
Allowance as a percentage of the ending loans in repayment(2)	0.16		%	2.02		%	3.37		%
Allowance coverage of net charge-offs (annualized)	0.99			1.90			4.12
Ending total loans, gross	$	885,357		$	18,688,027		$	966,080
Average loans in repayment(2)	$	709,010		$	12,810,072		$	673,552
Ending loans in repayment(2)	$	680,802		$	12,979,523		$	966,080

____________

⁽¹⁾ Represents fair value adjustments on loans sold.

⁽²⁾ Loans in repayment include loans on which borrowers are making interest only or fixed payments, as well as loans that have entered full principal and interest repayment status after any applicable grace period.

18

SLM CORPORATION

NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)

(Dollars in thousands, unless otherwise noted)

4. Allowance for Loan Losses (Continued)

	Allowance for Loan Losses
	Six Months Ended June 30, 2017
	FFELP Loans			Private Education Loans			Personal Loans			Total
Allowance for Loan Losses
Beginning balance	$	2,171		$	182,472		$	58		$	184,701
Total provision	(88		)	75,986			780			76,678
Net charge-offs:
Charge-offs	(477		)	(58,955		)	(20		)	(59,452		)
Recoveries	—			7,655			—			7,655
Net charge-offs	(477		)	(51,300		)	(20		)	(51,797		)
Loan sales(1)	—			(2,134		)	—			(2,134		)
Ending Balance	$	1,606		$	205,024		$	818		$	207,448
Allowance:
Ending balance: individually evaluated for impairment	$	—		$	95,177		$	—		$	95,177
Ending balance: collectively evaluated for impairment	$	1,606		$	109,847		$	818		$	112,271
Loans:
Ending balance: individually evaluated for impairment	$	—		$	803,456		$	—		$	803,456
Ending balance: collectively evaluated for impairment	$	967,237		$	14,876,001		$	69,508		$	15,912,746
Net charge-offs as a percentage of average loans in repayment (annualized)(2)	0.12		%	0.99		%	0.08		%
Allowance as a percentage of the ending total loan balance	0.17		%	1.31		%	1.18		%
Allowance as a percentage of the ending loans in repayment(2)	0.21		%	1.93		%	1.18		%
Allowance coverage of net charge-offs (annualized)	1.68			2.00			20.45
Ending total loans, gross	$	967,237		$	15,679,457		$	69,508
Average loans in repayment(2)	$	765,347		$	10,375,463		$	47,654
Ending loans in repayment(2)	$	765,980		$	10,615,105		$	69,508

____________

⁽¹⁾ Represents fair value adjustments on loans sold.

⁽²⁾ Loans in repayment include loans on which borrowers are making interest only or fixed payments, as well as loans that have entered full principal and interest repayment status after any applicable grace period.

19

SLM CORPORATION

NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)

(Dollars in thousands, unless otherwise noted)

4. Allowance for Loan Losses (Continued)

Troubled Debt Restructurings (“TDRs”)

All of our loans are collectively assessed for impairment, except for loans classified as TDRs (where we conduct individual assessments of impairment). We modify the terms of loans for certain borrowers when we believe such modifications may increase the ability and willingness of a borrower to make payments and thus increase the ultimate overall amount collected on a loan. These modifications generally take the form of a forbearance, a temporary interest rate reduction or an extended repayment plan. The majority of our loans that are considered TDRs involve a temporary forbearance of payments and do not change the contractual interest rate of the loan. Once a loan qualifies for TDR status, it remains a TDR for allowance purposes for the remainder of its life. As of June 30, 2018, and December 31, 2017, approximately 61 percent and 66 percent, respectively, of TDRs were classified as such due to their forbearance status. For additional information, see Note 6, “Allowance for Loan Losses” in our 2017 Form 10-K.

Within the Private Education Loan portfolio, loans greater than 90 days past due are considered to be nonperforming. FFELP Loans are at least 97 percent guaranteed as to their principal and accrued interest by the federal government in the event of default and, therefore, we do not deem FFELP Loans as nonperforming from a credit risk perspective at any point in their life cycle prior to claim payment and continue to accrue interest on those loans through the date of claim.

At June 30, 2018 and December 31, 2017, all TDR loans had a related allowance recorded. The following table provides the recorded investment, unpaid principal balance and related allowance for our TDR loans.

	Recorded Investment		Unpaid Principal Balance		Allowance
June 30, 2018
TDR Loans	$	1,139,417	$	1,121,816	$	113,343
December 31, 2017
TDR Loans	$	1,007,141	$	990,351	$	94,682

The following table provides the average recorded investment and interest income recognized for our TDR loans.

	Three Months Ended   June 30,
	2018				2017
	Average Recorded Investment		Interest Income Recognized		Average Recorded Investment		Interest Income Recognized
TDR Loans	$	1,105,042	$	18,718	$	766,171	$	14,310

20

SLM CORPORATION

NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)

(Dollars in thousands, unless otherwise noted)

4. Allowance for Loan Losses (Continued)

	Six Months Ended   June 30,
	2018				2017
	Average Recorded Investment		Interest Income Recognized		Average Recorded Investment		Interest Income Recognized
TDR Loans	$	1,069,721	$	36,565	$	718,727	$	26,567

The following table provides information regarding the loan status and aging of TDR loans.

	June 30,				December 31,
	2018				2017
	Balance		%		Balance		%
TDR loans in in-school/grace/deferment(1)	$	57,595			$	51,745
TDR loans in forbearance(2)	59,682				69,652
TDR loans in repayment(3) and percentage of each status:
Loans current	917,138		91.3	%	774,222		89.1	%
Loans delinquent 31-60 days(4)	45,080		4.5		48,377		5.6
Loans delinquent 61-90 days(4)	25,580		2.5		28,778		3.3
Loans delinquent greater than 90 days(4)	16,741		1.7		17,577		2.0
Total TDR loans in repayment	1,004,539		100.0	%	868,954		100.0	%
Total TDR loans, gross	$	1,121,816			$	990,351

_____

⁽¹⁾  Deferment includes customers who have returned to school or are engaged in other permitted educational activities and are not yet required to make payments on the loans (e.g., residency periods for medical students or a grace period for bar exam preparation).

⁽²⁾  Loans for customers who have requested extension of grace period generally during employment transition or who have temporarily ceased making full payments due to hardship or other factors, consistent with established loan program servicing policies and procedures.

⁽³⁾  Loans in repayment include loans on which borrowers are making interest only or fixed payments, as well as loans that have entered full principal and interest repayment status after any applicable grace period.

⁽⁴⁾  The period of delinquency is based on the number of days scheduled payments are contractually past due.

21

SLM CORPORATION

NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)

(Dollars in thousands, unless otherwise noted)

4. Allowance for Loan Losses (Continued)

The following table provides the amount of modified loans (which include forbearance and reductions in interest rates) that became TDRs in the periods presented. Additionally, for the periods presented, the table summarizes charge-offs occurring in the TDR portfolio, as well as TDRs for which a payment default occurred in the relevant period presented and within 12 months of the loan first being designated as a TDR. We define payment default as more than 60 days past due for this disclosure.

	Three Months Ended   June 30, 2018						Three Months Ended   June 30, 2017
	Modified Loans(1)		Charge-offs		Payment- Default		Modified Loans(1)		Charge-offs		Payment- Default
TDR Loans	$	116,478	$	12,764	$	18,254	$	134,489	$	12,215	$	23,679

	Six Months Ended   June 30, 2018						Six Months Ended   June 30, 2017
	Modified Loans(1)		Charge-offs		Payment- Default		Modified Loans(1)		Charge-offs		Payment- Default
TDR Loans	$	200,652	$	28,224	$	47,988	$	246,695	$	22,738	$	49,113

_____

⁽¹⁾  Represents the principal balance of loans that have been modified during the period and resulted in a TDR.

22

SLM CORPORATION

NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)

(Dollars in thousands, unless otherwise noted)

4. Allowance for Loan Losses (Continued)

Private Education Loan Key Credit Quality Indicators

FFELP Loans are at least 97 percent insured and guaranteed as to their principal and accrued interest in the event of default; therefore, there are no key credit quality indicators associated with FFELP Loans.

For Private Education Loans, the key credit quality indicators are FICO scores, the existence of a cosigner, the loan status and loan seasoning. The FICO scores are assessed at original approval and periodically refreshed/updated through the loan’s term. The following table highlights the gross principal balance of our Private Education Loan portfolio stratified by key credit quality indicators.

	Private Education Loans
	Credit Quality Indicators
	June 30, 2018				December 31, 2017
Credit Quality Indicators:	Balance(1)		% of Balance		Balance(1)		% of Balance
Cosigners:
With cosigner	$	16,757,587	90	%	$	15,658,539	90	%
Without cosigner	1,930,440		10		1,773,628		10
Total	$	18,688,027	100	%	$	17,432,167	100	%
FICO at Original Approval(2):
Less than 670	$	1,256,273	7	%	$	1,153,591	6	%
670-699	2,814,316		15		2,596,959		15
700-749	6,152,102		33		5,714,554		33
Greater than or equal to 750	8,465,336		45		7,967,063		46
Total	$	18,688,027	100	%	$	17,432,167	100	%
Seasoning(3):
1-12 payments	$	4,837,671	26	%	$	4,256,592	24	%
13-24 payments	3,209,308		17		3,229,465		19
25-36 payments	2,471,002		13		2,429,238		14
37-48 payments	1,582,586		9		1,502,327		9
More than 48 payments	1,337,067		7		1,256,813		7
Not yet in repayment	5,250,393		28		4,757,732		27
Total	$	18,688,027	100	%	$	17,432,167	100	%

⁽¹⁾  Balance represents gross Private Education Loans.

⁽²⁾  Represents the higher credit score of the cosigner or the borrower.

⁽³⁾  Number of months in active repayment (whether interest only payment, fixed payment, or full principal and interest payment status) for which a scheduled payment was due.

23

SLM CORPORATION

NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)

(Dollars in thousands, unless otherwise noted)

4. Allowance for Loan Losses (Continued)

The following table provides information regarding the loan status of our Private Education Loans. Loans in repayment include loans making interest only or fixed payments, as well as loans that have entered full principal and interest repayment status after any applicable grace period.

	Private Education Loans
	June 30,					December 31,
	2018					2017
	Balance			%		Balance			%
Loans in-school/grace/deferment(1)	$	5,250,393				$	4,757,732
Loans in forbearance(2)	458,111					468,402
Loans in repayment and percentage of each status:
Loans current	12,697,362			97.8	%	11,911,128			97.6	%
Loans delinquent 31-60 days(3)	166,322			1.3		179,002			1.5
Loans delinquent 61-90 days(3)	75,534			0.6		78,292			0.6
Loans delinquent greater than 90 days(3)	40,305			0.3		37,611			0.3
Total Private Education Loans in repayment	12,979,523			100.0	%	12,206,033			100.0	%
Total Private Education Loans, gross	18,688,027					17,432,167
Private Education Loans deferred origination costs and unamortized premium/(discount)	61,908					56,378
Total Private Education Loans	18,749,935					17,488,545
Private Education Loans allowance for losses	(261,695		)			(243,715		)
Private Education Loans, net	$	18,488,240				$	17,244,830
Percentage of Private Education Loans in repayment				69.5	%				70.0	%
Delinquencies as a percentage of Private Education Loans in repayment				2.2	%				2.4	%
Loans in forbearance as a percentage of Private Education Loans in repayment and forbearance				3.4	%				3.7	%

⁽¹⁾  Deferment includes customers who have returned to school or are engaged in other permitted educational activities and are not yet required to make payments on the loans (e.g., residency periods for medical students or a grace period for bar exam preparation).

⁽²⁾  Loans for customers who have requested extension of grace period generally during employment transition or who have temporarily ceased making full payments due to hardship or other factors, consistent with established loan program servicing policies and procedures.

⁽³⁾  The period of delinquency is based on the number of days scheduled payments are contractually past due.

24

SLM CORPORATION

NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)

(Dollars in thousands, unless otherwise noted)

4. Allowance for Loan Losses (Continued)

Personal Loan Key Credit Quality Indicators

For Personal Loans, the key credit quality indicators are FICO scores, loan seasoning and loan status. The FICO scores are assessed at original approval and periodically refreshed/updated through the loan’s term. The following table highlights the gross principal balance of our Personal Loan portfolio stratified by key credit quality indicators.

	Personal Loans
	Credit Quality Indicators
	June 30, 2018				December 31, 2017
Credit Quality Indicators:	Balance(1)		% of Balance		Balance(1)		% of Balance
FICO at Original Approval:
Less than 670	$	70,773	7	%	$	32,156	8	%
670-699	275,210		29		114,731		29
700-749	441,824		46		182,025		45
Greater than or equal to 750	178,273		18		71,368		18
Total	$	966,080	100	%	$	400,280	100	%
Seasoning(2):
0-12 payments	$	932,863	97	%	$	400,280	100	%
13-24 payments	33,217		3		—		—
25-36 payments	—		—		—		—
37-48 payments	—		—		—		—
More than 48 payments	—		—		—		—
Total	$	966,080	100	%	$	400,280	100	%

⁽¹⁾  Balance represents gross Personal Loans.

⁽²⁾  Number of months in active repayment for which a scheduled payment was due.

25

SLM CORPORATION

NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)

(Dollars in thousands, unless otherwise noted)

4. Allowance for Loan Losses (Continued)

The following table provides information regarding the loan status of our Personal Loans.

	Personal Loans
	June 30,					December 31,
	2018					2017
	Balance			%		Balance			%
Loans in repayment and percentage of each status:
Loans current	$	960,865		99.5	%	$	398,988		99.7	%
Loans delinquent 31-60 days(1)	2,376			0.2		761			0.2
Loans delinquent 61-90 days(1)	1,594			0.2		340			0.1
Loans delinquent greater than 90 days(1)	1,245			0.1		191			—
Total Personal Loans in repayment	966,080			100.0	%	400,280			100.0	%
Total Personal Loans, gross	966,080					400,280
Personal Loans unamortized discount	(10		)			—
Total Personal Loans	966,070					400,280
Personal Loans allowance for losses	(32,509		)			(6,628		)
Personal Loans, net	$	933,561				$	393,652
Delinquencies as a percentage of Personal Loans in repayment				0.5	%				0.3	%

_______

⁽¹⁾  The period of delinquency is based on the number of days scheduled payments are contractually past due.

Accrued Interest Receivable

The following table provides information regarding accrued interest receivable on our Private Education Loans. The table also discloses the amount of accrued interest on loans greater than 90 days past due as compared to our allowance for uncollectible interest. The allowance for uncollectible interest exceeds the amount of accrued interest on our 90 days past due Private Education Loan portfolio for all periods presented.

	Private Education Loans
	Accrued Interest Receivable
	Total Interest Receivable		Greater Than 90 Days Past Due		Allowance for Uncollectible Interest
June 30, 2018	$	1,141,135	$	1,530	$	5,852
December 31, 2017	$	951,138	$	1,372	$	4,664

26

SLM CORPORATION

NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)

(Dollars in thousands, unless otherwise noted)

5. Deposits

The following table summarizes total deposits at June 30, 2018 and December 31, 2017.

	June 30,		December 31,
	2018		2017
Deposits - interest bearing	$	16,743,885	$	15,504,330
Deposits - non-interest bearing	2,072		1,053
Total deposits	$	16,745,957	$	15,505,383

Our total deposits of $16.7 billion were comprised of $8.7 billion in brokered deposits and $8.0 billion in retail and other deposits at June 30, 2018, compared to total deposits of $15.5 billion, which were comprised of $8.2 billion in brokered deposits and $7.3 billion in retail and other deposits, at December 31, 2017.

Interest bearing deposits as of June 30, 2018 and December 31, 2017 consisted of retail and brokered non-maturity savings deposits, retail and brokered non-maturity money market deposits (“MMDAs”) and retail and brokered certificates of deposit (“CDs”). Interest bearing deposits include deposits from Educational 529 and Health Savings plans that diversify our funding sources and additional deposits we consider to be core. These and other large omnibus accounts, aggregating the deposits of many individual depositors, represented $5.7 billion of our deposit total as of June 30, 2018, compared with $5.5 billion at December 31, 2017.

Some of our deposit products are serviced by third-party providers. Placement fees associated with the brokered CDs are amortized into interest expense using the effective interest rate method. We recognized placement fee expense of $3 million and $2 million in the three months ended June 30, 2018 and 2017, respectively, and placement fee expense of $6 million and $4 million in the six months ended June 30, 2018 and 2017, respectively. Fees paid to third-party brokers related to brokered CDs were $12 million and $3 million for the three months ended June 30, 2018 and 2017, respectively, and fees paid to third-party brokers related to brokered CDs were $19 million and $5 million for the six months ended June 30, 2018 and 2017, respectively.

Interest bearing deposits at June 30, 2018 and December 31, 2017 are summarized as follows:

	June 30, 2018				December 31, 2017
	Amount		Qtr.-End Weighted Average Stated Rate(1)		Amount		Year-End Weighted Average Stated Rate(1)
Money market	$	8,113,708	2.21	%	$	7,731,966	1.80	%
Savings	682,242		1.59		738,243		1.10
Certificates of deposit	7,947,935		2.54		7,034,121		1.93
Deposits - interest bearing	$	16,743,885			$	15,504,330

____________

⁽¹⁾ Includes the effect of interest rate swaps in effective hedge relationships.

27

SLM CORPORATION

NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)

(Dollars in thousands, unless otherwise noted)

5. Deposits (Continued)

As of June 30, 2018, and December 31, 2017, there were $406 million and $396 million, respectively, of deposits exceeding Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (“FDIC”) insurance limits. Accrued interest on deposits was $39 million and $28 million at June 30, 2018 and December 31, 2017, respectively.

6. Borrowings

Outstanding borrowings consist of unsecured debt and secured borrowings issued through our term asset-backed securitization (“ABS”) program and our asset-backed commercial paper (“ABCP”) funding facility (the “ABCP Facility”). The following table summarizes our borrowings at June 30, 2018 and December 31, 2017.

	June 30, 2018						December 31, 2017
	Short-Term		Long-Term		Total		Short-Term		Long-Term		Total
Unsecured borrowings:
Unsecured debt	$	—	$	196,943	$	196,943	$	—	$	196,539	$	196,539
Total unsecured borrowings	—		196,943		196,943		—		196,539		196,539
Secured borrowings:
Private Education Loan term securitizations:
Fixed rate	—		2,125,035		2,125,035		—		1,565,760		1,565,760
Variable rate	—		1,895,141		1,895,141		—		1,512,971		1,512,971
Total Private Education Loan term securitizations	—		4,020,176		4,020,176		—		3,078,731		3,078,731
ABCP Facility	—		—		—		—		—		—
Total secured borrowings	—		4,020,176		4,020,176		—		3,078,731		3,078,731
Total	$	—	$	4,217,119	$	4,217,119	$	—	$	3,275,270	$	3,275,270

Short-term Borrowings

Asset-Backed Commercial Paper Funding Facility

On February 21, 2018, we amended and extended the maturity of our $750 million ABCP Facility. We hold 100 percent of the residual interest in the ABCP Facility trust. Under the amended ABCP Facility, we incur financing costs of between 0.35 percent and 0.45 percent on unused borrowing capacity and approximately 3-month LIBOR plus 0.85 percent on outstandings. The amended ABCP Facility extends the revolving period, during which we may borrow, repay and reborrow funds, until February 20, 2019. The scheduled amortization period, during which amounts outstanding under the ABCP Facility must be repaid, ends on February 20, 2020 (or earlier, if certain material adverse events occur). At both June 30, 2018 and December 31, 2017, there were no borrowings outstanding under the ABCP Facility. We expect to amend and extend the ABCP Facility on an annual basis.

28

SLM CORPORATION

NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)

(Dollars in thousands, unless otherwise noted)

6. Borrowings (Continued)

Long-term Borrowings

Unsecured Debt

On April 5, 2017, we issued an unsecured debt offering of $200 million of 5.125 percent Senior Notes due April 5, 2022 at par. At June 30, 2018, the outstanding balance was $197 million.

Secured Financings

On March 21, 2018, we executed our $670 million SMB Private Education Loan Trust 2018-A term ABS transaction, which was accounted for as a secured financing. We sold $670 million of notes to third parties and retained a 100 percent interest in the residual certificates issued in the securitization, raising approximately $668 million of gross proceeds. The Class A and Class B notes had a weighted average life of 4.43 years and priced at a weighted average LIBOR equivalent cost of 1-month LIBOR plus 0.78 percent. At June 30, 2018, $681 million of our Private Education Loans were encumbered because of this transaction.

On June 20, 2018, we executed our $687 million SMB Private Education Loan Trust 2018-B term ABS transaction, which was accounted for as a secured financing. We sold $687 million of notes to third parties and retained a 100 percent interest in the residual certificates issued in the securitization, raising approximately $683 million of gross proceeds. The Class A and Class B notes had a weighted average life of 4.40 years and priced at a weighted average LIBOR equivalent cost of 1-month LIBOR plus 0.76 percent. At June 30, 2018, $711 million of our Private Education Loans were encumbered because of this transaction.

29

SLM CORPORATION

NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)

(Dollars in thousands, unless otherwise noted)

6. Borrowings (Continued)

Secured Financings at Issuance

Issue	Date Issued	Total Issued		Weighted Average Cost of Funds(1)	Weighted Average Life  (in years)
Private Education:
2016-A	May 2016	$	501,000	1-month LIBOR plus 1.38%	4.01
2016-B	July 2016	607,000		1-month LIBOR plus 1.36%	4.01
2016-C	October 2016	674,000		1-month LIBOR plus 1.15%	4.27
Total notes issued in 2016		$	1,782,000
Total loan and accrued interest amount securitized at inception in 2016		$	2,107,042
2017-A	February 2017	$	772,000	1-month LIBOR plus 0.93%	4.27
2017-B	November 2017	676,000		1-month LIBOR plus 0.80%	4.07
Total notes issued in 2017		$	1,448,000
Total loan and accrued interest amount securitized at inception in 2017		$	1,606,804
2018-A	March 2018	$	670,000	1-month LIBOR plus 0.78%	4.43
2018-B	June 2018	686,500		1-month LIBOR plus 0.76%	4.40
Total notes issued in 2018		$	1,356,500
Total loan and accrued interest amount securitized at inception in 2018		$	1,504,121

____________

⁽¹⁾ Represents LIBOR equivalent cost of funds for floating and fixed rate bonds, excluding issuance costs.

30

SLM CORPORATION

NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)

(Dollars in thousands, unless otherwise noted)

6. Borrowings (Continued)

Consolidated Funding Vehicles

We consolidate our financing entities that are VIEs as a result of our being the entities’ primary beneficiary. As a result, these financing VIEs are accounted for as secured borrowings. We consolidate the following financing VIEs as of June 30, 2018 and December 31, 2017, respectively:

	June 30, 2018
	Debt Outstanding						Carrying Amount of Assets Securing Debt Outstanding
	Short-Term		Long-Term		Total		Loans		Restricted Cash		Other Assets(1)		Total
Secured borrowings:
Private Education Loan term securitizations	$	—	$	4,020,176	$	4,020,176	$	4,793,290	$	105,963	$	334,333	$	5,233,586
ABCP Facility	—		—		—		—		—		706		706
Total	$	—	$	4,020,176	$	4,020,176	$	4,793,290	$	105,963	$	335,039	$	5,234,292

	December 31, 2017
	Debt Outstanding						Carrying Amount of Assets Securing Debt Outstanding
	Short-Term		Long-Term		Total		Loans		Restricted Cash		Other Assets(1)		Total
Secured borrowings:
Private Education Loan term securitizations	$	—	$	3,078,731	$	3,078,731	$	3,691,024	$	95,966	$	240,208	$	4,027,198
ABCP Facility	—		—		—		—		1,017		161		1,178
Total	$	—	$	3,078,731	$	3,078,731	$	3,691,024	$	96,983	$	240,369	$	4,028,376

____

(1) Other assets primarily represent accrued interest receivable.

Other Borrowing Sources

We maintain discretionary uncommitted Federal Funds lines of credit with various correspondent banks, which totaled $125 million at June 30, 2018. The interest rate we are charged on these lines of credit is priced at Fed Funds plus a spread at the time of borrowing and is payable daily. We did not utilize these lines of credit in the six months ended June 30, 2018 or in the year ended December 31, 2017.

We established an account at the FRB to meet eligibility requirements for access to the Primary Credit borrowing facility at the FRB’s Discount Window (the “Window”). The Primary Credit borrowing facility is a lending program available to depository institutions that are in generally sound financial condition. All borrowings at the Window must be fully collateralized. We can pledge to the FRB asset-backed and mortgage-backed securities, as well as FFELP Loans and Private Education Loans, as collateral for borrowings at the Window. Generally, collateral value is assigned based on the estimated fair value of the pledged assets. At June 30, 2018 and December 31, 2017, the value of our pledged collateral at the FRB totaled $2.5 billion and $2.6 billion, respectively. The interest rate charged to us is the discount rate set by the FRB. We did not utilize this facility in the six months ended June 30, 2018 or in the year ended December 31, 2017.

31

SLM CORPORATION

NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)

(Dollars in thousands, unless otherwise noted)

7. Derivative Financial Instruments

We maintain an overall interest rate risk management strategy that incorporates the use of derivative instruments to reduce the economic effect of interest rate changes. Our goal is to manage interest rate sensitivity by modifying the repricing frequency and underlying index characteristics of certain balance sheet assets or liabilities, so any adverse impacts related to movements in interest rates are managed within low to moderate limits. As a result of interest rate fluctuations, hedged balance sheet positions will appreciate or depreciate in market value or create variability in cash flows. Income or loss on the derivative instruments linked to the hedged item will generally offset the effect of this unrealized appreciation or depreciation or volatility in cash flows for the period the item is being hedged. We view this strategy as a prudent management of interest rate risk. Please refer to Note 11, “Derivative Financial Instruments” in our 2017 Form 10-K for a full discussion of our risk management strategy.

Title VII of the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act of 2010 (the “Dodd-Frank Act”) requires all standardized derivatives, including most interest rate swaps, to be submitted for clearing to central counterparties to reduce counterparty risk. Two of the central counterparties we use are the Chicago Mercantile Exchange (“CME”) and the London Clearing House (“LCH”). The CME and the LCH made amendments to their respective rules that resulted in the prospective accounting treatment of certain daily variation margin payments being considered as the legal settlement of the outstanding exposure of the derivative instead of the posting of collateral. The CME rule changes, which became effective in January 2017, and the LCH rule changes, which became effective in January 2018, result in all variation margin payments on derivatives cleared through the CME and LCH being accounted for as legal settlement. As of June 30, 2018, $5.9 billion notional of our derivative contracts were cleared on the CME and $0.6 billion were cleared on the LCH. The derivative contracts cleared through the CME and LCH represent 90.3 percent and 9.7 percent, respectively, of our total notional derivative contracts of $6.5 billion at June 30, 2018.

For derivatives cleared through the CME and LCH, the net gain (loss) position includes the variation margin amounts as settlement of the derivative and not collateral against the fair value of the derivative. Interest income (expense) related to variation margin on derivatives that are not designated as hedging instruments or are designated as fair value relationships is recognized as a gain (loss) rather than as interest income (expense). Changes in fair value for derivatives not designated as hedging instruments will be presented as realized gains (losses).

Our exposure is limited to the value of the derivative contracts in a gain position less any collateral held and plus any collateral posted. When there is a net negative exposure, we consider our exposure to the counterparty to be zero. At June 30, 2018 and December 31, 2017, we had a net positive exposure (derivative gain positions to us, less collateral held by us and plus collateral posted with counterparties) related to derivatives of $30 million and $20 million, respectively.

32

SLM CORPORATION

NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)

(Dollars in thousands, unless otherwise noted)

7. Derivative Financial Instruments (Continued)

Summary of Derivative Financial Statement Impact

The following tables summarize the fair values and notional amounts of all derivative instruments at June 30, 2018 and December 31, 2017, and their impact on earnings and other comprehensive income for the three and six months ended June 30, 2018 and 2017. Please refer to Note 11, “Derivative Financial Instruments” in our 2017 Form 10-K for a full discussion of cash flow hedges, fair value hedges, and trading activities.

Impact of Derivatives on the Consolidated Balance Sheet

		Cash Flow Hedges					Fair Value Hedges				Trading					Total
		June 30,		December 31,			June 30,		December 31,		June 30,			December 31,		June 30,			December 31,
		2018		2017			2018		2017		2018			2017		2018			2017
Fair Values(1)	Hedged Risk Exposure
Derivative Assets:(2)
Interest rate swaps	Interest rate	$	959	$	—		$	444	$	630	$	—		$	182	$	1,403		$	812
Derivative Liabilities:(2)
Interest rate swaps	Interest rate	—		(2,584		)	—		—		(92		)	—		(92		)	(2,584		)
Total net derivatives		$	959	$	(2,584	)	$	444	$	630	$	(92	)	$	182	$	1,311		$	(1,772	)

     ___________

(1) Fair values reported include variation margin as legal settlement of the derivative contract and accrued interest. Assets and liabilities are presented without consideration of master netting agreements. Derivatives are carried on the balance sheet based on net position by counterparty under master netting agreements and classified in other assets or other liabilities depending on whether in a net positive or negative position.

(2) The following table reconciles gross positions with the impact of master netting agreements to the balance sheet classification:

	Other Assets						Other Liabilities
	June 30,			December 31,			June 30,			December 31,
	2018			2017			2018			2017
Gross position(1)	$	1,403		$	812		$	(92	)	$	(2,584	)
Impact of master netting agreement	(92		)	(812		)	92			812
Derivative values with impact of master netting agreements (as carried on balance sheet)	1,311			—			—			(1,772		)
Cash collateral pledged(2)	28,385			—			—			21,586
Net position	$	29,696		$	—		$	—		$	19,814

__________

(1) Gross position amounts include accrued interest and variation margin as legal settlement of the derivative contract.

(2) Cash collateral pledged excludes amounts that represent legal settlement of the derivative contracts.

33

SLM CORPORATION

NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)

(Dollars in thousands, unless otherwise noted)

7. Derivative Financial Instruments (Continued)

	Cash Flow				Fair Value				Trading				Total
	June 30,		December 31,		June 30,		December 31,		June 30,		December 31,		June 30,		December 31,
	2018		2017		2018		2017		2018		2017		2018		2017
Notional Values
Interest rate swaps	$	1,344,791	$	1,408,649	$	3,867,204	$	3,062,849	$	1,317,494	$	987,577	$	6,529,489	$	5,459,075

Impact of Derivatives on the Consolidated Statements of Income

	Three Months Ended   June 30,						Six Months Ended   June 30,
	2018			2017			2018			2017
Fair Value Hedges
Interest rate swaps:
Hedge ineffectiveness realized gains (losses) recorded in earnings(1)	$	(2,914	)	$	(3,711	)	$	2,939		$	(7,878	)
Realized gains (losses) recorded in interest expense	(2,812		)	2,881			(3,326		)	7,428
Total	$	(5,726	)	$	(830	)	$	(387	)	$	(450	)
Cash Flow Hedges
Interest rate swaps:
Hedge ineffectiveness gains (losses) recorded in earnings(1)	$	65		$	(75	)	$	2,749		$	(147	)
Realized losses recorded in interest expense	(543		)	(2,669		)	(2,104		)	(6,008		)
Total	$	(478	)	$	(2,744	)	$	645		$	(6,155	)
Trading
Interest rate swaps:
Interest reclassification	$	(239	)	$	(101	)	$	(129	)	$	(20	)
Realized losses recorded in earnings	(2,180		)	278			(6,935		)	(942		)
Total(1)	(2,419		)	177			(7,064		)	(962		)
Total	$	(8,623	)	$	(3,397	)	$	(6,806	)	$	(7,567	)

________

(1) Amounts included in “gains (losses) on derivatives and hedging activities, net” in the consolidated statements of income.

34

SLM CORPORATION

NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)

(Dollars in thousands, unless otherwise noted)

7. Derivative Financial Instruments (Continued)

Impact of Derivatives on the Statements of Changes in Stockholders’ Equity

	Three Months Ended						Six Months Ended
	June 30,						June 30,
	2018			2017			2018			2017
Amount of gain recognized in other comprehensive income (loss)	$	9,471		$	(4,698	)	$	28,200		$	(3,258	)
Less: amount of loss reclassified in interest expense(1)	(543		)	(2,669		)	(2,104		)	(6,008		)
Total change in other comprehensive income (loss) for unrealized gains (losses) on derivatives, before income tax (expense) benefit	$	10,014		$	(2,029	)	$	30,304		$	2,750

___________

⁽¹⁾ Amounts included in “realized losses recorded in interest expense” in the “Impact of Derivatives on the Consolidated Statements of Income” table.

Cash Collateral

As of June 30, 2018, cash collateral held and pledged excludes amounts that represent legal settlement of the derivative contracts held with CME and LCH. Cash collateral held related to derivative exposure between us and our derivatives counterparties was zero at both June 30, 2018 and December 31, 2017. Collateral held is recorded in “Other Liabilities” on the consolidated balance sheets. Cash collateral pledged related to derivative exposure between us and our derivatives counterparties was $28 million and $22 million at June 30, 2018 and December 31, 2017, respectively. Collateral pledged is recorded in “Other interest-earning assets” on the consolidated balance sheets.

35

SLM CORPORATION

NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)

(Dollars in thousands, unless otherwise noted)

8. Stockholders’ Equity

Common Stock

The following table summarizes our common share repurchases and issuances.

	Three Months Ended   June 30,				Six Months Ended   June 30,
(Shares and per share amounts in actuals)	2018		2017		2018		2017
Shares repurchased related to employee stock-based compensation plans(1)(2)	200,577		981,477		2,940,595		2,584,964
Average purchase price per share	$	11.60	$	12.39	$	11.33	$	12.12
Common shares issued(3)	384,955		1,491,057		5,944,946		5,229,774

__________________

⁽¹⁾ Comprised of shares withheld from stock option exercises and vesting of restricted stock for employees’ tax withholding obligations and shares tendered by employees to satisfy option exercise costs.

⁽²⁾ At the present time, we do not intend to initiate a publicly announced share repurchase program.

⁽³⁾ Common shares issued under our various compensation and benefit plans.

The closing price of our common stock on June 29, 2018 was $11.45.

36

SLM CORPORATION

NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)

(Dollars in thousands, unless otherwise noted)

9. Earnings per Common Share

Basic earnings per common share (“EPS”) are calculated using the weighted average number of shares of common stock outstanding during each period. A reconciliation of the numerators and denominators of the basic and diluted EPS calculations follows.

	Three Months Ended				Six Months Ended
	June 30,				June 30,
(In thousands, except per share data)	2018		2017		2018		2017
Numerator:
Net income	$	109,832	$	70,617	$	236,086	$	165,560
Preferred stock dividends	3,920		3,974		7,317		9,549
Net income attributable to SLM Corporation common stock	$	105,912	$	66,643	$	228,769	$	156,011
Denominator:
Weighted average shares used to compute basic EPS	435,187		431,245		434,573		430,572
Effect of dilutive securities:
Dilutive effect of stock options, restricted stock, restricted stock units and Employee Stock Purchase Plan (“ESPP”) (1)(2)	4,258		6,870		4,639		7,852
Weighted average shares used to compute diluted EPS	439,445		438,115		439,212		438,424
Basic earnings per common share attributable to SLM Corporation	$	0.24	$	0.15	$	0.53	$	0.36
Diluted earnings per common share attributable to SLM Corporation	$	0.24	$	0.15	$	0.52	$	0.35

________________             

⁽¹⁾ Includes the potential dilutive effect of additional common shares that are issuable upon exercise of outstanding stock options, restricted stock, restricted stock units, and the outstanding commitment to issue shares under the ESPP, determined by the treasury stock method.

⁽²⁾ For the three months ended June 30, 2018 and 2017, securities covering approximately 0 and 0 shares, respectively, and for six months ended June 30, 2018 and 2017, securities covering approximately 0 and 0 shares, respectively, were outstanding but not included in the computation of diluted earnings per share because they were anti-dilutive.

37

SLM CORPORATION

NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)

(Dollars in thousands, unless otherwise noted)

10. Fair Value Measurements

We use estimates of fair value in applying various accounting standards for our financial statements.

We categorize our fair value estimates based on a hierarchical framework associated with three levels of price transparency utilized in measuring financial instruments at fair value. For additional information regarding our policies for determining fair value and the hierarchical framework, see Note 2, “Significant Accounting Policies - Fair Value Measurement” in our 2017 Form 10-K.

During the six months ended June 30, 2018, there were no significant transfers of financial instruments between levels or changes in our methodology or assumptions used to value our financial instruments.

The following table summarizes the valuation of our financial instruments that are marked to fair value on a recurring basis.

	Fair Value Measurements on a Recurring Basis
	June 30, 2018										December 31, 2017
	Level 1		Level 2			Level 3		Total			Level 1		Level 2			Level 3		Total
Assets
Available-for-sale investments	$	—	$	178,145		$	—	$	178,145		$	—	$	244,088		$	—	$	244,088
Derivative instruments	—		1,403			—		1,403			—		812			—		812
Total	$	—	$	179,548		$	—	$	179,548		$	—	$	244,900		$	—	$	244,900
Liabilities
Derivative instruments	$	—	$	(92	)	$	—	$	(92	)	$	—	$	(2,584	)	$	—	$	(2,584	)
Total	$	—	$	(92	)	$	—	$	(92	)	$	—	$	(2,584	)	$	—	$	(2,584	)

38

SLM CORPORATION

NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)

(Dollars in thousands, unless otherwise noted)

10. Fair Value Measurements (Continued)

The following table summarizes the fair values of our financial assets and liabilities, including derivative financial instruments.

	June 30, 2018						December 31, 2017
	Fair Value		Carrying Value		Difference		Fair Value		Carrying Value		Difference
Earning assets
Loans held for investment, net	$	22,349,831	$	20,308,581	$	2,041,250	$	20,673,136	$	18,567,641	$	2,105,495
Cash and cash equivalents	2,043,789		2,043,789		—		1,534,339		1,534,339		—
Available-for-sale investments	178,145		178,145		—		244,088		244,088		—
Accrued interest receivable	1,161,161		1,161,161		—		967,482		967,482		—
Tax indemnification receivable	153,470		153,470		—		168,011		168,011		—
Derivative instruments	1,403		1,403		—		812		812		—
Total earning assets	$	25,887,799	$	23,846,549	$	2,041,250	$	23,587,868	$	21,482,373	$	2,105,495
Interest-bearing liabilities
Money-market and savings accounts	$	8,795,950	$	8,795,950	$	—	$	8,470,209	$	8,470,209	$	—
Certificates of deposit	7,911,777		7,947,935		36,158		7,044,208		7,034,121		(10,087		)
Long-term borrowings	4,198,150		4,217,119		18,969		3,299,871		3,275,270		(24,601		)
Accrued interest payable	46,658		46,658		—		35,363		35,363		—
Derivative instruments	92		92		—		2,584		2,584		—
Total interest-bearing liabilities	$	20,952,627	$	21,007,754	$	55,127	$	18,852,235	$	18,817,547	$	(34,688	)
Excess of net asset fair value over carrying value					$	2,096,377					$	2,070,807

Please refer to Note 15, “Fair Value Measurements” in our 2017 Form 10-K for a full discussion of the methods and assumptions used to estimate the fair value of each class of financial instruments.

39

SLM CORPORATION

NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)

(Dollars in thousands, unless otherwise noted)

11. Arrangements with Navient Corporation

In connection with the Spin-Off, we entered into a separation and distribution agreement (the “Separation and Distribution Agreement”) and other ancillary agreements with Navient. Please refer to Note 16, “Arrangements with Navient Corporation” in our 2017 Form 10-K for a full discussion of these agreements.

Indemnification Obligations

Navient is responsible for, and has agreed to indemnify us against, all claims, actions, damages, losses or expenses that may arise from the conduct of all activities of pre-Spin-Off SLM Corporation (“pre-Spin-Off SLM”) occurring prior to the Spin-Off other than those specifically excluded in the Separation and Distribution Agreement. Some significant examples of the types of indemnification obligations Navient has under the Separation and Distribution Agreement and related ancillary agreements include:

• Navient will indemnify the Company and Sallie Mae Bank, a Utah industrial bank subsidiary of the Company (the “Bank”), for any liabilities, costs or expenses they may incur arising from any action or threatened action related to the servicing, operations and collections activities of pre-Spin-Off SLM and its subsidiaries with respect to Private Education Loans and FFELP Loans that were assets of the Bank or Navient at the time of the Spin-Off; provided that written notice was provided to Navient on or prior to April 30, 2017, the third anniversary date of the Spin-Off. Navient will not indemnify for changes in law or changes in prior existing interpretations of law that occur on or after April 30, 2014.

• Pursuant to a tax sharing agreement, Navient has agreed to indemnify us for $283 million in deferred taxes that we are legally responsible for but that relate to gains recognized by our predecessor on debt repurchases made prior to the Spin-Off. The remaining amount of this indemnification at June 30, 2018 was $18 million. In connection with the Spin-Off, we also recorded a liability related to uncertain tax positions of $27 million for which we are indemnified by Navient. As of June 30, 2018, the remaining balance of the indemnification receivable related to those uncertain tax positions was $26 million. In addition, we believe we are indemnified by Navient for uncertain tax positions relating to historical transactions among entities that are now subsidiaries of Navient that should have been recorded at the time of the Spin-Off. The remaining balance of the indemnification receivable related to those uncertain tax positions was $110 million at June 30, 2018.

Amended Loan Participation and Purchase Agreement

Prior to the Spin-Off, the Bank sold substantially all of its Private Education Loans to several former affiliates, now subsidiaries of Navient (collectively, the “Purchasers”), pursuant to this agreement. This agreement predates the Spin-Off but was significantly amended and reduced in scope in connection with the Spin-Off. Post-Spin-Off, the Bank retained only the right to require the Purchasers to purchase Split Loans (at fair value) when the Split Loans either (1) are more than 90 days past due; (2) have been restructured; (3) have been granted a hardship forbearance or more than six months of administrative forbearance; or (4) have a borrower or cosigner who has filed for bankruptcy. In the second quarter of 2018, we sold our remaining $43 million portfolio of Split Loans (both current and non-current loans) to Navient and recognized a net gain of $2 million.

40

SLM CORPORATION

NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)

(Dollars in thousands, unless otherwise noted)

12. Regulatory Capital

The Bank is subject to various regulatory capital requirements administered by the FDIC and the Utah Department of Financial Institutions (the “UDFI”). Failure to meet minimum capital requirements can initiate certain mandatory and possibly additional discretionary actions by regulators that, if undertaken, could have a direct material adverse effect on our business, results of operation and financial condition. Under the FDIC’s regulations implementing the Basel III capital framework (“U.S. Basel III”) and the regulatory framework for prompt corrective action, the Bank must meet specific capital standards that involve quantitative measures of its assets, liabilities and certain off-balance sheet items as calculated under regulatory accounting practices. The Bank’s capital amounts and its classification under the prompt corrective action framework are also subject to qualitative judgments by the regulators about components of capital, risk weightings and other factors.

The Bank is required to report regulatory capital and ratios in accordance with U.S. Basel III. Among other things, U.S. Basel III established Common Equity Tier 1 as a tier of capital, modified methods for calculating risk-weighted assets, introduced a capital conservation buffer (which is being phased in over several years), and revised the capital thresholds of the prompt corrective action framework, including the “well capitalized” standard.

“Well capitalized” regulatory requirements are the quantitative measures established by regulation to ensure capital adequacy. To qualify as “well capitalized,” the Bank must maintain minimum amounts and ratios (set forth in the table below) of Common Equity Tier 1, Tier 1 and Total capital to risk-weighted assets and of Tier 1 capital to average assets. The following capital amounts and ratios are based upon the Bank’s assets.

	Actual				“Well Capitalized” Regulatory Requirements
	Amount		Ratio		Amount			Ratio
As of June 30, 2018:
Common Equity Tier 1 Capital (to Risk-Weighted Assets)	$	2,617,021	12.0	%	$	1,417,350	>	6.5	%
Tier 1 Capital (to Risk-Weighted Assets)	$	2,617,021	12.0	%	$	1,744,431	>	8.0	%
Total Capital (to Risk-Weighted Assets)	$	2,889,876	13.3	%	$	2,180,539	>	10.0	%
Tier 1 Capital (to Average Assets)	$	2,617,021	11.2	%	$	1,164,750	>	5.0	%
As of December 31, 2017:
Common Equity Tier 1 Capital (to Risk-Weighted Assets)	$	2,350,081	11.9	%	$	1,288,435	>	6.5	%
Tier 1 Capital (to Risk-Weighted Assets)	$	2,350,081	11.9	%	$	1,585,767	>	8.0	%
Total Capital (to Risk-Weighted Assets)	$	2,597,926	13.1	%	$	1,982,208	>	10.0	%
Tier 1 Capital (to Average Assets)	$	2,350,081	11.0	%	$	1,067,739	>	5.0	%

Bank Dividends

The Bank is chartered under the laws of the State of Utah and its deposits are insured by the FDIC. The Bank’s ability to pay dividends is subject to the laws of Utah and the regulations of the FDIC. Generally, under Utah’s industrial bank laws and regulations as well as FDIC regulations, the Bank may pay dividends from its net profits without regulatory approval if, following the payment of the dividend, the Bank’s capital and surplus would not be impaired. The Bank paid no dividends for the six months ended June 30, 2018 and June 30, 2017.

41

SLM CORPORATION

NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)

(Dollars in thousands, unless otherwise noted)

13. Commitments, Contingencies and Guarantees

Commitments

When we approve a Private Education Loan at the beginning of an academic year, that approval may cover the borrowing for the entire academic year. As such, we do not always disburse the full amount of the loan at the time of such approval, but instead have a commitment to fund a portion of the loan at a later date (usually at the start of the second semester or subsequent trimesters). At June 30, 2018, we had $1.7 billion of outstanding contractual loan commitments which we expect to fund during the remainder of the 2018/2019 academic year. At June 30, 2018, we had a $0.6 million reserve recorded in “Other Liabilities” to cover expected losses that may occur during the one-year loss emergence period on these unfunded commitments.

Contingencies

In the ordinary course of business, we and our subsidiaries are routinely defendants in or parties to pending and threatened legal actions and proceedings, including actions brought on behalf of various classes of claimants. These actions and proceedings may be based on alleged violations of consumer protection, securities, employment and other laws. In certain of these actions and proceedings, claims for substantial monetary damage may be asserted against us and our subsidiaries.

It is common for the Company, our subsidiaries and affiliates to receive information and document requests and investigative demands from state attorneys general, legislative committees, and administrative agencies. These requests may be for informational or regulatory purposes and may relate to our business practices, the industries in which we operate, or other companies with whom we conduct business. Our practice has been and continues to be to cooperate with these bodies and be responsive to any such requests.

We are required to establish reserves for litigation and regulatory matters where those matters present loss contingencies that are both probable and estimable. When loss contingencies are not both probable and estimable, we do not establish reserves.

Based on current knowledge, management does not believe there are loss contingencies, if any, arising from pending investigations, litigation or regulatory matters for which reserves should be established.

42

Item 2. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations

The following information is current as of July 24, 2018 (unless otherwise noted) and should be read in connection with SLM Corporation’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2017 (filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) on February 23, 2018) (the “2017 Form 10-K”), and subsequent reports filed with the SEC. Definitions for capitalized terms used in this report not defined herein can be found in the 2017 Form 10-K.

References in this Form 10-Q to “we,” “us,” “our,” “Sallie Mae,” “SLM” and the “Company” refer to SLM Corporation and its subsidiaries, except as otherwise indicated or unless the context otherwise requires.

This report contains “forward-looking” statements and information based on management’s current expectations as of the date of this report. Statements that are not historical facts, including statements about our beliefs, opinions or expectations and statements that assume or are dependent upon future events, are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are subject to risks, uncertainties, assumptions and other factors that may cause actual results to be materially different from those reflected in such forward-looking statements. These factors include, among others, the risks and uncertainties set forth in Item 1A. “Risk Factors” and elsewhere in our 2017 Form 10-K and subsequent filings with the SEC; increases in financing costs; limits on liquidity; increases in costs associated with compliance with laws and regulations; failure to comply with consumer protection, banking and other laws; changes in accounting standards and the impact of related changes in significant accounting estimates; any adverse outcomes in any significant litigation to which we are a party; credit risk associated with our exposure to third-parties, including counterparties to our derivative transactions; and changes in the terms of education loans and the educational credit marketplace (including changes resulting from new laws and the implementation of existing laws). We could also be affected by, among other things: changes in our funding costs and availability; reductions to our credit ratings; cybersecurity incidents and cyberattacks and other failures or breaches of our operating systems or infrastructure, including those of third-party vendors; damage to our reputation; risks associated with restructuring initiatives, including failures to successfully implement cost-cutting programs and the adverse effects of such initiatives on our business; changes in the demand for educational financing or in financing preferences of lenders, educational institutions, students and their families; changes in law and regulations with respect to the student lending business and financial institutions generally; changes in banking rules and regulations, including increased capital requirements; increased competition from banks and other consumer lenders; the creditworthiness of our customers; changes in the general interest rate environment, including the rate relationships among relevant money-market instruments and those of our earning assets versus our funding arrangements; rates of prepayment on the loans that we make or acquire; changes in general economic conditions and our ability to successfully effectuate any acquisitions; and other strategic initiatives. The preparation of our consolidated financial statements also requires management to make certain estimates and assumptions, including estimates and assumptions about future events. These estimates or assumptions may prove to be incorrect. All forward-looking statements contained in this quarterly report on Form 10-Q are qualified by these cautionary statements and are made only as of the date of this report. We do not undertake any obligation to update or revise these forward-looking statements to conform such statements to actual results or changes in our expectations.

We report financial results on a GAAP basis and also provide certain non-GAAP core earnings performance measures. The difference between our “Core Earnings” and GAAP results for the periods presented were the unrealized, mark-to-market gains/losses on derivative contracts (excluding current period accruals on the derivative instruments), net of tax. These are recognized in GAAP, but not in “Core Earnings” results. We provide “Core Earnings” measures because this is what management uses when making management decisions regarding our performance and the allocation of corporate resources. Our “Core Earnings” are not defined terms within GAAP and may not be comparable to similarly titled measures reported by other companies. For additional information, see “Key Financial Measures” and “ ‘Core Earnings’ ” in this Form 10-Q for the quarter ended June 30, 2018 for a further discussion and a complete reconciliation between GAAP net income and “Core Earnings.”

Through this discussion and analysis, we intend to provide the reader with some narrative context for how our management views our consolidated financial statements, additional context within which to assess our operating results, and information on the quality and variability of our earnings, liquidity and cash flows.

43

Selected Financial Information and Ratios

	Three Months Ended   June 30,						Six Months Ended   June 30,
(In thousands, except per share data and percentages)	2018			2017			2018			2017
Net income attributable to SLM Corporation common stock	$	105,912		$	66,643		$	228,769		$	156,011
Diluted earnings per common share attributable to SLM Corporation	$	0.24		$	0.15		$	0.52		$	0.35
Weighted average shares used to compute diluted earnings per share	439,445			438,115			439,212			438,424
Return on assets	1.9		%	1.5		%	2.1		%	1.7		%
Non-GAAP operating efficiency ratio(1)	38.3		%	39.7		%	37.4		%	38.2		%
Other Operating Statistics
Ending Private Education Loans, net	$	18,488,240		$	15,523,338		$	18,488,240		$	15,523,338
Ending FFELP Loans, net	886,780			968,398			886,780			968,398
Ending total education loans, net	$	19,375,020		$	16,491,736		$	19,375,020		$	16,491,736
Ending Personal Loans, net	$	933,561		$	68,690		$	933,561		$	68,690
Average education loans	$	19,662,863		$	16,668,281		$	19,621,379		$	16,561,077
Average Personal Loans	$	815,356		$	60,910		$	672,792		$	48,464
__________
(1) We calculate and report our non-GAAP operating efficiency ratio as the ratio of (a) the total non-interest expense numerator to (b) the net revenue denominator (which consists of the sum of net interest income, before provision for credit losses, and non-interest income, excluding any gains and losses on sales of loans and securities, net and the net impact of derivative accounting as defined in the “Core Earnings” adjustments to GAAP table set forth in this Form 10-Q.) We believe doing so provides useful information to investors because it is a measure used by our management team to monitor our effectiveness in managing operating expenses. Other companies may use similarly titled non-GAAP financial measures that are calculated differently from the way we calculate our ratio. Accordingly, our non-GAAP operating efficiency ratio may not be comparable to similar measures used by other companies.

Overview

The following discussion and analysis presents a review of our business and operations as of and for the three and six months ended June 30, 2018.

Key Financial Measures

Our operating results are primarily driven by net interest income from our Private Education Loan portfolio, provision expense for credit losses, and operating expenses. The growth of our business and the strength of our financial condition are primarily driven by our ability to achieve our annual Private Education Loan origination goals while sustaining credit quality and maintaining cost-efficient funding sources to support our originations. A brief summary of our key financial measures (net interest income; secured financings and loan sales; allowance for loan losses; charge-offs and delinquencies; operating expenses; “Core Earnings;” Private Education Loan originations; and funding sources) can be found in Item 7. “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” in our 2017 Form 10-K.

2018 Management Objectives

For 2018, we have set out the following major goals for ourselves: (1) prudently grow our Private Education Loan assets and revenues while continuing to diversify the mix of our funding sources; (2) maintain our strong capital position; (3) expand our product offerings to increase the level of engagement with our existing customers and attract new customers; (4) manage operating expenses while improving efficiency; (5) maintain our strong governance, risk oversight and compliance

44

infrastructure; and (6) leverage our culture to engage employees, recognize and reward contributions to business results, and develop talent to support our business strategy and growth. Here is how we plan to achieve these objectives:

Prudently Grow Private Education Loan Assets and Revenues

We will continue to pursue managed growth in our Private Education Loan portfolio in 2018 by leveraging our Sallie Mae brand, our relationship with more than 2,000 colleges and universities, and our direct consumer marketing efforts. In the first six months of 2018, we introduced six new graduate student loan products tailored to meet the needs of students in their specific fields of study. We are determined to maintain overall credit quality and cosigner rates in our Smart Option Student Loan originations. Originations were 8 percent higher in the first six months of 2018 compared with the year-ago period. The average FICO scores at approval and the cosigner rates for originations in the six months ended June 30, 2018 were 746 and 86.6 percent, compared with 747 and 87.6 percent in the six months ended June 30, 2017, respectively. In addition, to help facilitate the expected increase in our Private Education Loan originations, we plan to continue diversifying the mix of our funding sources in 2018.

A key part of our strategy to grow our Private Education Loan volume and market share will be to continue to improve our customers’ experience by maintaining cutting edge technology and providing high quality service, whether our customers choose to contact us online or over the telephone. In 2018, we are continuing to improve customer and agent-facing systems to improve the efficiency of customer service and put more self-service at our customers’ fingertips through mobile, online and call center resources.

Maintain Our Strong Capital Position

We intend to maintain levels of capital at the Bank that significantly exceed those necessary to be considered “well capitalized” by the FDIC. The Company is a source of strength for the Bank and will obtain or provide additional capital as, and if, necessary to the Bank. We regularly evaluate the quality of assets, stability of earnings, and adequacy of our allowance for loan losses, and we continue to believe our existing capital levels are sufficient to support the Bank’s plan for significant growth over the next several years while remaining “well capitalized.” As our balance sheet grows in 2018, these ratios will be stable as we now expect to generate earnings and capital sufficient to cover growth in our risk-weighted assets and remain significantly in excess of the capital levels required to be considered “well capitalized” by our regulators. As of June 30, 2018, the Bank had a Common Equity Tier 1 risk-based capital ratio of 12.0 percent, a Tier 1 risk-based capital ratio of 12.0 percent, a Total risk-based capital ratio of 13.3 percent and a Tier 1 leverage ratio of 11.2 percent, all exceeding the current regulatory guidelines for “well capitalized” institutions by a significant amount.

We do not plan to pay a common stock dividend or repurchase common shares in 2018 (except to repurchase common stock acquired as a result of taxes withheld in connection with award exercises and vesting under our employee stock-based compensation plans).

Expand Our Product Offerings to Increase Level of Engagement With Our Existing Customers and Attract New Customers

We are making investments in 2018 that will accelerate the diversification of our consumer lending platform into the Personal Loan and credit card businesses. In the first half of 2018, we began to offer six new graduate student loan products that are tailored to meet the needs of students in their specific fields of study. We expect the diversification of our consumer lending platform and these new product offerings to enhance our Private Education Loan business.

In 2017, we built the infrastructure necessary to originate and service unsecured Personal Loans to be used for non-educational purposes. In the first half of 2018, we started to originate our Personal Loan product, and recently exceeded $100 million in total originated Personal Loans. In addition, in the first six months of 2018, we acquired $594 million of Personal Loans originated by third parties.

In 2018, we have begun to lay the foundation for our credit card business. This process has included identifying and selecting a partner to help issue credit cards and service credit card accounts and to assemble the team to execute our business plan.

We believe that these two new consumer finance products are an extension of our core competencies of underwriting, marketing and servicing unsecured credits.

45

Manage Operating Expenses While Improving Efficiency

We will continue to measure our effectiveness in managing operating expenses by monitoring our operating efficiency ratio. We calculate and report our non-GAAP operating efficiency ratio as the ratio of (a) the total non-interest expense numerator to (b) the net revenue denominator (which consists of the sum of net interest income, before provision for credit losses, and non-interest income, excluding any gains and losses on sales of loans and securities, net and the net impact of derivative accounting as defined in our “Core Earnings” adjustments to GAAP table in “- ‘Core Earnings’ ’’ in this Form 10-Q). We believe doing so provides useful information to investors because it is a measure used by our management team to monitor our effectiveness in managing operating expenses. Other companies may use similarly titled non-GAAP financial measures that are calculated differently from the way we calculate our ratio. Accordingly, our non-GAAP operating efficiency ratio may not be comparable to similar measures used by other companies. Our long-term objective is to achieve steady declines in this ratio over the next several years.

The non-GAAP operating efficiency ratio for the three months ended June 30, 2018 was 38.3 percent compared with 39.7 percent for the year-ago period. The non-GAAP operating efficiency ratio for the six months ended June 30, 2018 was 37.4 percent compared with 38.2 percent for the six months ended June 30, 2017. The improvement in the non-GAAP operating efficiency ratio in the three and six months ended June 30, 2018 compared with the three and six month periods ended June 30, 2017, respectively, was primarily due to the growth rate in net interest income exceeding the growth rate in our expense base. The growth in our expense base in the six months ended June 30, 2018 was driven by growth in the portfolio and costs related to product diversification, platform enhancements, customer experience, FDIC assessments and higher compensation and benefits costs, including approximately $7 million related to stock compensation expense due to retirement eligible employees and to certain severance related expenses.

We expect our operating efficiency ratio to decline steadily over the next several years as the number of loans on which we earn either net interest income or servicing revenue grows to a level commensurate with our loan origination platform and we continue to manage the growth of our expense base.

Maintain Our Strong Governance, Risk Oversight and Compliance Infrastructure

We have built customer protection policies, procedures and compliance management systems sufficient to meet or exceed currently applicable regulatory standards. In addition, we have developed a strong governance framework, which includes robust oversight, education, policies and procedures supported by enterprise risk management, compliance and internal audit functions. Our goal is to consistently comply with or exceed regulatory standards for compliance and risk management.

Leverage Our Culture to Engage Employees, Recognize and Reward Contributions to Business Results, and Develop Talent to Support our Business Strategy and Growth

In the first half of 2018, we completed focus groups with a cross-functional representative sample of employees to better understand and act upon their feedback through the annual employee engagement survey. We continued to reward top performers during the year-end compensation process through differentiation of pay based on the results of the performance measurement process. Each area of the business completed its organizational planning to identify critical talent needed now and in the future, against which leadership will develop talent and employees will align their development plans.

In the second quarter of 2018, we launched a new competency model that will provide a framework and common language to define the type of talent to move the organization forward. The core and leadership competencies will provide several tools for our employees to charter their career development. We also continued to focus on talent development by piloting a leadership development program to enhance leadership competencies to more effectively achieve results. This experience included a launch of a new multi-rater assessment tool that will be leveraged to create individual development plans. We also completed our quarterly Awards of Excellence Program to recognize our highest performing employees who also demonstrate the values of our Company in the work they do.

46

GAAP Results of Operations

We present the results of operations below first on a consolidated basis in accordance with GAAP.

GAAP Statements of Income (Unaudited)

	Three Months Ended   June 30,						Increase (Decrease)					Six Months Ended   June 30,						Increase (Decrease)
(In millions, except per share data)	2018			2017			$			%		2018			2017			$			%
Interest income:
Loans	$	454		$	337		$	117		35	%	$	884		$	662		$	222		34	%
Investments	2			2			—			—		3			4			(1		)	(25	)
Cash and cash equivalents	6			3			3			100		12			6			6			100
Total interest income	462			342			120			35		899			672			227			34
Total interest expense	121			72			49			68		226			134			92			69
Net interest income	341			270			71			26		673			538			136			25
Less: provisions for credit losses	63			50			13			26		117			76			42			55
Net interest income after provisions for credit losses	278			220			58			26		556			462			94			20
Non-interest income:
Gains on sales of loans, net	2			—			2			100		2			—			2			100
Losses on sales of securities, net	(2		)	—			(2		)	(100	)	(2		)	—			(2		)	(100	)
Losses on derivatives and hedging activities, net	(5		)	(4		)	(1		)	(25	)	(1		)	(9		)	8			89
Other income	12			11			1			9		22			22			—			—
Total non-interest income	7			7			—			—		21			13			8			62
Non-interest expenses:
Total operating expenses	135			111			24			22		260			214			46			21
Acquired intangible asset amortization expense	—			—			—			—		—			—			—			—
Total non-interest expenses	135			111			24			22		260			214			46			21
Income before income tax expense	150			116			34			29		317			261			56			21
Income tax expense	40			45			(5		)	(11	)	81			95			(15		)	(16	)
Net income	110			71			39			55		236			166			70			42
Preferred stock dividends	4			4			—			—		7			10			(3		)	(30	)
Net income attributable to SLM Corporation common stock	$	106		$	67		$	39		58	%	$	229		$	156		$	73		47	%
Basic earnings per common share attributable to SLM Corporation	$	0.24		$	0.15		$	0.09		60	%	$	0.53		$	0.36		$	0.17		47	%
Diluted earnings per common share attributable to SLM Corporation	$	0.24		$	0.15		$	0.09		60	%	$	0.52		$	0.35		$	0.17		49	%

47

GAAP Consolidated Earnings Summary

Three Months Ended June 30, 2018 Compared with Three Months Ended June 30, 2017

For the three months ended June 30, 2018, net income was $110 million, or $0.24 diluted earnings per common share, compared with net income of $71 million, or $0.15 diluted earnings per common share, for the three months ended June 30, 2017. The year-over-year increase in net income was due to a $71 million increase in net interest income, which was offset by a $13 million increase in provisions for credit losses, and a $24 million increase in total non-interest expenses. The reduction of the federal statutory corporate income tax rate from 35 percent to 21 percent because of the Tax Act, which was enacted on December 22, 2017, contributed approximately $21 million to net income.

The primary contributors to each of the identified drivers of changes in net income for the current quarter compared with the year-ago quarter are as follows:

•Net interest income increased by $71 million in the current quarter compared with the year-ago quarter due to a $3.7 billion increase in average loans outstanding and a 23 basis point increase in net interest margin. Net interest margin increased primarily as a result of the benefit from an increase in LIBOR rates, which increased the yield on our variable rate Private Education Loan portfolio more than it increased our cost of funds, and of growth in the higher-yielding Personal Loan portfolio. Cost of funds increased primarily due to the increase in LIBOR rates.

•Provisions for credit losses increased $13 million compared with the year-ago quarter. This increase was primarily the result of growth in the reserve for our Personal Loan portfolio. The provision for Personal Loans grew because the portfolio increased from $70 million at June 30, 2017 to $966 million at June 30, 2018. Provision expenses for our Private Education Loan portfolio declined $3 million compared with the year-ago quarter because of improved credit performance.

• Gains on sales of loans, net, resulted in a net gain of $2 million in the second quarter of 2018 as we sold the $43 million Split Loan portfolio.

•Losses on sales of securities, net, were $2 million in the second quarter of 2018 due to the sale of $41 million of mortgage-backed securities. There were no sales of securities in the year-ago period.

•Losses on derivatives and hedging activities, net, resulted in a net loss of $5 million in the second quarter of 2018 compared with a net loss of $4 million in the year-ago quarter.

•Other income increased $1 million primarily due to an increase in the tax indemnification receivable related to uncertain tax positions.

•Second-quarter 2018 operating expenses (including acquired intangible asset amortization expense) were $135 million, compared with $111 million in the year-ago quarter. The increase in operating expenses was driven by growth in the portfolio and costs related to product diversification, platform enhancements, customer experience, and higher compensation and benefits costs. Earlier this year, we indicated our intention to invest $30 million in 2018 in technology infrastructure and product diversification. We now plan to increase our investment to $40 million. The additional expense will be for marketing costs to increase our Personal Loan originations. In the second-quarter 2018, we spent $5 million toward those investments.

•Income tax expense decreased $5 million compared with the year-ago quarter. The effective tax rate decreased in the second-quarter 2018 to 26.7 percent from 38.8 percent in the year-ago quarter. The change was primarily a result of the reduction in the federal statutory corporate income tax rate from 35 percent to 21 percent under the Tax Act. During the second quarter of 2018, we recorded an additional $1 million in interest on our uncertain tax positions primarily because of an increase in the federal statutory interest rates. This amount was offset by an increase in other income due to the tax indemnification receivable related to the uncertain tax positions.

48

Six Months Ended June 30, 2018 Compared with Six Months Ended June 30, 2017

For the six months ended June 30, 2018, net income was $236 million, or $0.52 diluted earnings per common share, compared with net income of $166 million, or $0.35 diluted earnings per common share, for the six months ended June 30, 2017. The year-over-year increase in net income increase was primarily due to a $136 million increase in net interest income and an $8 million increase in total non-interest income, which was offset by a $42 million increase in provisions for credit losses and a $46 million increase in total non-interest expenses. The reduction of the federal statutory corporate income tax rate from 35 percent to 21 percent contributed approximately $44 million to net income.

The primary contributors to each of the identified drivers of changes in net income for the first six months of 2018 compared with the year-ago period are as follows:

•Net interest income increased by $136 million in the first six months compared with the year-ago period primarily due to a $3.7 billion increase in average loans outstanding. Net interest margin increased by 22 basis points primarily because of the benefit from an increase in LIBOR rates, which increased the yield on our variable rate Private Education Loan portfolio more than it increased our cost of funds, and of growth in the higher-yielding Personal Loan portfolio. Cost of funds increased primarily due to the increase in LIBOR as well as an increase in the amount of funding from higher-cost, long-term secured borrowings.

•Provisions for credit losses increased $42 million compared with the year-ago period primarily due to a $29 million increase in the provision for Personal Loans. The provision for Personal Loans grew because the portfolio increased from $70 million at June 30, 2017 to $966 million at June 30, 2018. The year-ago period also benefited from an update to our life-of-loan forecasting model for TDRs.

•Gains on sales of loans, net, resulted in a net gain of $2 million in the six months ended June 30, 2018 as we sold the $43 million Split Loan portfolio.

•Losses on sales of securities, net, were $2 million in the six months ended June 30, 2018 due to the sale of $41 million of mortgage-backed securities in the period. There were no sales of securities in the year-ago period.

•Losses on derivatives and hedging activities, net, resulted in a net loss of $1 million in the first six months of 2018 compared with a net loss of $9 million in the year-ago period. The primary factors affecting the change were interest rates and whether derivatives qualified for hedge accounting treatment.

•First-half 2018 operating expenses (including acquired intangible asset amortization expense) were $260 million, compared with $214 million in the year-ago period. The increase in operating expenses was driven by growth in the portfolio and costs related to product diversification, platform enhancements, customer experience, FDIC assessments and higher compensation and benefits costs. Earlier this year, we indicated our intention to invest $30 million in 2018 in technology infrastructure and product diversification. We now plan to increase our investment to $40 million. The additional expense will be for marketing costs to increase our Personal Loan originations. Year-to-date, those investments have totaled approximately $6 million.

•Income tax expense decreased $15 million compared with the year-ago period. The effective tax rate decreased in the first six months of 2018 to 25.6 percent from 36.6 percent in the year-ago period. The change was primarily a result of the reduction in the federal statutory corporate income tax rate from 35 percent to 21 percent under the Tax Act. The effective tax rate for the six months ended June 30, 2017 included a $6 million benefit recorded in the first quarter of 2017 related to a new stock compensation accounting standard, which changed the treatment of excess tax benefits/deficiencies related to the settlement of employee stock-based awards.

49

“Core Earnings”

We prepare financial statements in accordance with GAAP. However, we also produce and report our after-tax earnings on a separate basis that we refer to as “Core Earnings.” The difference between our “Core Earnings” and GAAP results for periods presented generally is driven by the unrealized, mark-to-market gains (losses) on derivatives contracts recognized in GAAP, but not in “Core Earnings.”

“Core Earnings” recognizes the difference in accounting treatment based upon whether a derivative qualifies for hedge accounting treatment and eliminates the earnings impact associated with hedge ineffectiveness and derivatives we use as an economic hedge but which do not qualify for hedge accounting treatment. We enter into derivative instruments to economically hedge interest rate and cash flow risk associated with our portfolio. We believe that our derivatives are effective economic hedges, and as such, are a critical element of our interest rate risk management strategy. Those derivative instruments that qualify for hedge accounting treatment have their related cash flows recorded in interest income or interest expense along with the hedged item. Hedge ineffectiveness related to these derivatives is recorded in “Gains (losses) on derivatives and hedging activities, net.” Some of our derivatives do not qualify for hedge accounting treatment and the stand-alone derivative must be marked-to-fair value in the income statement with no consideration for the corresponding change in fair value of the hedged item. These gains and losses, recorded in “Gains (losses) on derivatives and hedging activities, net,” are primarily caused by interest rate volatility and changing credit spreads during the period as well as the volume and term of derivatives not receiving hedge accounting treatment. Cash flows on derivative instruments that do not qualify for hedge accounting are not recorded in interest income and interest expense; they are recorded in non-interest income: “Gains (losses) on derivatives and hedging activities, net.”

The adjustments required to reconcile from our “Core Earnings” results to our GAAP results of operations, net of tax, relate to differing treatments for our derivative instruments used to hedge our economic risks that do not qualify for hedge accounting treatment or that do qualify for hedge accounting treatment but result in ineffectiveness, net of tax. The amount recorded in “Gains (losses) on derivatives and hedging activities, net” includes (a) the accrual of the current payment on the interest rate swaps that do not qualify for hedge accounting treatment, (b) the change in fair values related to future expected cash flows for derivatives that do not qualify for hedge accounting treatment and (c) ineffectiveness on derivatives that receive hedge accounting treatment. For purposes of “Core Earnings”, we are including in GAAP earnings the current period accrual amounts (interest reclassification) on the swaps and excluding the remaining ineffectiveness (and change in fair values for those derivatives not qualifying for hedge accounting treatment). “Core Earnings” is meant to represent what earnings would have been had these derivatives qualified for hedge accounting and there was no ineffectiveness.

“Core Earnings” are not a substitute for reported results under GAAP. We provide a “Core Earnings” basis of presentation because (i) earnings per share computed on a “Core Earnings” basis is one of several measures we utilize in establishing management incentive compensation and (ii) we believe it better reflects the financial results for derivatives that are economic hedges of interest rate risk but which do not qualify for hedge accounting treatment.

GAAP provides a uniform, comprehensive basis of accounting. Our “Core Earnings” basis of presentation differs from GAAP in the way it treats derivatives as described above.

The following table shows the amount in “Losses on derivatives and hedging activities, net” that relates to the interest reclassification on the derivative contracts.

	Three Months Ended   June 30,						Six Months Ended   June 30,
(Dollars in thousands)	2018			2017			2018			2017
Hedge ineffectiveness gains (losses)	$	(2,849	)	$	(3,786	)	$	5,688		$	(8,025	)
Unrealized (losses) gains on instruments not in a hedging relationship	(2,180		)	278			(6,935		)	(942		)
Interest reclassification	(239		)	(101		)	(129		)	(20		)
Losses on derivatives and hedging activities, net	$	(5,268	)	$	(3,609	)	$	(1,376	)	$	(8,987	)

50

The following table reflects adjustments associated with our derivative activities.

	Three Months Ended   June 30,				Six Months Ended   June 30,
(Dollars in thousands, except per share amounts)	2018		2017		2018		2017
“Core Earnings” adjustments to GAAP:
GAAP net income attributable to SLM Corporation	$	109,832	$	70,617	$	236,086	$	165,560
Preferred stock dividends	3,920		3,974		7,317		9,549
GAAP net income attributable to SLM Corporation common stock	$	105,912	$	66,643	$	228,769	$	156,011
Adjustments:
Net impact of derivative accounting(1)	5,029		3,508		1,247		8,966
Net tax effect(2)	1,222		1,340		303		3,424
Total “Core Earnings” adjustments to GAAP	3,807		2,168		944		5,542
“Core Earnings” attributable to SLM Corporation common stock	$	109,719	$	68,811	$	229,713	$	161,553
GAAP diluted earnings per common share	$	0.24	$	0.15	$	0.52	$	0.35
Derivative adjustments, net of tax	0.01		0.01		—		0.02
“Core Earnings” diluted earnings per common share	$	0.25	$	0.16	$	0.52	$	0.37

______

(1) Derivative Accounting: “Core Earnings” exclude periodic unrealized gains and losses caused by the mark-to-market valuations on derivatives that do not qualify for hedge accounting treatment under GAAP, as well as the periodic unrealized gains and losses that are a result of ineffectiveness recognized related to effective hedges under GAAP (but include current period accruals on the derivative instruments), net of tax. Under GAAP, for our derivatives held to maturity, the cumulative net unrealized gain or loss over the life of the contract will equal $0.

(2) “Core Earnings” tax rate is based on the effective tax rate at the Bank where the derivative instruments are held.

51

Financial Condition

Average Balance Sheets - GAAP

The following table reflects the rates earned on interest-earning assets and paid on interest-bearing liabilities and reflects our net interest margin on a consolidated basis.  

	Three Months Ended June 30,								Six Months Ended June 30,
	2018				2017				2018				2017
(Dollars in thousands)	Balance		Rate		Balance		Rate		Balance		Rate		Balance		Rate
Average Assets
Private Education Loans	$	18,764,768	9.03	%	$	15,687,803	8.33	%	$	18,712,533	8.93	%	$	15,569,337	8.30	%
FFELP Loans	898,095		4.51		980,478		3.87		908,846		4.38		991,740		3.78
Personal Loans	815,356		10.65		60,910		9.28		672,792		10.65		48,464		9.24
Taxable securities	261,066		2.60		322,551		2.74		278,691		2.63		337,276		2.60
Cash and other short-term investments	1,527,147		1.73		1,264,223		1.00		1,489,501		1.60		1,330,678		0.87
Total interest-earning assets	22,266,432		8.33	%	18,315,965		7.49	%	22,062,363		8.22	%	18,277,495		7.41	%
Non-interest-earning assets	1,154,314				1,039,433				1,132,991				981,229
Total assets	$	23,420,746			$	19,355,398			$	23,195,354			$	19,258,724
Average Liabilities and Equity
Brokered deposits	$	8,561,328	2.37	%	$	6,679,564	1.69	%	$	8,616,985	2.21	%	$	6,846,524	1.57	%
Retail and other deposits	8,011,142		2.00		6,773,078		1.33		7,870,136		1.89		6,671,869		1.27
Other interest-bearing liabilities(1)	3,720,997		3.32		2,934,377		2.95		3,591,742		3.26		2,749,483		2.79
Total interest-bearing liabilities	20,293,467		2.40	%	16,387,019		1.77	%	20,078,863		2.27	%	16,267,876		1.66	%
Non-interest-bearing liabilities	455,555				584,599				508,258				606,253
Equity	2,671,724				2,383,780				2,608,233				2,384,595
Total liabilities and equity	$	23,420,746			$	19,355,398			$	23,195,354			$	19,258,724
Net interest margin			6.14	%			5.91	%			6.16	%			5.94	%

_________________

⁽¹⁾ Includes the average balance of our unsecured borrowing, as well as secured borrowings and amortization expense of transaction costs related to our term asset-backed securitizations and our ABCP Facility.

52

Rate/Volume Analysis - GAAP

The following rate/volume analysis shows the relative contribution of changes in interest rates and asset volumes.

(Dollars in thousands)	Increase		Change Due To(1)
			Rate		Volume
Three Months Ended June 30, 2018 vs. 2017
Interest income	$	120,216	$	41,003	$	79,213
Interest expense	49,159		29,487		19,672
Net interest income	$	71,057	$	10,915	$	60,142
Six Months Ended June 30, 2018 vs. 2017
Interest income	$	227,959	$	78,919	$	149,040
Interest expense	92,364		56,573		35,791
Net interest income	$	135,595	$	20,675	$	114,920

_________________

⁽¹⁾ Changes in income and expense due to both rate and volume have been allocated in proportion to the relationship of the absolute dollar amounts of the change in each. The changes in income and expense are calculated independently for each line in the table. The totals for the rate and volume columns are not the sum of the individual lines.

Summary of Our Loan Portfolio

Ending Loan Balances, net

	June 30, 2018
(Dollars in thousands)	Private Education Loans			FFELP Loans			Personal Loans			Total Portfolio
Total loan portfolio:
In-school(1)	$	3,395,500		$	199		$	—		$	3,395,699
Grace, repayment and other(2)	15,292,527			885,158			966,080			17,143,765
Total, gross	18,688,027			885,357			966,080			20,539,464
Deferred origination costs and unamortized premium/(discount)	61,908			2,496			(10		)	64,394
Allowance for loan losses	(261,695		)	(1,073		)	(32,509		)	(295,277		)
Total loan portfolio, net	$	18,488,240		$	886,780		$	933,561		$	20,308,581
% of total	91		%	4		%	5		%	100		%

^____________ 

⁽¹⁾  Loans for customers still attending school and who are not yet required to make payments on the loans.

⁽²⁾  Includes loans in deferment or forbearance.

53

	December 31, 2017
(Dollars in thousands)	Private Education Loans			FFELP Loans			Personal Loans			Total Portfolio
Total loan portfolio:
In-school(1)	$	3,740,237		$	257		$	—		$	3,740,494
Grace, repayment and other(2)	13,691,930			927,403			400,280			15,019,613
Total, gross	17,432,167			927,660			400,280			18,760,107
Deferred origination costs and unamortized premium/(discount)	56,378			2,631			—			59,009
Allowance for loan losses	(243,715		)	(1,132		)	(6,628		)	(251,475		)
Total loan portfolio, net	$	17,244,830		$	929,159		$	393,652		$	18,567,641
% of total	93		%	5		%	2		%	100		%

^____________ 

⁽¹⁾  Loans for customers still attending school and who are not yet required to make payments on the loans.

⁽²⁾  Includes loans in deferment or forbearance.

Average Loan Balances (net of unamortized premium/discount)

	Three Months Ended   June 30,								Six Months Ended   June 30,
(Dollars in thousands)	2018				2017				2018				2017
Private Education Loans	$	18,764,768	92	%	$	15,687,803	94	%	$	18,712,533	92	%	$	15,569,337	94	%
FFELP Loans	898,095		4		980,478		6		908,846		5		991,740		6
Personal Loans	815,356		4		60,910		—		672,792		3		48,464		—
Total portfolio	$	20,478,219	100	%	$	16,729,191	100	%	$	20,294,171	100	%	$	16,609,541	100	%

54

Loan Activity

	Three Months Ended June 30, 2018
(Dollars in thousands)	Private Education Loans			FFELP Loans			Personal Loans			Total Portfolio
Beginning balance	$	18,600,723		$	909,295		$	656,586		$	20,166,604
Acquisitions and originations:
Fixed rate	273,346			—			370,177			643,523
Variable rate	219,107			—			—			219,107
Total acquisitions and originations	492,453			—			370,177			862,630
Capitalized interest and deferred origination cost premium amortization	98,364			7,443			—			105,807
Sales	(41,952		)	—			—			(41,952		)
Loan consolidations to third-parties	(221,320		)	(7,969		)	—			(229,289		)
Repayments and other	(440,028		)	(21,989		)	(93,202		)	(555,219		)
Ending balance	$	18,488,240		$	886,780		$	933,561		$	20,308,581

	Three Months Ended June 30, 2017
(Dollars in thousands)	Private Education Loans			FFELP Loans			Personal Loans			Total Portfolio
Beginning balance	$	15,516,443		$	990,611		$	55,156		$	16,562,210
Acquisitions and originations:
Fixed rate	100,302			—			19,505			119,807
Variable rate	334,840			—			—			334,840
Total acquisitions and originations	435,142			—			19,505			454,647
Capitalized interest and deferred origination cost premium amortization	73,493			8,034			—			81,527
Sales	(1,501		)	—			—			(1,501		)
Loan consolidations to third-parties	(139,921		)	(9,970		)	—			(149,891		)
Repayments and other	(360,318		)	(20,277		)	(5,971		)	(386,566		)
Ending balance	$	15,523,338		$	968,398		$	68,690		$	16,560,426

55

	Six Months Ended June 30, 2018
(Dollars in thousands)	Private Education Loans			FFELP Loans			Personal Loans			Total Portfolio
Beginning balance	$	17,244,830		$	929,159		$	393,652		$	18,567,641
Acquisitions and originations:
Fixed rate	1,214,554			—			697,357			1,911,911
Variable rate	1,250,853			—			—			1,250,853
Total acquisitions and originations	2,465,407			—			697,357			3,162,764
Capitalized interest and deferred origination cost premium amortization	193,762			15,220			—			208,982
Sales	(42,772		)	—			—			(42,772		)
Loan consolidations to third-parties	(445,071		)	(15,398		)	—			(460,469		)
Repayments and other	(927,916		)	(42,201		)	(157,448		)	(1,127,565		)
Ending balance	$	18,488,240		$	886,780		$	933,561		$	20,308,581

	Six Months Ended June 30, 2017
(Dollars in thousands)	Private Education Loans			FFELP Loans			Personal Loans			Total Portfolio
Beginning balance	$	14,113,409		$	1,011,678		$	12,835		$	15,137,922
Acquisitions and originations:
Fixed rate	389,151			—			63,753			452,904
Variable rate	1,894,438			—			—			1,894,438
Total acquisitions and originations	2,283,589			—			63,753			2,347,342
Capitalized interest and deferred origination cost premium amortization	143,927			16,523			—			160,450
Sales	(3,472		)	—			—			(3,472		)
Loan consolidations to third-parties	(264,170		)	(20,638		)	—			(284,808		)
Repayments and other	(749,945		)	(39,165		)	(7,898		)	(797,008		)
Ending balance	$	15,523,338		$	968,398		$	68,690		$	16,560,426

“Loan consolidations to third-parties” and “Repayments and other” are both significantly affected by the volume of loans in our portfolio in full principal and interest repayment status. Loans in full principal and interest repayment status in our Private Education Loan portfolio at June 30, 2018 increased by 34 percent compared with June 30, 2017, and now total 39 percent of our Private Education Loan portfolio at June 30, 2018.

“Loan consolidations to third-parties” for the three months ended June 30, 2018 total 3.0 percent of our Private Education Loan portfolio in full principal and interest repayment status at June 30, 2018, or 1.2 percent of our total Private Education Loan portfolio at June 30, 2018, compared with the year-ago period of 2.6 percent of our Private Education Loan portfolio in full principal and interest repayment status, or 0.9 percent of our total Private Education Loan portfolio, respectively. Historical experience has shown that loan consolidation activity is heightened in the period when the loan initially enters full principal and interest repayment status and then subsides over time.

The “Repayments and other” category includes all scheduled repayments, as well as voluntary prepayments, made on loans in repayment (including loans in full principal and interest repayment status) and also includes charge-offs. Consequently,

56

this category can be significantly affected by the volume of loans in repayment. The increase in the volume of loans in repayment accounts for the vast majority of the aggregate increase in loan consolidations, scheduled repayments, unscheduled prepayments and capitalized interest set forth above.

Private Education Loan Originations

The following table summarizes our Private Education Loan originations. Originations represent loans that were funded or acquired during the period presented.

	Three Months Ended   June 30,
(Dollars in thousands)	2018			%		2017			%
Smart Option - interest only(1)	$	129,181		27	%	$	108,956		26	%
Smart Option - fixed pay(1)	135,374			28		111,505			26
Smart Option - deferred(1)	213,812			44		203,402			47
Smart Option - principal and interest	1,766			—		1,196			—
Parent Loan	7,080			1		5,472			1
Total Private Education Loan originations	$	487,213		100	%	$	430,531		100	%
Percentage of loans with a cosigner	76.0		%			76.6		%
Average FICO at approval(2)	744					745

	Six Months Ended   June 30,
(Dollars in thousands)	2018			%		2017			%
Smart Option - interest only(1)	$	624,030		25	%	$	590,110		26	%
Smart Option - fixed pay(1)	705,739			29		638,578			28
Smart Option - deferred(1)	1,080,536			44		1,014,258			45
Smart Option - principal and interest	4,323			—		3,697			—
Parent Loan	44,754			2		31,349			1
Total Private Education Loan originations	$	2,459,382		100	%	$	2,277,992		100	%
Percentage of loans with a cosigner	86.6		%			87.6		%
Average FICO at approval(2)	746					747

     _____________

⁽¹⁾ Interest only, fixed pay and deferred describe the payment option while in school or in grace period.

⁽²⁾ Represents the higher credit score of the cosigner or the borrower.

57

Allowance for Loan Losses

Allowance for Loan Losses Activity

	Three Months Ended June 30,
	2018												2017
(Dollars in thousands)	Private Education Loans			FFELP Loans			Personal Loans			Total Portfolio			Private Education Loans			FFELP Loans			Personal Loans			Total Portfolio
Beginning balance	$	252,103		$	1,113		$	18,907		$	272,123		$	185,103		$	1,637		$	346		$	187,086
Less:
Charge-offs	(42,270		)	(292		)	(2,872		)	(45,434		)	(32,728		)	(259		)	(20		)	(33,007		)
Loan sales(1)	—			—			—			—			(913		)	—			—			(913		)
Plus:
Recoveries	5,598			—			96			5,694			4,396			—			—			4,396
Provision for loan losses	46,264			252			16,378			62,894			49,166			228			492			49,886
Ending balance	$	261,695		$	1,073		$	32,509		$	295,277		$	205,024		$	1,606		$	818		$	207,448
Troubled debt restructurings(2)	$	1,121,816		$	—		$	—		$	1,121,816		$	803,456		$	—		$	—		$	803,456

	Six Months Ended June 30,
	2018												2017
(Dollars in thousands)	Private Education Loans			FFELP Loans			Personal Loans			Total Portfolio			Private Education Loans			FFELP Loans			Personal Loans			Total Portfolio
Beginning balance	$	243,715		$	1,132		$	6,628		$	251,475		$	182,472		$	2,171		$	58		$	184,701
Less:
Charge-offs	(79,623		)	(542		)	(4,072		)	(84,237		)	(58,955		)	(477		)	(20		)	(59,452		)
Loan sales(1)	(1,216		)	—			—			(1,216		)	(2,134		)	—			—			(2,134		)
Plus:
Recoveries	10,685			—			127			10,812			7,655			—			—			7,655
Provision for loan losses	88,134			483			29,826			118,443			75,986			(88		)	780			76,678
Ending balance	$	261,695		$	1,073		$	32,509		$	295,277		$	205,024		$	1,606		$	818		$	207,448
Troubled debt restructurings(2)	$	1,121,816		$	—		$	—		$	1,121,816		$	803,456		$	—		$	—		$	803,456

_________

⁽¹⁾ Represents fair value adjustments on loans sold.

⁽²⁾  Represents the unpaid principal balance of loans classified as troubled debt restructurings.

58

Private Education Loan Allowance for Loan Losses

In establishing the allowance for Private Education Loan losses as of June 30, 2018, we considered several factors with respect to our Private Education Loan portfolio, in particular, credit quality and delinquency, forbearance and charge-off trends.

Private Education Loans in full principal and interest repayment status were 39 percent of our total Private Education Loan portfolio at June 30, 2018 compared with 35 percent at June 30, 2017.

For a more detailed discussion of our policy for determining the collectability of Private Education Loans and maintaining our allowance for Private Education Loan losses, see Item 7. “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations — Critical Accounting Policies and Estimates — Allowance for Loan Losses” in the 2017 Form 10-K.

The table below presents our Private Education Loan delinquency trends. Loans in repayment include loans making interest only or fixed payments, as well as loans that have entered full principal and interest repayment status after any applicable grace period.

	Private Education Loans
	June 30,
	2018					2017
(Dollars in thousands)	Balance			%		Balance			%
Loans in-school/grace/deferment(1)	$	5,250,393				$	4,707,396
Loans in forbearance(2)	458,111					356,956
Loans in repayment and percentage of each status:
Loans current	12,697,362			97.8	%	10,385,289			97.8	%
Loans delinquent 31-60 days(3)	166,322			1.3		132,108			1.3
Loans delinquent 61-90 days(3)	75,534			0.6		67,371			0.6
Loans delinquent greater than 90 days(3)	40,305			0.3		30,337			0.3
Total Private Education Loans in repayment	12,979,523			100.0	%	10,615,105			100.0	%
Total Private Education Loans, gross	18,688,027					15,679,457
Private Education Loans deferred origination costs and unamortized premium/(discount)	61,908					48,905
Total Private Education Loans	18,749,935					15,728,362
Private Education Loans allowance for losses	(261,695		)			(205,024		)
Private Education Loans, net	$	18,488,240				$	15,523,338
Percentage of Private Education Loans in repayment				69.5	%				67.7	%
Delinquencies as a percentage of Private Education Loans in repayment				2.2	%				2.2	%
Loans in forbearance as a percentage of Private Education Loans in repayment and forbearance				3.4	%				3.3	%

________

⁽¹⁾  Deferment includes customers who have returned to school or are engaged in other permitted educational activities and are not yet required to make payments on the loans (e.g., residency periods for medical students or a grace period for bar exam preparation).

⁽²⁾  Loans for customers who have requested extension of grace period generally during employment transition or who have temporarily ceased making full payments due to hardship or other factors, consistent with established loan program servicing policies and procedures.

⁽³⁾  The period of delinquency is based on the number of days scheduled payments are contractually past due.

59

Changes in Allowance for Private Education Loan Losses

The following table summarizes changes in the allowance for Private Education Loan losses.

	Three Months Ended   June 30,						Six Months Ended   June 30,
(Dollars in thousands)	2018			2017			2018			2017
Allowance at beginning of period	$	252,103		$	185,103		$	243,715		$	182,472
Provision for Private Education Loan losses	46,264			49,166			88,134			75,986
Net charge-offs:
Charge-offs	(42,270		)	(32,728		)	(79,623		)	(58,955		)
Recoveries	5,598			4,396			10,685			7,655
Net charge-offs	(36,672		)	(28,332		)	(68,938		)	(51,300		)
Loan sales(1)	—			(913		)	(1,216		)	(2,134		)
Allowance at end of period	$	261,695		$	205,024		$	261,695		$	205,024
Allowance as a percentage of ending total loan balance	1.40		%	1.31		%	1.40		%	1.31		%
Allowance as a percentage of ending loans in repayment(2)	2.02		%	1.93		%	2.02		%	1.93		%
Allowance coverage of net charge-offs (annualized)	1.78			1.81			1.90			2.00
Net charge-offs as a percentage of average loans in repayment (annualized)(2)	1.14		%	1.08		%	1.08		%	0.99		%
Delinquencies as a percentage of ending loans in repayment(2)	2.17		%	2.16		%	2.17		%	2.16		%
Loans in forbearance as a percentage of ending loans in repayment and forbearance(2)	3.41		%	3.25		%	3.41		%	3.25		%
Ending total loans, gross	$	18,688,027		$	15,679,457		$	18,688,027		$	15,679,457
Average loans in repayment(2)	$	12,909,623		$	10,523,225		$	12,810,072		$	10,375,463
Ending loans in repayment(2)	$	12,979,523		$	10,615,105		$	12,979,523		$	10,615,105

     _______

⁽¹⁾  Represents fair value adjustments on loans sold.

⁽²⁾  Loans in repayment include loans on which borrowers are making interest only or fixed payments, as well as loans that have entered full principal and interest repayment status after any applicable grace period.

As part of concluding on the adequacy of the allowance for loan losses, we review key allowance and loan metrics. The most significant of these metrics considered are the allowance coverage of net charge-offs ratio; the allowance as a percentage of ending total loans and of ending loans in repayment; and delinquency and forbearance percentages. The allowance as a percentage of ending total loans and of ending loans in repayment increased at June 30, 2018 compared with June 30, 2017 because of an increase in our TDRs (for which we hold a life-of-loan allowance) and an increase in the percentage of loans in full principal and interest repayment status.

60

Use of Forbearance as a Private Education Loan Collection Tool

Forbearance involves granting the customer a temporary cessation of payments (or temporary acceptance of smaller than scheduled payments) for a specified period of time. Using forbearance extends the original term of the loan. Forbearance does not grant any reduction in the total repayment obligation (principal or interest). While a loan is in forbearance status, interest continues to accrue and is capitalized to principal when the loan re-enters repayment status. Our forbearance policies include limits on the number of forbearance months granted consecutively and the total number of forbearance months granted over the life of the loan. We grant forbearance in our servicing centers if a borrower who is current requests it for increments of three months at a time, for up to 12 months. Forbearance as a collection tool is used most effectively when applied based on a customer’s unique situation, including historical information and judgments. We leverage updated customer information and other decision support tools to best determine who will be granted forbearance based on our expectations as to a customer’s ability and willingness to repay their obligation. This strategy is aimed at mitigating the overall risk of the portfolio as well as encouraging cash resolution of delinquent loans. In some instances, we require good faith payments before granting forbearance. Exceptions to forbearance policies are permitted when such exceptions are judged to increase the likelihood of collection of the loan.

Forbearance may be granted to customers who are exiting their grace period to provide additional time to obtain employment and income to support their obligations, or to current customers who are faced with a hardship and request forbearance time to provide temporary payment relief. In these circumstances, a customer’s loan is placed into a forbearance status in limited monthly increments and is reflected in the forbearance status at month-end during this time. At the end of their granted forbearance period, the customer will enter repayment status as current and is expected to begin making scheduled monthly payments on a go-forward basis.

Forbearance may also be granted to customers who are delinquent in their payments. If specific requirements are met, the forbearance can cure the delinquency and the customer is returned to a current repayment status. In more limited instances, delinquent customers will also be granted additional forbearance time.

The tables below show the composition and status of the Private Education Loan portfolio aged by number of months in active repayment status (months for which a scheduled monthly payment was due). Active repayment status includes loans on which borrowers are making interest only or fixed payments, as well as loans that have entered full principal and interest repayment status after any applicable grace period. Our experience shows that the percentage of loans in forbearance status decreases the longer the loans have been in active repayment status. At June 30, 2018, loans in forbearance status as a percentage of total loans in repayment and forbearance were 2.5 percent for Private Education Loans that have been in active repayment status for fewer than 25 months. Approximately 73 percent of our Private Education Loans in forbearance status have been in active repayment status fewer than 25 months.

61

(Dollars in millions) June 30, 2018	Private Education Loans Monthly Scheduled Payments Due															Not Yet in Repayment			Total
	0 to 12			13 to 24			25 to 36			37 to 48			More than 48
Loans in-school/grace/deferment	$	—		$	—		$	—		$	—		$	—		$	5,250		$	5,250
Loans in forbearance	264			70			54			36			34			—			458
Loans in repayment - current	4,448			3,083			2,375			1,518			1,274			—			12,698
Loans in repayment - delinquent 31-60 days	72			33			26			18			17			—			166
Loans in repayment - delinquent 61-90 days	36			15			10			7			8			—			76
Loans in repayment - delinquent greater than 90 days	18			8			6			4			4			—			40
Total	$	4,838		$	3,209		$	2,471		$	1,583		$	1,337		$	5,250		18,688
Deferred origination costs and unamortized premium/(discount)																			62
Allowance for loan losses																			(262		)
Total Private Education Loans, net																			$	18,488
Loans in forbearance as a percentage of total Private Education Loans in repayment and forbearance	1.97		%	0.52		%	0.40		%	0.27		%	0.25		%	—		%	3.41		%

(Dollars in millions) June 30, 2017	Private Education Loans Monthly Scheduled Payments Due															Not Yet in Repayment			Total
	0 to 12			13 to 24			25 to 36			37 to 48			More than 48
Loans in-school/grace/deferment	$	—		$	—		$	—		$	—		$	—		$	4,707		$	4,707
Loans in forbearance	208			59			44			25			21			—			357
Loans in repayment - current	3,976			2,823			1,888			945			753			—			10,385
Loans in repayment - delinquent 31-60 days	60			30			20			12			11			—			133
Loans in repayment - delinquent 61-90 days	32			14			9			6			6			—			67
Loans in repayment - delinquent greater than 90 days	16			6			4			2			2			—			30
Total	$	4,292		$	2,932		$	1,965		$	990		$	793		$	4,707		15,679
Deferred origination costs and unamortized premium/(discount)																			49
Allowance for loan losses																			(205		)
Total Private Education Loans, net																			$	15,523
Loans in forbearance as a percentage of total Private Education Loans in repayment and forbearance	1.89		%	0.54		%	0.40		%	0.23		%	0.19		%	—		%	3.25		%

62

Private Education Loan Types

The following table provides information regarding the loans in repayment balance and total loan balance by Private Education Loan product type at June 30, 2018 and December 31, 2017.

	June 30, 2018
(Dollars in thousands)	Signature and Other		Parent Loan		Smart Option		Career Training		Total
$ in repayment(1)	$	201,955	$	126,075	$	12,639,454	$	12,039	$	12,979,523
$ in total	$	346,692	$	127,100	$	18,201,905	$	12,330	$	18,688,027

	December 31, 2017
(Dollars in thousands)	Signature and Other		Parent Loan		Smart Option		Career Training		Total
$ in repayment(1)	$	190,571	$	94,221	$	11,907,047	$	14,194	$	12,206,033
$ in total	$	352,456	$	95,293	$	16,969,941	$	14,477	$	17,432,167

_______

⁽¹⁾  Loans in repayment include loans on which borrowers are making interest only or fixed payments, as well as loans that have entered full principal and interest repayment status after any applicable grace period.

Accrued Interest Receivable

The following table provides information regarding accrued interest receivable on our Private Education Loans. The table also discloses the amount of accrued interest on loans greater than 90 days past due as compared to our allowance for uncollectible interest. The allowance for uncollectible interest exceeds the amount of accrued interest on our 90 days past due portfolio for all periods presented.

	Private Education Loans
	Accrued Interest Receivable
(Dollars in thousands)	Total Interest Receivable		Greater Than 90 Days Past Due		Allowance for Uncollectible Interest
June 30, 2018	$	1,141,135	$	1,530	$	5,852
December 31, 2017	$	951,138	$	1,372	$	4,664
June 30, 2017	$	913,080	$	1,107	$	4,522

63

Liquidity and Capital Resources

Funding and Liquidity Risk Management

Our primary liquidity needs include our ongoing ability to fund our businesses throughout market cycles, including during periods of financial stress, our ongoing ability to fund originations of Private Education Loans and servicing our Bank deposits. To achieve these objectives, we analyze and monitor our liquidity needs, maintain excess liquidity and access diverse funding sources, such as deposits at the Bank, issuance of secured debt primarily through asset-backed securitizations and other financing facilities. It is our policy to manage operations so liquidity needs are fully satisfied through normal operations to avoid unplanned asset sales under emergency conditions. Our liquidity management is governed by policies approved by our Board of Directors. Oversight of these policies is performed in the Asset and Liability Committee, a management-level committee.

These policies take into account the volatility of cash flow forecasts, expected maturities, anticipated loan demand and a variety of other factors to establish minimum liquidity guidelines.

Key risks associated with our liquidity relate to our ability to access the capital markets and the markets for bank deposits at reasonable rates. This ability may be affected by our performance, competitive pressures, the macroeconomic environment and the impact they have on the availability of funding sources in the marketplace.

Sources of Liquidity and Available Capacity

Ending Balances

(Dollars in thousands)	June 30, 2018		December 31, 2017
Sources of primary liquidity:
Unrestricted cash and liquid investments:
Holding Company and other non-bank subsidiaries	$	23,358	$	17,723
Sallie Mae Bank(1)	2,020,431		1,516,616
Available-for-sale investments	178,145		244,088
Total unrestricted cash and liquid investments	$	2,221,934	$	1,778,427

____

(1) This amount will be used primarily to originate Private Education Loans at the Bank.

Average Balances

	Three Months Ended   June 30,				Six Months Ended   June 30,
(Dollars in thousands)	2018		2017		2018		2017
Sources of primary liquidity:
Unrestricted cash and liquid investments:
Holding Company and other non-bank subsidiaries	$	23,103	$	25,411	$	20,945	$	25,183
Sallie Mae Bank(1)	1,362,595		1,122,463		1,332,814		1,187,995
Available-for-sale investments	222,360		221,935		230,276		216,507
Total unrestricted cash and liquid investments	$	1,608,058	$	1,369,809	$	1,584,035	$	1,429,685

____

(1) This amount will be used primarily to originate Private Education Loans at the Bank.

64

Deposits

The following table summarizes total deposits.

	June 30,		December 31,
(Dollars in thousands)	2018		2017
Deposits - interest bearing	$	16,743,885	$	15,504,330
Deposits - non-interest bearing	2,072		1,053
Total deposits	$	16,745,957	$	15,505,383

Our total deposits of $16.7 billion were comprised of $8.7 billion in brokered deposits and $8.0 billion in retail and other deposits at June 30, 2018, compared to total deposits of $15.5 billion, which were comprised of $8.2 billion in brokered deposits and $7.3 billion in retail and other deposits, at December 31, 2017.

Interest bearing deposits as of June 30, 2018 and December 31, 2017 consisted of retail and brokered non-maturity savings deposits, retail and brokered non-maturity MMDAs and retail and brokered CDs. Interest bearing deposits include deposits from Educational 529 and Health Savings plans that diversify our funding sources and additional deposits we consider to be core. These and other large omnibus accounts, aggregating the deposits of many individual depositors, represented $5.7 billion of our deposit total as of June 30, 2018, compared with $5.5 billion at December 31, 2017.

Some of our deposit products are serviced by third-party providers. Placement fees associated with the brokered CDs are amortized into interest expense using the effective interest rate method. We recognized placement fee expense of $3 million and $2 million in the three months ended June 30, 2018 and 2017, respectively, and placement fee expense of $6 million and $4 million in the six months ended June 30, 2018 and 2017, respectively. Fees paid to third-party brokers related to brokered CDs were $12 million and $3 million for the three months ended June 30, 2018 and 2017, respectively, and fees paid to third-party brokers related to brokered CDs were $19 million and $5 million for the six months ended June 30, 2018 and 2017, respectively.

Interest bearing deposits at June 30, 2018 and December 31, 2017 are summarized as follows:

	June 30, 2018				December 31, 2017
(Dollars in thousands)	Amount		Qtr.-End Weighted Average Stated Rate(1)		Amount		Year-End Weighted Average Stated Rate(1)
Money market	$	8,113,708	2.21	%	$	7,731,966	1.80	%
Savings	682,242		1.59		738,243		1.10
Certificates of deposit	7,947,935		2.54		7,034,121		1.93
Deposits - interest bearing	$	16,743,885			$	15,504,330

____________

⁽¹⁾ Includes the effect of interest rate swaps in effective hedge relationships.

As of June 30, 2018, and December 31, 2017, there were $406 million and $396 million, respectively, of deposits exceeding FDIC insurance limits. Accrued interest on deposits was $39 million and $28 million at June 30, 2018 and December 31, 2017, respectively.

65

Counterparty Exposure

Counterparty exposure related to financial instruments arises from the risk that a lending, investment or derivative counterparty will not be able to meet its obligations to us.

Excess cash is generally invested with the FRB on an overnight basis or in the FRB’s Term Deposit Facility, minimizing counterparty exposure on cash balances.

Our investment portfolio is primarily comprised of a small portfolio of mortgage-backed securities issued by government agencies and government-sponsored enterprises that are purchased to meet Community Reinvestment Act targets. Additionally, our investing activity is governed by Board-approved limits on the amount that is allowed to be invested with any one issuer based on the credit rating of the issuer, further minimizing our counterparty exposure. Counterparty credit risk is considered when valuing investments and considering impairment.

Related to derivative transactions, protection against counterparty risk is generally provided by International Swaps and Derivatives Association, Inc. Credit Support Annexes (“CSAs”), or clearinghouses for over-the-counter derivatives. CSAs require a counterparty to post collateral if a potential default would expose the other party to a loss. All derivative contracts entered into by the Bank are covered under CSAs or clearinghouse agreements and require collateral to be exchanged based on the net fair value of derivatives with each counterparty. Our exposure is limited to the value of the derivative contracts in a gain position, less any collateral held by us and plus collateral posted with the counterparty.

Title VII of the Dodd-Frank Act requires all standardized derivatives, including most interest rate swaps, to be submitted for clearing to central counterparties to reduce counterparty risk. Two of the central counterparties we use are the CME and the LCH. The CME and the LCH made amendments to their respective rules that resulted in the prospective accounting treatment of certain daily variation margin payments being considered as the legal settlement of the outstanding exposure of the derivative instead of the posting of collateral. The CME rule changes, which became effective in January 2017, and the LCH rule changes, which became effective in January 2018, result in all variation margin payments on derivatives cleared through the CME and LCH being accounted for as legal settlement. As of June 30, 2018, $5.9 billion notional of our derivative contracts were cleared on the CME and $0.6 billion were cleared on the LCH. The derivative contracts cleared through the CME and LCH represent 90.3 percent and 9.7 percent, respectively, of our total notional derivative contracts of $6.5 billion at June 30, 2018.

For derivatives cleared through the CME and LCH, the net gain (loss) position includes the variation margin amounts as settlement of the derivative and not collateral against the fair value of the derivative. Interest income (expense) related to variation margin on derivatives that are not designated as hedging instruments or are designated as fair value relationships is recognized as a gain (loss) rather than as interest income (expense). Changes in fair value for derivatives not designated as hedging instruments will be presented as realized gains (losses).

Our exposure is limited to the value of the derivative contracts in a gain position less any collateral held and plus any collateral posted. When there is a net negative exposure, we consider our exposure to the counterparty to be zero. At June 30, 2018 and December 31, 2017, we had a net positive exposure (derivative gain positions to us, less collateral held by us and plus collateral posted with counterparties) related to derivatives of $30 million and $20 million, respectively.

We have liquidity exposure related to collateral movements between us and our derivative counterparties. Movements in the value of the derivatives, which are primarily affected by changes in interest rates, may require us to return cash collateral held or may require us to access primary liquidity to post collateral to counterparties.

As of June 30, 2018, LCH was not rated by any of the major rating agencies. However, all derivative counterparties are evaluated internally for credit worthiness. LCH has been deemed by management to have strong liquidity and robust capital levels as of our most recent credit review and has been assigned our strongest risk rating.

66

The table below highlights exposure related to our derivative counterparties as of June 30, 2018.

(Dollars in thousands)	SLM Corporation and Sallie Mae Bank Contracts
Total exposure, net of collateral	$	29,696
Exposure to counterparties with credit ratings, net of collateral	$	19,570
Percent of exposure to counterparties with credit ratings below S&P AA- or Moody’s Aa3	—		%
Percent of exposure to counterparties with credit ratings below S&P A- or Moody’s A3	—		%

Regulatory Capital

The Bank is subject to various regulatory capital requirements administered by federal and state banking authorities. Failure to meet minimum capital requirements can initiate certain mandatory and possibly additional discretionary actions by regulators that, if undertaken, could have a direct material adverse effect on our business, results of operations and financial condition. Under U.S. Basel III and the regulatory framework for prompt corrective action, the Bank must meet specific capital standards that involve quantitative measures of its assets, liabilities and certain off-balance sheet items as calculated under regulatory accounting practices. The Bank’s capital amounts and its classification under the prompt corrective action framework are also subject to qualitative judgments by the regulators about components of capital, risk weightings and other factors.

“Well capitalized” regulatory requirements are the quantitative measures established by regulation to ensure capital adequacy. To qualify as “well capitalized,” the Bank must maintain minimum amounts and ratios (set forth in the table below) of Common Equity Tier 1, Tier 1 and Total capital to risk-weighted assets and of Tier 1 capital to average assets. The following capital amounts and ratios are based upon the Bank’s assets.

	Actual				“Well Capitalized” Regulatory Requirements
(Dollars in thousands)	Amount		Ratio		Amount			Ratio
As of June 30, 2018
Common Equity Tier 1 Capital (to Risk-Weighted Assets)	$	2,617,021	12.0	%	$	1,417,350	>	6.5	%
Tier 1 Capital (to Risk-Weighted Assets)	$	2,617,021	12.0	%	$	1,744,431	>	8.0	%
Total Capital (to Risk-Weighted Assets)	$	2,889,876	13.3	%	$	2,180,539	>	10.0	%
Tier 1 Capital (to Average Assets)	$	2,617,021	11.2	%	$	1,164,750	>	5.0	%
As of December 31, 2017:
Common Equity Tier 1 Capital (to Risk-Weighted Assets)	$	2,350,081	11.9	%	$	1,288,435	>	6.5	%
Tier 1 Capital (to Risk-Weighted Assets)	$	2,350,081	11.9	%	$	1,585,767	>	8.0	%
Total Capital (to Risk-Weighted Assets)	$	2,597,926	13.1	%	$	1,982,208	>	10.0	%
Tier 1 Capital (to Average Assets)	$	2,350,081	11.0	%	$	1,067,739	>	5.0	%

67

Capital Management

The Bank seeks to remain “well capitalized” at all times with sufficient capital to support asset growth and operating needs, address unexpected credit risks and to protect the interests of depositors and the Deposit Insurance Fund administered by the FDIC. The Bank is required by its regulators, the UDFI and the FDIC, to comply with mandated capital ratios. We intend to maintain levels of capital at the Bank that significantly exceed the levels of capital necessary to be considered “well capitalized” by the FDIC. The Company is a source of strength for the Bank and will provide additional capital if necessary. The Board of Directors and management periodically evaluate the quality of assets, the stability of earnings, and the adequacy of the allowance for loan losses for the Bank. We believe that current and projected capital levels are appropriate for 2018. As our balance sheet continues to grow in 2018, these ratios will be stable as we now expect to generate earnings and capital sufficient to cover growth in our risk-weighted assets and remain significantly in excess of the capital levels required to be considered “well capitalized” by our regulators. We do not plan to pay dividends on our common stock. We do not intend to initiate share repurchase programs as a means to return capital to shareholders. We only expect to repurchase common stock acquired in connection with taxes withheld in connection with award exercises and vesting under our employee stock-based compensation plans. Our Board of Directors will periodically reconsider these matters.

The Bank must comply with U.S. Basel III, which is aimed at increasing both the quantity and quality of regulatory capital. Certain aspects of U.S. Basel III, including new deductions from and adjustments to regulatory capital and a capital conservation buffer, are being phased in over several years. The Bank’s Capital Policy requires management to monitor these capital standards and the Bank’s compliance with them. The Bank is subject to the following minimum regulatory capital ratios under U.S. Basel III: a Common Equity Tier 1 risk-based capital ratio of 4.5 percent, a Tier 1 risk-based capital ratio of 6.0 percent, a Total risk-based capital ratio of 8.0 percent, and a Tier 1 leverage ratio of 4.0 percent. In addition, the Bank is subject to a phased-in Common Equity Tier 1 capital conservation buffer: 1.25 percent of risk-weighted assets for 2017; 1.875 percent for 2018; and the fully phased-in level of greater than 2.5 percent effective as of January 1, 2019. Failure to maintain the buffer will result in restrictions on the Bank’s ability to make capital distributions, including the payment of dividends, and to pay discretionary bonuses to executive officers. Including the buffer, by January 1, 2019, the Bank will be required to maintain the following minimum capital ratios: a Common Equity Tier 1 risk-based capital ratio of greater than 7.0 percent, a Tier 1 risk-based capital ratio of greater than 8.5 percent and a Total risk-based capital ratio of greater than 10.5 percent.

To qualify as “well capitalized” under the prompt corrective action framework for insured depository institutions, the Bank must maintain a Common Equity Tier 1 risk-based capital ratio of at least 6.5 percent, a Tier 1 risk-based capital ratio of at least 8.0 percent, a Total risk-based capital ratio of at least 10.0 percent, and a Tier 1 leverage ratio of at least 5.0 percent.

As of June 30, 2018, the Bank had a Common Equity Tier 1 risk-based capital ratio of 12.0 percent, a Tier 1 risk-based capital ratio of 12.0 percent, a Total risk-based capital ratio of 13.3 percent and a Tier 1 leverage ratio of 11.2 percent, which are each in excess of the current “well capitalized” standard for insured depository institutions. If calculated today based on the fully phased-in U.S. Basel III standards, our ratios would also exceed the capital levels required under U.S. Basel III and the “well capitalized” standard.

Dividends

The Bank is chartered under the laws of the State of Utah and its deposits are insured by the FDIC. The Bank’s ability to pay dividends is subject to the laws of Utah and the regulations of the FDIC. Generally, under Utah’s industrial bank laws and regulations as well as FDIC regulations, the Bank may pay dividends to the Company from its net profits without regulatory approval if, following the payment of the dividend, the Bank’s capital and surplus would not be impaired. The Bank paid no dividends for the six months ended June 30, 2018 and June 30, 2017. For the foreseeable future, we expect the Bank to only pay dividends to the Company as may be necessary to provide for regularly scheduled dividends payable on the Company’s Series B Preferred Stock.

68

Borrowings

Outstanding borrowings consist of unsecured debt and secured borrowings issued through our term ABS program and our ABCP Facility. The issuing entities for those secured borrowings are VIEs and are consolidated for accounting purposes. The following table summarizes our borrowings at June 30, 2018 and December 31, 2017, respectively. For additional information, see Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements, Note 6, “Borrowings.”

	June 30, 2018						December 31, 2017
	Short-Term		Long-Term		Total		Short-Term		Long-Term		Total
Unsecured borrowings:
Unsecured debt	$	—	$	196,943	$	196,943	$	—	$	196,539	$	196,539
Total unsecured borrowings	—		196,943		196,943		—		196,539		196,539
Secured borrowings:
Private Education Loan term securitizations:
Fixed rate	—		2,125,035		2,125,035		—		1,565,760		1,565,760
Variable rate	—		1,895,141		1,895,141		—		1,512,971		1,512,971
Total Private Education Loan term securitizations	—		4,020,176		4,020,176		—		3,078,731		3,078,731
ABCP Facility	—		—		—		—		—		—
Total secured borrowings	—		4,020,176		4,020,176		—		3,078,731		3,078,731
Total	$	—	$	4,217,119	$	4,217,119	$	—	$	3,275,270	$	3,275,270

Other Borrowing Sources

We maintain discretionary uncommitted Federal Funds lines of credit with various correspondent banks, which totaled $125 million at June 30, 2018. The interest rate charged to us on these lines of credit is priced at Fed Funds plus a spread at the time of borrowing and is payable daily. We did not utilize these lines of credit in the six months ended June 30, 2018 or in the year ended December 31, 2017.

We established an account at the FRB to meet eligibility requirements for access to the Primary Credit borrowing facility at the FRB’s Window. The Primary Credit borrowing facility is a lending program available to depository institutions that are in generally sound financial condition. All borrowings at the Window must be fully collateralized. We can pledge to the FRB asset-backed and mortgage-backed securities, as well as FFELP Loans and Private Education Loans, as collateral for borrowings at the Window. Generally, collateral value is assigned based on the estimated fair value of the pledged assets. At June 30, 2018 and December 31, 2017, the value of our pledged collateral at the FRB totaled $2.5 billion and $2.6 billion, respectively. The interest rate charged to us is the discount rate set by the FRB. We did not utilize this facility in the six months ended June 30, 2018 or in the year ended December 31, 2017.

Contractual Loan Commitments

When we approve a Private Education Loan at the beginning of an academic year, that approval may cover the borrowing for the entire academic year. As such, we do not always disburse the full amount of the loan at the time of such approval, but instead have a commitment to fund a portion of the loan at a later date (usually at the start of the second semester or subsequent trimesters). At June 30, 2018, we had $1.7 billion of outstanding contractual loan commitments which we expect to fund during the remainder of the 2018/2019 academic year. At June 30, 2018, we had a $0.6 million reserve recorded in “Other Liabilities” to cover expected losses that may occur during the one-year loss emergence period on these unfunded commitments.

69

Critical Accounting Policies and Estimates

Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations addresses our consolidated financial statements, which have been prepared in accordance with GAAP. A discussion of our critical accounting policies, which include allowance for loan losses, fair value measurement, transfers of financial assets and the VIE consolidation model, and derivative accounting, can be found in our 2017 Form 10-K. There were no significant changes to these critical accounting policies during the second quarter of 2018. However, related to derivative accounting, in the first quarter of 2018 we changed the accounting treatment of variation margin payments on derivatives cleared through the LCH as a result of the LCH adopting rule changes, as described below.

Derivative Accounting

The CME and the LCH made amendments to their respective rules that resulted in the prospective accounting treatment of certain daily variation margin payments being considered as the legal settlement of the outstanding exposure of the derivative instead of the posting of collateral. The CME rule changes, which became effective in January 2017, and the LCH rule changes, which became effective in January 2018, result in all variation margin payments on derivatives cleared through the CME and LCH being accounted for as legal settlement. As of June 30, 2018, $5.9 billion notional of our derivative contracts were cleared on the CME and $0.6 billion were cleared on the LCH. The derivative contracts cleared through the CME and LCH represent 90.3 percent and 9.7 percent, respectively, of our total notional derivative contracts of $6.5 billion at June 30, 2018.

For derivatives cleared through the CME and the LCH, the net gain (loss) position includes the variation margin amounts as settlement of the derivative and not collateral against the fair value of the derivative. Interest income (expense) related to variation margin on derivatives that are not designated as hedging instruments or are designated as fair value relationships is recognized as a gain (loss) rather than as interest income (expense). Changes in fair value for derivatives not designated as hedging instruments will be presented as realized gains (losses).

70

Item 3. Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures about Market Risk

Interest Rate Sensitivity Analysis

Our interest rate risk management program seeks to manage and control interest rate risk, thereby reducing our exposure to fluctuations in interest rates and achieving consistent and acceptable levels of profit in any rate environment and sustainable growth in net interest income over the long term. We evaluate and monitor interest rate risk through two primary methods:

• Earnings at Risk (“EAR”), which measures the impact of hypothetical changes in interest rates on net interest income; and

• Economic Value of Equity (“EVE”), which measures the sensitivity or change in the economic value of equity to changes in interest rates.

A number of potential interest rate scenarios are simulated using our asset liability management system. The Bank is the primary source of interest rate risk within the Company. At present, the majority of the Bank’s earning assets are priced off of 1-month LIBOR. Therefore, 1-month LIBOR is considered a core rate in our interest rate risk analysis. Other interest rate changes are correlated to changes in 1-month LIBOR for analytic purposes, with higher or lower correlations based on historical relationships. In addition, key rates are modeled with a floor, which indicates how low each specific rate is likely to move in practice. Rates are adjusted up or down via a set of scenarios that includes both rate shocks and ramps. Rate shocks represent an immediate and sustained change in 1-month LIBOR, with the resulting changes in other indices correlated accordingly. Interest rate ramps represent a linear increase in 1-month LIBOR over the course of 12 months, with the resulting changes in other indices correlated accordingly.

The following tables summarize the potential effect on earnings over the next 24 months and the potential effect on market values of balance sheet assets and liabilities at June 30, 2018 and 2017, based upon a sensitivity analysis performed by management assuming a hypothetical increase or decrease in market interest rates of 100 basis points and a hypothetical increase in market interest rates of 300 basis points while funding spreads remain constant. At today’s level of interest rates, a 300 basis point downward rate shock does not provide a meaningful indication of interest rate sensitivity and has therefore not been included in the results reported below. The EVE sensitivity is applied only to financial assets and liabilities, including hedging instruments, that existed at the balance sheet date, and does not take into account new assets, liabilities, commitments or hedging instruments that may arise in the future.

The results indicate a market risk profile that has increased in sensitivity from the prior year’s results. A portion of the change is due to two modeling assumption changes that are detailed in the discussion that follows. The majority of the increased sensitivity in the risk profile, however, is structural and is planned to reverse itself as fixed rate loan originations over the next 12 months will gradually offset a block of fixed rate funding that has been placed on the balance sheet in the first half of 2018, in anticipation of fixed rate Private Education Loan disbursements. A discussion of the impact of the two changes in modeling assumptions follows.

	June 30,
	2018			2017
	+300 Basis Points	+100 Basis Points	-100 Basis Points	+300 Basis Points	+100 Basis Points	-100 Basis Points
EAR - Shock	+10.3%	+3.6%	-2.8%	+8.2%	+2.7%	-2.6%
EAR - Ramp	+9.4%	+3.5%	-2.1%	+5.1%	+2.4%	-1.7%
EVE	+11.6%	+3.9%	-4.1%	+1.8%	+0.5%	-0.5%

The EVE results in the table above for June 30, 2018 reflect two changes in the modeling assumptions. First, we have lengthened the assumed average lives of our indeterminate maturity retail deposit balances, which are now expected to persist longer than previously assumed. As an indication of the significance of this change, the December 31, 2017 results showed sensitivity of +6.4 percent for the “+300 basis points shock,” +2.0 percent for the “+100 basis points shock,” and -1.9 percent for the “-100 basis points shock.” Without the modeling changes lengthening the average life of deposits, the December 31,

71

2017 results would have been +5.4 percent for the “+300 basis points shock,” +1.6 percent for the “+100 basis points shock” and -1.4 percent for the “-100 basis points shock.” A similar impact is noticeable when comparing June 30, 2018 results to June 30, 2017 results; EVE sensitivity has increased. A second modeling change recognizes the more competitive market for indeterminate maturity retail deposits. Beginning with the March 31, 2018 results, we assume that the interest rates offered on these deposits would not reprice below a given level, despite a downward interest rate shock scenario. The model holds retail deposit rates at levels similar to the rates available in the market throughout the low interest rate environment of the past several years. As we look at the impact this change had in the quarter it was implemented, had this change not been incorporated into the March 31, 2018 EVE results, which reported a -3.0 percent change in the “-100 basis points shock,” the EVE sensitivity for March 31, 2018 would have been -1.8 percent in the “-100 basis points shock.” The upward rate scenario results were not impacted by this change.

A primary objective in our funding is to manage our sensitivity to changing interest rates by generally funding our assets with liabilities of similar interest rate repricing characteristics. This funding objective is frequently obtained through the use of derivatives. Uncertainty in loan repayment cash flows and the pricing behavior of our non-maturity retail deposits pose challenges in achieving our interest rate risk objectives. In addition to these considerations, we can have a mismatch in the index (including the frequency of reset) of floating rate debt versus floating rate assets.

As part of its suite of financial products, the Bank offers fixed-rate Private Education Loans. As with other Private Education Loans, the term to maturity is lengthy, and the customer has the option to repay the loan faster than the promissory note requires. Asset securitization and fixed-rate CDs provide intermediate to long-term fixed-rate funding for some of these assets. Additionally, a portion of the fixed-rate loans have been hedged with derivatives, which have been used to convert a portion of variable-rate funding to fixed-rate to match the anticipated cash flows of these loans. Any unhedged position arising from the fixed-rate loan portfolio is monitored and modeled to ensure that the interest rate risk does not cause the Company to exceed its policy limits for earnings at risk or for the value of equity at risk.

In the preceding tables, the interest rate sensitivity analysis reflects the heavy balance sheet mix of fully variable LIBOR-based loans, which exceeds the mix of fully variable funding, which includes brokered CDs that have been converted to LIBOR through derivative transactions. The analysis does not anticipate that retail MMDAs or retail savings balances, while relatively sensitive to interest rate changes, will reprice to the full extent of interest rate shocks or ramps. Also considered is (i) the impact of FFELP loans, which receive floor income in low interest rate environments, and will therefore not reprice fully with interest rate shocks and (ii) the impact of fixed-rate loans that have not been fully match-funded through derivative transactions and fixed-rate funding from CDs and asset securitization. An additional consideration is the implementation of a loan cap of 25 percent on variable-rate loans originated on and after September 25, 2016. As of June 30, 2018, there were $6.1 billion of loans with 25 percent interest rate caps on the balance sheet. While the Bank typically exhibits a sensitivity profile that will result in a slight increase in net interest income as rates rise, and decrease somewhat when interest rates fall, this sensitivity position will fluctuate somewhat during the year, depending on the funding mix in place at the time of the analysis.

Although we believe that these measurements provide an estimate of our interest rate sensitivity, they do not account for potential changes in credit quality, balance sheet mix and size of our balance sheet. They also do not account for other business developments that could affect net income, or for management actions that could affect net income or could be taken to change our risk profile. Accordingly, we can give no assurance that actual results would not differ materially from the estimated outcomes of our simulations. Further, such simulations do not represent our current view of expected future interest rate movements.

72

Asset and Liability Funding Gap

The table below presents our assets and liabilities (funding) arranged by underlying indices as of June 30, 2018. In the following GAAP presentation, the funding gap only includes derivatives that qualify as effective hedges (those derivatives which are reflected in net interest income, as opposed to those reflected in the “gains (losses) on derivatives and hedging activities, net” line on the consolidated statements of income). The difference between the asset and the funding is the funding gap for the specified index. This represents at a high level our exposure to interest rate risk in the form of basis risk and repricing risk, which is the risk that the different indices may reset at different frequencies or may not move in the same direction or at the same magnitude. (Note that all fixed-rate assets and liabilities are aggregated into one line item, which does not capture the differences in time due to maturity.)

(Dollars in millions) Index	Frequency of Variable Resets	Assets		Funding (1)		Funding Gap
3-month Treasury bill	weekly	$	128.5	$	—	$	128.5
Prime	monthly	2.6		—		2.6
3-month LIBOR	quarterly	—		399.2		(399.2		)
1-month LIBOR	monthly	13,599.1		8,880.8		4,718.3
1-month LIBOR	daily	756.9		—		756.9
Non-Discrete reset(2)	daily/weekly	2,158.4		3,146.5		(988.1		)
Fixed Rate(3)		7,543.7		11,762.7		(4,219.0		)
Total		$	24,189.2	$	24,189.2	$	—

          ______________________

⁽¹⁾ Funding (by index) includes the impact of all derivatives that qualify as effective hedges.

⁽²⁾ Assets include restricted and unrestricted cash equivalents and other overnight type instruments. Funding includes liquid retail deposits and the obligation to return cash collateral held related to derivatives exposures.

⁽³⁾ Assets include receivables and other assets (including premiums and reserves). Funding includes unswapped time deposits, liquid MMDAs swapped to fixed rates and stockholders' equity.

The “Funding Gap” in the above table shows primarily mismatches in the 1-month LIBOR, fixed-rate, Non-Discrete reset and 3-month LIBOR categories. As changes in 1-month and 3-month LIBOR are generally quite highly correlated, the funding gap associated with 3-month LIBOR is expected to partially offset the 1-month LIBOR gaps. We consider the overall risk to be moderate since the funding in the Non-Discrete bucket is our liquid retail portfolio, which we have significant flexibility to reprice at any time, and the funding in the fixed-rate bucket includes $2.3 billion of equity and $0.5 billion of non-interest bearing liabilities. In addition, as of June 30, 2018, a block of fixed rate funding has been placed on the balance sheet in anticipation of upcoming fixed rate loan disbursements.

We use interest rate swaps and other derivatives to achieve our risk management objectives. Our asset liability management strategy is to match assets with debt (in combination with derivatives) that have the same underlying index and reset frequency or have interest rate characteristics that we believe are highly correlated. The use of funding with index types and reset frequencies that are different from our assets exposes us to interest rate risk in the form of basis and repricing risk. This could result in our cost of funds not moving in the same direction or with the same magnitude as the yield on our assets. While we believe this risk is low, as all of these indices are short-term with rate movements that are highly correlated over a long period of time, market disruptions (which have occurred in recent years) can lead to a temporary divergence between indices, resulting in a negative impact to our earnings.

73

Weighted Average Life

The following table reflects the weighted average lives of our earning assets and liabilities at June 30, 2018.

	Weighted
	Average
(Averages in Years)	Life
Earning assets
Education loans	5.34
Personal loans	1.46
Cash and investments	0.61
Total earning assets	4.69
Deposits
Short-term deposits	0.58
Long-term deposits	3.02
Total deposits	1.29
Borrowings
Long-term borrowings	4.11
Total borrowings	4.11

74

Item 4. Controls and Procedures

Disclosure Controls and Procedures

Our management, with the participation of our principal executive officer and principal financial officer, evaluated the effectiveness of our disclosure controls and procedures (as defined in Rules 13a-15(e) and 15d-15(e) under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”)) as of June 30, 2018. Based on this evaluation, our principal executive officer and principal financial officer concluded that, as of June 30, 2018, our disclosure controls and procedures were effective to ensure that information required to be disclosed by us in the reports that we file or submit under the Exchange Act is (a) recorded, processed, summarized and reported within the time periods specified in the SEC’s rules and forms and (b) accumulated and communicated to our management, including our principal executive officer and principal financial officer as appropriate, to allow timely decisions regarding required disclosure.

Changes in Internal Control over Financial Reporting

No change in our internal control over financial reporting (as defined in Rules 13a-15(f) and 15d-15(f) under the Exchange Act) occurred during the fiscal quarter ended June 30, 2018 that has materially affected, or is reasonably likely to materially affect, our internal control over financial reporting.

75

PART II. OTHER INFORMATION

Item 1. Legal Proceedings

We and our subsidiaries and affiliates are subject to various claims, lawsuits and other actions that arise in the normal course of business. It is common for the Company, our subsidiaries and affiliates to receive information and document requests and investigative demands from state attorneys general, legislative committees and administrative agencies. These requests may be for informational or regulatory purposes and may relate to our business practices, the industries in which we operate, or other companies with whom we conduct business. Our practice has been and continues to be to cooperate with these bodies and be responsive to any such requests.

Pursuant to the terms of the Spin-Off and applicable law, Navient assumed responsibility for all liabilities (whether accrued, contingent or otherwise and whether known or unknown) arising out of or resulting from the conduct of pre-Spin-Off SLM and its subsidiaries’ businesses prior to the Spin-Off, other than certain specifically identified liabilities relating to the conduct of our consumer banking business. Nonetheless, given the prior usage of the Sallie Mae and SLM names by entities now owned by Navient, we and our subsidiaries may from time to time be improperly named as defendants in legal proceedings where the allegations at issue are the legal responsibility of Navient. Most of these legal proceedings involve matters that arose in whole or in part in the ordinary course of business of pre-Spin-Off SLM. Likewise, as the period of time since the Spin-Off increases, so does the likelihood any allegations that may be made may be in part for our own actions in a post-Spin-Off time period and in part for Navient’s conduct in a pre-Spin-Off time period. We will not be providing information on these proceedings unless there are material issues of fact or disagreement with Navient as to the bases of the proceedings or responsibility therefor that we believe could have a material, adverse impact on our business, assets, financial condition, liquidity or outlook if not resolved in our favor.

On January 18, 2017, the Illinois Attorney General filed a separate lawsuit in Illinois state court against Navient - its subsidiaries Navient Solutions, Inc., Pioneer Credit Recovery, Inc., and General Revenue Corporation - and the Bank arising out of the Multi-State Investigation. On March 20, 2017, the Bank moved to dismiss the Illinois Attorney General action as to the Bank, arguing, among other things, the complaint failed to allege with sufficient particularity or specificity how the Bank was responsible for any of the alleged conduct, most of which predated the Bank’s existence. The Illinois Court heard oral arguments on July 18, 2017. On July 10, 2018, the Court granted the Bank’s motion to dismiss without prejudice. The Court granted the Illinois Attorney General 28 days to amend the complaint. As contemplated by the Separation and Distribution Agreement relating to, and the structure of, the Spin-Off, Navient is legally responsible for, has assumed, and has accepted responsibility to indemnify the Company against, all costs, expenses, losses and remediation that may arise from these matters.

On July 17, 2018, the Mississippi Attorney General filed a lawsuit in Mississippi state court against Navient, Navient Solutions, LLC, and the Bank arising out of the Multi-State Investigation. The complaint alleges unfair and deceptive trade practices against all three defendants as to private loan origination practices from 2000 to 2009. The complaint further alleges that Navient assumed responsibility for these matters under the Separation and Distribution Agreement for the alleged conduct. The Bank intends to seek indemnification from Navient as to all costs, expenses, losses and remediation that may arise from this lawsuit. The Bank was served with the complaint on July 19, 2018 and currently has 30 days to respond.

To date, three other state attorneys general (California, Washington and Pennsylvania) have filed suits against Navient and one or more of its current subsidiaries arising out of matters arising from the Multi-State Investigation. Neither SLM, the Bank, nor any of their current subsidiaries are named in, or otherwise a party to, the California, Washington or Pennsylvania lawsuits, and no claims are asserted against them. Each complaint asserts in its own fashion that Navient assumed responsibility for these matters under the Separation and Distribution Agreement for the alleged conduct in the complaints.

Regulatory Update

On May 13, 2014, the Bank reached a settlement with the Department of Justice (the “DOJ”) regarding compliance with the SCRA. In connection with the settlement, the Bank became subject to the DOJ Consent Order, which was approved by the U.S. District Court for the District of Delaware on September 29, 2014. Under the terms of the Separation and Distribution Agreement, Navient is responsible for funding all liabilities under the regulatory order and, as of the date hereof, has funded all liabilities other than fines directly levied against the Bank in connection with these matters which the Bank is required to pay.

76

The Bank continues to be in full compliance with the DOJ Consent Order, including policy and procedure updates. Pursuant to the terms of the DOJ Consent Order, the Bank will remain subject to certain DOJ reporting and record-keeping requirements until September 29, 2018.

In May 2014, the Bank received a Civil Investigative Demand (“CID”) from the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (the “CFPB”) as part of the CFPB Investigation. Two state attorneys general also provided the Bank identical CIDs and other state attorneys general have become involved in the Multi-State Investigation. To the extent requested, the Bank has been cooperating fully with the CFPB and the attorneys general conducting the Multi-State Investigation. Given the timeframe covered by the CIDs, the CFPB Investigation and the Multi-State Investigation, and the focus on practices and procedures previously conducted by Navient and its servicing subsidiaries prior to the Spin-Off, Navient is leading the response to these investigations. Consequently, we have no basis from which to estimate either the duration or ultimate outcome of these investigations. Additional lawsuits may arise from the Multi-State Investigation which may or may not name the Company, the Bank or any of their current subsidiaries as parties to these suits. As with the Illinois lawsuit described above, the Bank is not responsible for any of the alleged conduct in the Multi-State Investigation or any claims that may arise from related lawsuits. As contemplated by the Separation and Distribution Agreement relating to, and the structure of, the Spin-Off, Navient is legally responsible for, has assumed, and has accepted responsibility to indemnify the Company against, all costs, expenses, losses and remediation that may arise from these matters.

With regard to the CFPB Investigation, we note that on January 18, 2017, the CFPB filed a complaint in federal court in Pennsylvania against Navient, along with its subsidiaries, Navient Solutions, Inc. and Pioneer Credit Recovery, Inc. The complaint alleges these Navient entities, among other things, engaged in deceptive practices with respect to their historic servicing and debt collection practices. Neither SLM, the Bank, nor any of their current subsidiaries are named in, or otherwise a party to, the lawsuit and are not alleged to have engaged in any wrongdoing. The CFPB’s complaint asserts Navient’s assumption of these liabilities pursuant to the Separation and Distribution Agreement.

Item 1A. Risk Factors

Our business activities involve a variety of risks. Readers should carefully consider the risk factors disclosed in Item 1A. “Risk Factors” of our 2017 Form 10-K.

77

Item 2.    Unregistered Sales of Equity Securities and Use of Proceeds

Share Repurchases

The following table provides information relating to our purchase of shares of our common stock in the three months ended June 30, 2018.

(In thousands, except per share data)	Total Number of Shares Purchased(1)	Average Price Paid per Share		Total Number of Shares Purchased as Part of Publicly Announced Plans or Programs(2)	Approximate Dollar Value of Shares That May Yet Be Purchased  Under Publicly Announced Plans or Programs(2)
Period:
April 1 - April 30, 2018	48	$	11.65	—	—
May 1 - May 31, 2018	43	$	11.70	—	—
June 1 - June 30, 2018	110	$	11.53	—	—
Total second-quarter 2018	201	$	11.60	—

_________

⁽¹⁾ All shares purchased are the shares of our common stock tendered to us to satisfy the exercise price in connection with cashless exercises of stock options, and tax withholding obligations in connection with exercises of stock options and vesting of restricted stock and restricted stock units.

⁽²⁾ At the present time, the Company does not have a publicly announced share repurchase plan or program.

The closing price of our common stock on the Nasdaq Global Select Market on June 29, 2018 was $11.45.

Item 3. Defaults Upon Senior Securities

Nothing to report.

Item 4. Mine Safety Disclosures

Not applicable.

Item 5. Other Information

Nothing to report.

78

Item 6. Exhibits

The following exhibits are furnished or filed, as applicable:

10.1	Form of SLM Corporation 2012 Omnibus Incentive Plan, Independent Director Restricted Stock Agreement - 2018.
12.1	Computation of Ratio of Earnings to Fixed Charges and Preferred Stock Dividends.
31.1	Certification Pursuant to Section 302 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002.
31.2	Certification Pursuant to Section 302 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002.
32.1	Certification Pursuant to 18 U.S.C. Section 1350, as Adopted Pursuant to Section 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002.
32.2	Certification Pursuant to 18 U.S.C. Section 1350, as Adopted Pursuant to Section 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002.
101.INS	XBRL Instance Document.
101.SCH	XBRL Taxonomy Extension Schema Document.
101.CAL	XBRL Taxonomy Extension Calculation Linkbase Document.
101.DEF	XBRL Taxonomy Extension Definition Linkbase Document.
101.LAB	XBRL Taxonomy Extension Label Linkbase Document.
101.PRE	XBRL Taxonomy Extension Presentation Linkbase Document.

79

SIGNATURES

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, the Registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned hereunto duly authorized.

SLM CORPORATION (Registrant)
By:		/S/ STEVEN J. MCGARRY
	Steven J. McGarry Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer (Principal Financial Officer)

Date: July 24, 2018

80

EX-10.1

Exhibit 10.1

SLM Corporation 2012 Omnibus Incentive Plan

2018 Independent Director Restricted Stock Agreement

Pursuant to the terms and conditions of the SLM Corporation 2012 Omnibus Incentive Plan (the “Plan”), SLM Corporation (the “Corporation”) hereby grants to _______________(the “Grantee”) _____ shares of common stock of the Corporation, par value $0.20 (the “Restricted Stock”), on June 21, 2018 (the “Grant Date”) subject to the terms and conditions below. All capitalized terms used herein that are not defined shall have the meanings as set forth in the Plan.

100 percent of the Restricted Stock is subject to a risk of forfeiture and is non-transferable on the Grant Date.

Upon the Corporation’s 2019 annual meeting of stockholders (the “Vesting Event”), 100 percent of the Restricted Stock will vest and become transferable unless vested earlier as set forth below.

The Restricted Stock will vest and become transferable prior to the Vesting Event upon any of the following events: (i) the Grantee’s death or Disability or (ii) upon a Change in Control.

100 percent of the Restricted Stock will be forfeited if the Grantee ceases to be a director of the Corporation’s Board of Directors prior to the Vesting Event for any reason other than death, Disability (as defined below) or a Change in Control.

The Restricted Stock will be held in an account in the Grantee’s name at the Corporation’s transfer agent, currently Computershare. The Grantee is entitled to vote the shares of Restricted Stock.

Dividends declared on unvested shares of Restricted Stock will not be paid currently. Instead, amounts equal to such dividends will be credited to an account established on behalf of the Grantee, and such amounts will be deemed to be invested in additional shares of the Corporation’s common stock (“Dividend Equivalents”). Such Dividend Equivalents will be subject to the same vesting schedule to which the Restricted Stock is subject. At the time that the underlying Restricted Stock vests, the amount of Dividend Equivalents allocable to such Restricted Stock will also vest and will be settled in shares of the Corporation’s common stock (provided that any fractional share amount shall be paid in cash). Dividend Equivalents declared on unvested shares of Restricted Stock are not subject to income tax until vesting, at which time they are taxed as ordinary income.

The Corporation may impose such restrictions, conditions or limitations as it determines appropriate as to the timing and manner of any transfer or sale by the Grantee of any shares of Common Stock, including without limitation (a) restrictions under an insider trading policy and (b) restrictions that may be necessary in the absence of an effective registration statement under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, covering the shares of the Corporation’s common stock. The sale of the shares must also comply with other applicable laws and regulations governing the sale of such shares.

As an essential term of this award, the Grantee consents to the collection, use and transfer, in electronic or other form, of personal data as described herein for the exclusive purpose of implementing, administering and managing the Grantee’s participation in the Plan. By accepting this award, the Grantee acknowledges that the Corporation holds certain personal information about the Grantee, including, but not limited to, name, home address and telephone number, date of birth, social security number or other identification number, salary, tax rates and amounts, nationality, job title, any shares of stock held in the Corporation, details of all options or any other entitlement to shares of stock awarded, canceled, exercised, vested, unvested or outstanding, for the purpose of implementing, administering and managing the Plan (“Data”). The Grantee acknowledges that Data may be transferred to any third parties assisting in the implementation, administration and management of the Plan, that these recipients may be located in jurisdictions that may have different data privacy laws and protections, and the Grantee authorizes the recipients to receive, possess, use, retain and transfer Data, in electronic or other form, for the purposes of implementing, administering and managing the Plan, including any requisite transfer of such Data as may be required to a broker or other third party with whom the Grantee or the Corporation may elect to deposit any shares of the Corporation’s common stock. The Grantee acknowledges that Data may be held to implement, administer and manage the Grantee’s participation in the Plan as determined by the Corporation, and that the Grantee may request additional information about the storage and processing of Data, require any necessary amendments to Data or refuse or withdraw the consents herein, in any case without cost, provided however, that refusing or withdrawing the Grantee’s consent may adversely affect the Grantee’s ability to participate in the Plan.

The Corporation may, in its sole discretion, decide to deliver any documents related to any awards granted under the Plan by electronic means or to request Grantee’s consent to participate in the Plan by electronic means. Grantee hereby consents to receive such documents by electronic delivery and, if requested, to agree to participate in the Plan through an on-line or electronic system established and maintained by the Corporation or another third party designated by the Corporation, and such consent shall remain in effect throughout Grantee’s term of service with the Corporation and thereafter until withdrawn in writing by Grantee.

“Disability” means the absence of the Grantee from the Corporation’s Board of Directors duties for 180 consecutive days as a result of incapacity due to mental or physical illness which is determined to be total and permanent by a physician selected by the Corporation or its insurers and reasonably acceptable to the Grantee or the Grantee’s legal representative.

The Grantee is deemed to accept this award of Restricted Stock under this Agreement and to agree that such award is subject to the terms and conditions set forth in this Agreement and the Plan unless the Grantee provides the Corporation written notification of the Grantee’s rejection of this award of Restricted Stock not later than 30 days after the Grantee’s receipt of notice of the posting of this Agreement on-line or through electronic means (in which case such award will be forfeited and the Grantee shall have no further right or interest therein as of such date).

EX-12.1

Exhibit 12.1

SLM CORPORATION

COMPUTATION OF RATIO OF EARNINGS TO FIXED CHARGES AND PREFERRED STOCK DIVIDENDS

(Dollars in thousands)

											Six Months Ended June 30,
	2013		2014		2015		2016		2017		2017		2018
Income before income tax expense	$	416,527	$	333,752	$	439,064	$	414,436	$	491,465	$	261,284	$	317,157
Add: Fixed charges	91,182		98,404		132,048		189,717		312,396		135,737		228,409
Total earnings	$	507,709	$	432,156	$	571,112	$	604,153	$	803,861	$	397,021	$	545,566
Interest expense	$	89,085	$	95,815	$	128,619	$	185,908	$	308,082	$	133,614	$	225,978
Rental expense, net of income	2,097		2,589		3,429		3,809		4,314		2,123		2,431
Total fixed charges	91,182		98,404		132,048		189,717		312,396		135,737		228,409
Preferred stock dividends	—		12,933		19,595		21,204		15,714		9,549		7,317
Total fixed charges and preferred stock dividends	$	91,182	$	111,337	$	151,643	$	210,921	$	328,110	$	145,286	$	235,726
Ratio of earnings to fixed charges(1)	5.57		4.39		4.33		3.18		2.57		2.92		2.39
Ratio of earnings to fixed charges and preferred stock dividends(1)	5.57		3.88		3.77		2.86		2.45		2.73		2.31

(1) For purposes of computing these ratios, earnings represent income before income tax expense plus fixed charges. Fixed charges represent interest expensed and capitalized plus one-third (the proportion deemed representative of the interest factor) of rents, net of income from subleases.

EX-31.1

Exhibit 31.1

Certification Pursuant to Section 302 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002

I, Raymond J. Quinlan, certify that:

1. I have reviewed this quarterly report on Form 10-Q of SLM Corporation;

2. Based on my knowledge, this report does not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary to make the statements made, in light of the circumstances under which such statements were made, not misleading with respect to the period covered by this report;

3. Based on my knowledge, the financial statements, and other financial information included in this report, fairly present in all material respects the financial condition, results of operations and cash flows of the registrant as of, and for, the periods presented in this report;

4. The registrant’s other certifying officer and I are responsible for establishing and maintaining disclosure controls and procedures (as defined in Exchange Act Rules 13a-15(e) and 15d-15(e)) and internal control over financial reporting (as defined in Exchange Act Rules 13a-15(f) and 15d-15(f)) for the registrant and have:

a) Designed such disclosure controls and procedures, or caused such disclosure controls and procedures to be designed under our supervision, to ensure that material information relating to the registrant, including its consolidated subsidiaries, is made known to us by others within those entities, particularly during the period in which this report is being prepared;

b) Designed such internal control over financial reporting, or caused such internal control over financial reporting to be designed under our supervision, to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of financial reporting and the preparation of financial statements for external purposes in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles;

c) Evaluated the effectiveness of the registrant’s disclosure controls and procedures and presented in this report our conclusions about the effectiveness of the disclosure controls and procedures, as of the end of the period covered by this report based on such evaluation; and

d) Disclosed in this report any change in the registrant’s internal control over financial reporting that occurred during the registrant’s most recent fiscal quarter (the registrant’s fourth fiscal quarter in the case of an annual report) that has materially affected, or is reasonably likely to materially affect, the registrant’s internal control over financial reporting; and

5. The registrant’s other certifying officer and I have disclosed, based on our most recent evaluation of internal control over financial reporting, to the registrant’s auditors and the audit committee of the registrant’s board of directors (or persons performing the equivalent functions):

a) All significant deficiencies and material weaknesses in the design or operation of internal control over financial reporting which are reasonably likely to adversely affect the registrant’s ability to record, process, summarize and report financial information; and

b) Any fraud, whether or not material, that involves management or other employees who have a significant role in the registrant’s internal control over financial reporting.

/s/ RAYMOND J. QUINLAN

Raymond J. Quinlan

Executive Chairman and Chief Executive Officer

(Principal Executive Officer)

July 24, 2018

EX-31.2

Exhibit 31.2

Certification Pursuant to Section 302 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002

I, Steven J. McGarry, certify that:

1. I have reviewed this quarterly report on Form 10-Q of SLM Corporation;

2. Based on my knowledge, this report does not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary to make the statements made, in light of the circumstances under which such statements were made, not misleading with respect to the period covered by this report;

3. Based on my knowledge, the financial statements, and other financial information included in this report, fairly present in all material respects the financial condition, results of operations and cash flows of the registrant as of, and for, the periods presented in this report;

4. The registrant’s other certifying officer and I are responsible for establishing and maintaining disclosure controls and procedures (as defined in Exchange Act Rules 13a-15(e) and 15d-15(e)) and internal control over financial reporting (as defined in Exchange Act Rules 13a-15(f) and 15d-15(f)) for the registrant and have:

a) Designed such disclosure controls and procedures, or caused such disclosure controls and procedures to be designed under our supervision, to ensure that material information relating to the registrant, including its consolidated subsidiaries, is made known to us by others within those entities, particularly during the period in which this report is being prepared;

b) Designed such internal control over financial reporting, or caused such internal control over financial reporting to be designed under our supervision, to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of financial reporting and the preparation of financial statements for external purposes in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles;

c) Evaluated the effectiveness of the registrant’s disclosure controls and procedures and presented in this report our conclusions about the effectiveness of the disclosure controls and procedures, as of the end of the period covered by this report based on such evaluation; and

d) Disclosed in this report any change in the registrant’s internal control over financial reporting that occurred during the registrant’s most recent fiscal quarter (the registrant’s fourth fiscal quarter in the case of an annual report) that has materially affected, or is reasonably likely to materially affect, the registrant’s internal control over financial reporting; and

5. The registrant’s other certifying officer and I have disclosed, based on our most recent evaluation of internal control over financial reporting, to the registrant’s auditors and the audit committee of the registrant’s board of directors (or persons performing the equivalent functions):

a) All significant deficiencies and material weaknesses in the design or operation of internal control over financial reporting which are reasonably likely to adversely affect the registrant’s ability to record, process, summarize and report financial information; and

b) Any fraud, whether or not material, that involves management or other employees who have a significant role in the registrant’s internal control over financial reporting.

/s/ STEVEN J. MCGARRY

Steven J. McGarry

Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer

(Principal Financial Officer)

July 24, 2018

EX-32.1

Exhibit 32.1

CERTIFICATION PURSUANT TO

18 U.S.C. SECTION 1350,

AS ADOPTED PURSUANT TO

SECTION 906 OF THE SARBANES-OXLEY ACT OF 2002

In connection with the Quarterly Report of SLM Corporation (the “Company”) on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended June 30, 2018, as filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on the date hereof (the “Report”), I, Raymond J. Quinlan, Executive Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the Company, certify, pursuant to 18 U.S.C. § 1350, as adopted pursuant to § 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, that:

(1) The Report fully complies with the requirements of Section 13(a) or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934; and

(2) The information contained in the Report fairly presents, in all material respects, the financial condition and result of operations of the Company.

/s/ RAYMOND J. QUINLAN

Raymond J. Quinlan

Executive Chairman and Chief Executive Officer

(Principal Executive Officer)

July 24, 2018

EX-32.2

Exhibit 32.2

CERTIFICATION PURSUANT TO

18 U.S.C. SECTION 1350,

AS ADOPTED PURSUANT TO

SECTION 906 OF THE SARBANES-OXLEY ACT OF 2002

In connection with the Quarterly Report of SLM Corporation (the “Company”) on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended June 30, 2018, as filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on the date hereof (the “Report”), I, Steven J. McGarry, Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of the Company, certify, pursuant to 18 U.S.C. § 1350, as adopted pursuant to § 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, that:

(1) The Report fully complies with the requirements of Section 13(a) or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934; and

(2) The information contained in the Report fairly presents, in all material respects, the financial condition and result of operations of the Company.

/s/ STEVEN J. MCGARRY

Steven J. McGarry

Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer

(Principal Financial Officer)

July 24, 2018

XML

Document and Entity Information	6 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2018 shares
Document And Entity Information [Abstract]
Document Type	10-Q
Amendment Flag	false
Document Period End Date	Jun. 30, 2018
Document Fiscal Year Focus	2018
Document Fiscal Period Focus	Q2
Trading Symbol	SLM
Entity Registrant Name	SLM CORPORATION
Entity Central Index Key	0001032033
Current Fiscal Year End Date	--12-31
Entity Filer Category	Large Accelerated Filer
Entity Common Stock, Shares Outstanding (in shares)	435,380,601

XML

CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Jun. 30, 2018	Dec. 31, 2017
Assets
Cash and cash equivalents	$ 2,043,789	$ 1,534,339
Available-for-sale investments at fair value (cost of $185,749 and $247,607, respectively)	178,145	244,088
Loans held for investment (net of allowance for losses of $295,277 and $251,475, respectively)	20,308,581	18,567,641
Restricted cash	114,659	101,836
Other interest-earning assets	28,385	21,586
Accrued interest receivable	1,161,161	967,482
Premises and equipment, net	101,335	89,748
Tax indemnification receivable	153,470	168,011
Other assets	99,651	84,853
Total assets	24,189,176	21,779,584
Liabilities
Deposits	16,745,957	15,505,383
Long-term borrowings	4,217,119	3,275,270
Income taxes payable, net	79,772	102,285
Upromise member accounts	230,228	243,080
Other liabilities	187,398	179,310
Total liabilities	21,460,474	19,305,328
Commitments and contingencies
Equity
Preferred stock, par value $0.20 per share, 20 million shares authorized: Series B: 4 million and 4 million shares issued, respectively, at stated value of $100 per share	400,000	400,000
Common stock, par value $0.20 per share, 1.125 billion shares authorized: 449.4 million and 443.5 million shares issued, respectively	89,882	88,693
Additional paid-in capital	1,260,201	1,222,277
Accumulated other comprehensive income (net of tax expense of $7,448 and $1,696, respectively)	23,216	2,748
Retained earnings	1,096,359	868,182
Total SLM Corporation stockholders’ equity before treasury stock	2,869,658	2,581,900
Less: Common stock held in treasury at cost: 14.0 million and 11.1 million shares, respectively	(140,956)	(107,644)
Total equity	2,728,702	2,474,256
Total liabilities and equity	$ 24,189,176	$ 21,779,584

XML

CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS (Parenthetical) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Jun. 30, 2018	Dec. 31, 2017
Amortized cost	$ 185,749	$ 247,607
Allowance for loan losses	$ 295,277	$ 251,475
Preferred stock, stated value (in dollars per share)	$ 0.20	$ 0.20
Preferred stock shares authorized (in shares)	20,000,000	20,000,000
Common stock par value (in dollars per share)	$ 0.20	$ 0.20
Common stock, shares authorized (in shares)	1,125,000,000	1,125,000,000
Common stock shares issued (in shares)	449,400,000	443,500,000
Tax expense for accumulated other comprehensive (loss) income	$ (7,448)	$ (1,696)
Common stock held in treasury (in shares)	14,000,000	11,100,000
Series B Preferred Stock
Preferred stock, stated value (in dollars per share)	$ 100	$ 100
Preferred stock shares outstanding (in shares)	4,000,000	4,000,000

XML

CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF INCOME - USD ($) shares in Thousands, $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended		6 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2018	Jun. 30, 2017	Jun. 30, 2018	Jun. 30, 2017
Interest income:
Loans	$ 454,045	$ 336,739	$ 884,093	$ 661,496
Investments	1,694	2,201	3,641	4,344
Cash and cash equivalents	6,572	3,155	11,808	5,743
Total interest income	462,311	342,095	899,542	671,583
Interest expense:
Deposits	90,605	50,730	168,061	95,583
Interest expense on short-term borrowings	1,128	1,194	3,521	2,430
Interest expense on long-term borrowings	29,628	20,278	54,396	35,601
Total interest expense	121,361	72,202	225,978	133,614
Net interest income	340,950	269,893	673,564	537,969
Less: provisions for credit losses	63,267	50,215	117,198	75,511
Net interest income after provisions for credit losses	277,683	219,678	556,366	462,458
Non-interest income:
Gains on sales of loans, net	2,060	0	2,060	0
Losses on sales of securities, net	(1,549)	0	(1,549)	0
Losses on derivatives and hedging activities, net	(5,268)	(3,609)	(1,376)	(8,987)
Other income	12,295	10,629	21,937	21,975
Total non-interest income	7,538	7,020	21,072	12,988
Non-interest expenses:
Compensation and benefits	60,245	51,007	128,562	106,471
FDIC assessment fees	8,001	6,622	16,797	13,851
Other operating expenses	66,977	53,622	114,738	93,606
Total operating expenses	135,223	111,251	260,097	213,928
Acquired intangible asset amortization expense	92	117	184	234
Total non-interest expenses	135,315	111,368	260,281	214,162
Income before income tax expense	149,906	115,330	317,157	261,284
Income tax expense	40,074	44,713	81,071	95,724
Net income	109,832	70,617	236,086	165,560
Preferred stock dividends	3,920	3,974	7,317	9,549
Net income attributable to SLM Corporation common stock	$ 105,912	$ 66,643	$ 228,769	$ 156,011
Basic earnings per common share attributable to SLM Corporation (in dollars per share)	$ 0.24	$ 0.15	$ 0.53	$ 0.36
Average common shares outstanding (in shares)	435,187	431,245	434,573	430,572
Diluted earnings per common share attributable to SLM Corporation (in dollars per share)	$ 0.24	$ 0.15	$ 0.52	$ 0.35
Average common and common equivalent shares outstanding (in shares)	439,445	438,115	439,212	438,424

XML

CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF COMPREHENSIVE INCOME - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended		6 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2018	Jun. 30, 2017	Jun. 30, 2018	Jun. 30, 2017
Statement of Comprehensive Income [Abstract]
Net income	$ 109,832	$ 70,617	$ 236,086	$ 165,560
Other comprehensive income (loss):
Unrealized gains (losses) on investments	42	167	(4,085)	(1,400)
Unrealized gains (losses) on cash flow hedges	10,014	(2,029)	30,304	2,750
Total unrealized gains (losses)	10,056	(1,862)	26,219	1,350
Income tax (expense) benefit	(2,441)	701	(6,343)	(531)
Other comprehensive income (loss), net of tax (expense) benefit	7,615	(1,161)	19,876	819
Total comprehensive income	$ 117,447	$ 69,456	$ 255,962	$ 166,379

XML

CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CHANGES IN EQUITY - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Total	Series A Preferred Stock	Series B Preferred Stock	Preferred Stock	Preferred Stock Series A Preferred Stock	Common Stock	Treasury Stock	Additional Paid-In Capital	Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income	Retained Earnings	Retained Earnings Series A Preferred Stock	Retained Earnings Series B Preferred Stock
Increase (Decrease) in Stockholders' Equity [Roll Forward]
Cumulative effect of the adoption of the stock compensation standard amendment	$ 165							$ 429		$ (264)
Beginning Balance (in shares) at Dec. 31, 2016				7,300,000		428,903,559	7,728,920
Beginning Balance, shares issued (in shares) at Dec. 31, 2016						436,632,479
Beginning Balance at Dec. 31, 2016	2,347,058			$ 565,000		$ 87,327	$ (67,484)	1,175,564	$ (8,671)	595,322
Increase (Decrease) in Stockholders' Equity [Roll Forward]
Net income	165,560									165,560
Other comprehensive income, net of tax	819								819
Total comprehensive income	166,379
Cash dividends:
Cash dividends		$ (3,961)	$ (5,588)								$ (3,961)	$ (5,588)
Redemption of Series A Preferred Stock (in shares)					(3,300,000)
Redemption of Series A Preferred Stock		$ (165,000)			$ (165,000)
Dividend equivalent units related to employee stock-based compensation plans	$ 0							96		(96)
Issuance of common shares (in shares)	5,229,774					5,229,774
Issuance of common shares	$ 14,494					$ 1,046		13,448
Stock-based compensation expense	$ 15,500							15,500
Shares repurchased related to employee stock-based compensation plans (in shares)	(2,584,964)					(2,584,964)	(2,584,964)
Shares repurchased related to employee stock-based compensation plans	$ (31,337)						$ (31,337)
Ending Balance (in shares) at Jun. 30, 2017				4,000,000		431,548,369	10,313,884
Ending Balance, shares issued (in shares) at Jun. 30, 2017						441,862,253
Ending Balance at Jun. 30, 2017	2,337,710			$ 400,000		$ 88,373	$ (98,821)	1,205,037	(7,852)	750,973
Beginning Balance (in shares) at Dec. 31, 2017				4,000,000		432,376,250	11,087,337
Beginning Balance, shares issued (in shares) at Dec. 31, 2017						443,463,587
Beginning Balance at Dec. 31, 2017	2,474,256			$ 400,000		$ 88,693	$ (107,644)	1,222,277	2,748	868,182
Increase (Decrease) in Stockholders' Equity [Roll Forward]
Net income	236,086									236,086
Other comprehensive income, net of tax	19,876								19,876
Total comprehensive income	$ 255,962
Reclassification resulting from the adoption of ASU No. 2018-02 | Accounting Standards Update 2018-02									592	(592)
Cash dividends:
Cash dividends			$ (7,317)									$ (7,317)
Issuance of common shares (in shares)	5,944,946					5,944,946
Issuance of common shares	$ 18,852					$ 1,189		17,663
Stock-based compensation expense	$ 20,261							20,261
Shares repurchased related to employee stock-based compensation plans (in shares)	(2,940,595)					(2,940,595)	(2,940,595)
Shares repurchased related to employee stock-based compensation plans	$ (33,312)						$ (33,312)
Ending Balance (in shares) at Jun. 30, 2018				4,000,000		435,380,601	14,027,932
Ending Balance, shares issued (in shares) at Jun. 30, 2018						449,408,533
Ending Balance at Jun. 30, 2018	$ 2,728,702			$ 400,000		$ 89,882	$ (140,956)	$ 1,260,201	$ 23,216	$ 1,096,359

XML

CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CHANGES IN EQUITY (Parenthetical) - $ / shares	6 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2018	Jun. 30, 2017
Series A Preferred Stock
Preferred stock dividend rate (in dollars per share)		$ 1.74
Series B Preferred Stock
Preferred stock dividend rate (in dollars per share)	$ 1.81	$ 1.39

XML

CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS - USD ($) $ in Thousands	6 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2018	Jun. 30, 2017
Operating activities
Net income	$ 236,086	$ 165,560
Adjustments to reconcile net income to net cash (used in) provided by operating activities:
Provisions for credit losses	117,198	75,511
Income tax expense	81,071	95,724
Amortization of brokered deposit placement fee	5,847	4,339
Amortization of ABCP Facility upfront fee	575	668
Amortization of deferred loan origination costs and loan premium/(discounts), net	5,115	4,069
Net amortization of discount on investments	985	872
Income on tax indemnification receivable	(3,453)	(3,427)
Depreciation of premises and equipment	6,475	5,365
Amortization of acquired intangibles	184	234
Stock-based compensation expense	20,261	15,500
Unrealized losses on derivatives and hedging activities, net	1,175	10,833
Gains on sales of loans, net	2,060	0
Losses on sales of securities, net	(1,549)	0
Other adjustments to net income, net	3,296	2,998
Changes in operating assets and liabilities:
Increase in accrued interest receivable	(407,813)	(324,684)
(Increase) decrease in other interest-earning assets	(6,799)	588
Decrease in tax indemnification receivable	17,994	29,817
Increase in other assets	(51,451)	(20,586)
Decrease in income taxes payable, net	(107,973)	(139,775)
Increase in accrued interest payable	11,295	3,275
Decrease in payable due to entity that is a subsidiary of Navient	(763)	(1,244)
Decrease in other liabilities	(8,288)	(35,267)
Total adjustments	(315,580)	(275,190)
Total net cash used in operating activities	(79,494)	(109,630)
Investing activities
Loans acquired and originated	(3,162,764)	(2,347,344)
Net proceeds from sales of loans held for investment	44,832	3,472
Proceeds from claim payments	27,000	24,907
Net decrease in loans held for investment	1,442,627	980,234
Purchases of available-for-sale securities	(2,914)	(40,124)
Proceeds from sales and maturities of available-for-sale securities	62,237	16,976
Total net cash used in investing activities	(1,588,982)	(1,361,879)
Financing activities
Brokered deposit placement fee	(18,885)	(5,329)
Net increase in certificates of deposit	947,437	308,069
Net increase in other deposits	331,926	51,447
Borrowings collateralized by loans in securitization trusts - issued	1,350,587	767,244
Borrowings collateralized by loans in securitization trusts - repaid	(411,904)	(262,567)
Issuance costs for unsecured debt offering	0	(423)
Unsecured debt issued	0	197,000
Borrowings under ABCP Facility	300,000	0
Repayment of borrowings under ABCP Facility	(300,000)	0
Fees paid on ABCP Facility	(1,095)	(1,259)
Redemption of Preferred Stock Series A	0	(165,000)
Preferred stock dividends paid	(7,317)	(9,549)
Net cash provided by financing activities	2,190,749	879,633
Net increase (decrease) in cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash	522,273	(591,876)
Cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash at beginning of period	1,636,175	1,972,510
Cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash at beginning of period	2,158,448	1,380,634
Cash disbursements made for:
Interest	207,872	121,601
Income taxes paid	111,173	139,828
Income taxes refunded	(3,790)	(833)
Reconciliation of the Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows to the Consolidated Balance Sheets:
Total cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash	$ 1,636,175	$ 1,972,510

XML

Significant Accounting Policies

6 Months Ended

Jun. 30, 2018

Accounting Policies [Abstract]

Significant Accounting Policies

Significant Accounting Policies

Basis of Presentation

The accompanying unaudited, consolidated financial statements of SLM Corporation (“Sallie Mae,” “SLM,” the “Company,” “we,” or “us”) 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 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 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, 2018 are not necessarily indicative of the results for the year ending December 31, 2018 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, 2017 (the “2017 Form 10-K”).

Consolidation

The consolidated financial statements include the accounts of the Company and its majority-owned and controlled subsidiaries after eliminating the effects of intercompany accounts and transactions.

We consolidate any variable interest entity (“VIE”) where we have determined we are the primary beneficiary. The primary beneficiary is the entity which has both: (1) the power to direct the activities of the VIE that most significantly impact the VIE’s economic performance and (2) the obligation to absorb losses or receive benefits of the entity that could potentially be significant to the VIE.

Recently Issued and Adopted Accounting Pronouncements

In November 2016, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (the “FASB”) issued Accounting Standards Update (“ASU”) No. 2016-18, “Statement of Cash Flows (Topic 230): Restricted Cash.” Whereas restricted cash balances have traditionally been excluded from the statement of cash flows, this ASU requires restricted cash and restricted cash equivalents to be included within the beginning and ending totals of cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash presented on the statement of cash flows for all periods presented. Restricted cash and restricted cash equivalent inflows and outflows with external parties are required to be classified within the operating, investing, and/or financing activity sections of the statement of cash flows, whereas transfers between cash and cash equivalents and restricted cash and restricted cash equivalents should no longer be presented on the statement of cash flows. ASU No. 2016-18 also requires (a) the nature of the restrictions to be disclosed to help provide information about the sources and uses of these balances during a reporting period and (b) a reconciliation of the cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash totals on the statement of cash flows to the related balance sheet line items when cash, cash equivalents, and restricted cash are presented in more than one line item on the balance sheet. The reconciliation can be presented either on the face of the statement of cash flows or in the notes to the financial statements and must be provided for each period that a balance sheet is presented. We adopted the new accounting pronouncement on January 1, 2018, and the adoption did not have a material impact to our statement of cash flows.

In February 2018, the FASB issued ASU No. 2018-02, “Income Statement - Reporting Comprehensive Income (Topic 220): Reclassification of Certain Tax Effects from Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income,” which allows a reclassification from accumulated other comprehensive income to retained earnings for stranded tax effects resulting from the tax law and tax rate changes under the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 (the “Tax Act”) enacted on December 22, 2017. Under the Tax Act, deferred taxes were adjusted to reflect the reduction of the historical corporate income tax rate to the newly enacted corporate income tax rate, which left the tax effects on items within accumulated other comprehensive income stranded at an inappropriate tax rate. This guidance is effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2018, and for interim periods within those fiscal years, with early adoption permitted. We adopted this standard effective January 1, 2018 and recorded a $0.6 million reclass from accumulated other comprehensive income to retained earnings in the first quarter of 2018.

XML

Investments

6 Months Ended

Jun. 30, 2018

Investments, Debt and Equity Securities [Abstract]

Investments

Investments

The amortized cost and fair value of securities available for sale are as follows:

	June 30, 2018
	Amortized Cost		Gross Unrealized Gains		Gross Unrealized Losses			Estimated Fair Value
Available for sale:
Mortgage-backed securities	$	167,203	$	119	$	(6,906	)	$	160,416
Utah Housing Corporation bonds	18,546		—		(817		)	17,729
Total	$	185,749	$	119	$	(7,723	)	$	178,145
	December 31, 2017
	Amortized Cost		Gross Unrealized Gains		Gross Unrealized Losses			Estimated Fair Value
Available for sale:
Mortgage-backed securities	$	227,607	$	650	$	(3,210	)	$	225,047
Utah Housing Corporation bonds	20,000		—		(959		)	19,041
Total	$	247,607	$	650	$	(4,169	)	$	244,088

The following table summarizes the amount of gross unrealized losses for our mortgage-backed securities and Utah Housing Corporation bonds and the estimated fair value for securities having gross unrealized losses, categorized by length of time the securities have been in an unrealized loss position:

	Less than 12 months					12 months or more					Total
	Gross Unrealized Losses			Estimated Fair Value		Gross Unrealized Losses			Estimated Fair Value		Gross Unrealized Losses			Estimated Fair Value
As of June 30, 2018:
Mortgage-backed securities	$	(1,568	)	$	49,747	$	(5,338	)	$	107,182	$	(6,906	)	$	156,929
Utah Housing Corporation bonds	—			—		(817		)	17,729		(817		)	17,729
Total	$	(1,568	)	$	49,747	$	(6,155	)	$	124,911	$	(7,723	)	$	174,658
As of December 31, 2017:
Mortgage-backed securities	$	(772	)	$	77,356	$	(2,438	)	$	110,500	$	(3,210	)	$	187,856
Utah Housing Corporation bonds	(77		)	4,923		(882		)	14,118		(959		)	19,041
Total	$	(849	)	$	82,279	$	(3,320	)	$	124,618	$	(4,169	)	$	206,897

Our investment portfolio is comprised primarily of mortgage-backed securities issued by Ginnie Mae, Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, with amortized costs of $72 million, $49 million, and $46 million, respectively, at June 30, 2018. We own these securities to meet our requirements under the Community Reinvestment Act. In the second quarter of 2018, we elected to sell nine securities totaling $41 million to better align the portfolio with the Community Reinvestment Act requirements, and we recognized a $2 million loss upon the sale of those securities. As of June 30, 2018, 75 of the 84 separate mortgage-backed securities in our investment portfolio had unrealized losses, and 35 of the 75 securities in a net loss position were issued under Ginnie Mae programs that carry a full faith and credit guarantee from the U.S. Government. The remaining securities in a net loss position carry a principal and interest guarantee by Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac, respectively. We have the ability and the intent to hold these securities for a period of time sufficient for the market price to recover to at least the adjusted amortized cost of the security. As of December 31, 2017, 62 of the 92 separate mortgage-backed securities in our investment portfolio had unrealized losses, and 31 of the 62 securities in a net loss position were issued under Ginnie Mae programs that carry a full faith and credit guarantee from the U.S. Government. The remainder carried a principal and interest guarantee by Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac, respectively.

We also invest in Utah Housing Corporation bonds for the purpose of complying with the Community Reinvestment Act. These bonds are Aa3 rated by Moody’s Investors Service. The amortized cost of the investment on the consolidated balance sheet at June 30, 2018 and December 31, 2017 was $19 million and $20 million, respectively. We have the intent and ability to hold these bonds for a period of time sufficient for the market price to recover to at least the adjusted amortized cost of the security.

As of June 30, 2018, the amortized cost and fair value of securities, by contractual maturities, are summarized below. Contractual maturities versus actual maturities may differ due to the effect of prepayments.

Year of Maturity	Amortized Cost		Estimated Fair Value
2038	$	269	$	284
2039	3,099		3,203
2042	10,099		9,381
2043	15,371		14,823
2044	24,183		23,464
2045	28,117		26,883
2046	41,807		39,789
2047	59,890		57,416
2048	2,914		2,902
Total	$	185,749	$	178,145

The mortgage-backed securities have been pledged to the Federal Reserve Bank (the “FRB”) as collateral against any advances and accrued interest under the Primary Credit lending program sponsored by the FRB. We had $161 million and $218 million par value of mortgage-backed securities pledged to this borrowing facility at June 30, 2018 and December 31, 2017, respectively, as discussed further in Note 6, “Borrowings.”

XML

Loans Held for Investment

6 Months Ended

Jun. 30, 2018

Receivables [Abstract]

Loans Held for Investment

Loans Held for Investment

Loans held for investment consist of Private Education Loans, FFELP Loans and Personal Loans. We use “Private Education Loans” to mean education loans to students or their families that are not made, insured or guaranteed by any state or federal government. Private Education Loans do not include loans insured or guaranteed under the previously existing Federal Family Education Loan Program (“FFELP”). We use “Personal Loans” to mean those unsecured loans to individuals that may be used for non-educational purposes. We began acquiring Personal Loans from third parties in the fourth quarter of 2016 and originating Personal Loans in the first quarter of 2018.

Our Private Education Loans are made largely to bridge the gap between the cost of higher education and the amount funded through financial aid, government loans and customers’ resources. Private Education Loans bear the full credit risk of the customer. We manage this risk through risk-performance underwriting strategies and qualified cosigners. Private Education Loans may be fixed rate or may carry a variable interest rate indexed to LIBOR. As of June 30, 2018, and December 31, 2017, 73 percent and 77 percent, respectively, of all of our Private Education Loans were indexed to LIBOR. We provide incentives for customers to include a cosigner on the loan, and the vast majority of loans in our portfolio are cosigned. We also encourage customers to make payments while in school.

In connection with the separation of Navient Corporation (“Navient”) from SLM (the “Spin-Off”), we retained the right to require Navient to purchase delinquent loans (at fair value) when the borrower has a lending relationship with both us and Navient (“Split Loans”). In the second quarter of 2018, we sold our remaining $43 million portfolio of Split Loans (both current and non-current loans) to Navient and recognized a net gain of $2 million.

FFELP Loans are insured as to their principal and accrued interest in the event of default, subject to a risk-sharing level based on the date of loan disbursement. These insurance obligations are supported by contractual rights against the United States. For loans disbursed on or after July 1, 2006, we receive 97 percent reimbursement on all qualifying claims. For loans disbursed after October 1, 1993, and before July 1, 2006, we receive 98 percent reimbursement on all qualifying claims. For loans disbursed prior to October 1, 1993, we receive 100 percent reimbursement on all qualifying claims.

Loans held for investment are summarized as follows:

	June 30,			December 31,
	2018			2017
Private Education Loans:
Fixed rate	$	5,086,329		$	4,000,447
Variable rate	13,601,698			13,431,720
Total Private Education Loans, gross	18,688,027			17,432,167
Deferred origination costs and unamortized premium/(discount)	61,908			56,378
Allowance for loan losses	(261,695		)	(243,715		)
Total Private Education Loans, net	18,488,240			17,244,830
FFELP Loans	885,357			927,660
Deferred origination costs and unamortized premium/(discount)	2,496			2,631
Allowance for loan losses	(1,073		)	(1,132		)
Total FFELP Loans, net	886,780			929,159
Personal Loans (fixed rate)	966,080			400,280
Deferred origination costs and unamortized premium/(discount)	(10		)	—
Allowance for loan losses	(32,509		)	(6,628		)
Total Personal Loans, net	933,561			393,652
Loans held for investment, net	$	20,308,581		$	18,567,641

The estimated weighted average life of education loans in our portfolio was approximately 5.3 years and 5.5 years at June 30, 2018 and December 31, 2017, respectively.

The average balance and the respective weighted average interest rates of loans in our portfolio are summarized as follows:

	Three Months Ended
	June 30,
	2018				2017
	Average Balance		Weighted Average Interest Rate		Average Balance		Weighted Average Interest Rate
Private Education Loans	$	18,764,768	9.03	%	$	15,687,803	8.33	%
FFELP Loans	898,095		4.51		980,478		3.87
Personal Loans	815,356		10.65		60,910		9.28
Total portfolio	$	20,478,219			$	16,729,191

	Six Months Ended
	June 30,
	2018				2017
	Average Balance		Weighted Average Interest Rate		Average Balance		Weighted Average Interest Rate
Private Education Loans	$	18,712,533	8.93	%	$	15,569,337	8.30	%
FFELP Loans	908,846		4.38		991,740		3.78
Personal Loans	672,792		10.65		48,464		9.24
Total portfolio	$	20,294,171			$	16,609,541

XML

Allowance for Loan Losses

6 Months Ended

Jun. 30, 2018

Receivables [Abstract]

Allowance for Loan Losses

Allowance for Loan Losses

Our provision for credit losses represents the periodic expense of maintaining an allowance sufficient to absorb incurred probable losses in the held-for-investment loan portfolios. The evaluation of the allowance for loan losses is inherently subjective, as it requires material estimates that may be susceptible to significant changes. We believe the allowance for loan losses is appropriate to cover probable losses incurred in the loan portfolios.

Allowance for Loan Losses Metrics

	Allowance for Loan Losses
	Three Months Ended June 30, 2018
	FFELP Loans			Private Education Loans			Personal Loans			Total
Allowance for Loan Losses
Beginning balance	$	1,113		$	252,103		$	18,907		$	272,123
Total provision	252			46,264			16,378			62,894
Net charge-offs:
Charge-offs	(292		)	(42,270		)	(2,872		)	(45,434		)
Recoveries	—			5,598			96			5,694
Net charge-offs	(292		)	(36,672		)	(2,776		)	(39,740		)
Loan sales(1)	—			—			—			—
Ending Balance	$	1,073		$	261,695		$	32,509		$	295,277
Allowance:
Ending balance: individually evaluated for impairment	$	—		$	113,343		$	—		$	113,343
Ending balance: collectively evaluated for impairment	$	1,073		$	148,352		$	32,509		$	181,934
Loans:
Ending balance: individually evaluated for impairment	$	—		$	1,121,816		$	—		$	1,121,816
Ending balance: collectively evaluated for impairment	$	885,357		$	17,566,211		$	966,080		$	19,417,648
Net charge-offs as a percentage of average loans in repayment (annualized)(2)	0.17		%	1.14		%	1.36		%
Allowance as a percentage of the ending total loan balance	0.12		%	1.40		%	3.37		%
Allowance as a percentage of the ending loans in repayment(2)	0.16		%	2.02		%	3.37		%
Allowance coverage of net charge-offs (annualized)	0.92			1.78			2.93
Ending total loans, gross	$	885,357		$	18,688,027		$	966,080
Average loans in repayment(2)	$	698,197		$	12,909,623		$	815,741
Ending loans in repayment(2)	$	680,802		$	12,979,523		$	966,080

____________

⁽¹⁾ Represents fair value adjustments on loans sold.

⁽²⁾ Loans in repayment include loans on which borrowers are making interest only or fixed payments, as well as loans that have entered full principal and interest repayment status after any applicable grace period.

	Allowance for Loan Losses
	Three Months Ended June 30, 2017
	FFELP Loans			Private Education Loans			Personal Loans			Total
Allowance for Loan Losses
Beginning balance	$	1,637		$	185,103		$	346		$	187,086
Total provision	228			49,166			492			49,886
Net charge-offs:
Charge-offs	(259		)	(32,728		)	(20		)	(33,007		)
Recoveries	—			4,396			—			4,396
Net charge-offs	(259		)	(28,332		)	(20		)	(28,611		)
Loan sales(1)	—			(913		)	—			(913		)
Ending Balance	$	1,606		$	205,024		$	818		$	207,448
Allowance:
Ending balance: individually evaluated for impairment	$	—		$	95,177		$	—		$	95,177
Ending balance: collectively evaluated for impairment	$	1,606		$	109,847		$	818		$	112,271
Loans:
Ending balance: individually evaluated for impairment	$	—		$	803,456		$	—		$	803,456
Ending balance: collectively evaluated for impairment	$	967,237		$	14,876,001		$	69,508		$	15,912,746
Net charge-offs as a percentage of average loans in repayment (annualized)(2)	0.14		%	1.08		%	0.13		%
Allowance as a percentage of the ending total loan balance	0.17		%	1.31		%	1.18		%
Allowance as a percentage of the ending loans in repayment(2)	0.21		%	1.93		%	1.18		%
Allowance coverage of net charge-offs (annualized)	1.55			1.81			10.23
Ending total loans, gross	$	967,237		$	15,679,457		$	69,508
Average loans in repayment(2)	$	757,186		$	10,523,225		$	61,439
Ending loans in repayment(2)	$	765,980		$	10,615,105		$	69,508

____________

⁽¹⁾ Represents fair value adjustments on loans sold.

⁽²⁾ Loans in repayment include loans on which borrowers are making interest only or fixed payments, as well as loans that have entered full principal and interest repayment status after any applicable grace period.

	Allowance for Loan Losses
	Six Months Ended June 30, 2018
	FFELP Loans			Private Education Loans			Personal Loans			Total
Allowance for Loan Losses
Beginning balance	$	1,132		$	243,715		$	6,628		$	251,475
Total provision	483			88,134			29,826			118,443
Net charge-offs:
Charge-offs	(542		)	(79,623		)	(4,072		)	(84,237		)
Recoveries	—			10,685			127			10,812
Net charge-offs	(542		)	(68,938		)	(3,945		)	(73,425		)
Loan sales(1)	—			(1,216		)	—			(1,216		)
Ending Balance	$	1,073		$	261,695		$	32,509		$	295,277
Allowance:
Ending balance: individually evaluated for impairment	$	—		$	113,343		$	—		$	113,343
Ending balance: collectively evaluated for impairment	$	1,073		$	148,352		$	32,509		$	181,934
Loans:
Ending balance: individually evaluated for impairment	$	—		$	1,121,816		$	—		$	1,121,816
Ending balance: collectively evaluated for impairment	$	885,357		$	17,566,211		$	966,080		$	19,417,648
Net charge-offs as a percentage of average loans in repayment (annualized)(2)	0.15		%	1.08		%	1.17		%
Allowance as a percentage of the ending total loan balance	0.12		%	1.40		%	3.37		%
Allowance as a percentage of the ending loans in repayment(2)	0.16		%	2.02		%	3.37		%
Allowance coverage of net charge-offs (annualized)	0.99			1.90			4.12
Ending total loans, gross	$	885,357		$	18,688,027		$	966,080
Average loans in repayment(2)	$	709,010		$	12,810,072		$	673,552
Ending loans in repayment(2)	$	680,802		$	12,979,523		$	966,080

____________

⁽¹⁾ Represents fair value adjustments on loans sold.

⁽²⁾ Loans in repayment include loans on which borrowers are making interest only or fixed payments, as well as loans that have entered full principal and interest repayment status after any applicable grace period.

	Allowance for Loan Losses
	Six Months Ended June 30, 2017
	FFELP Loans			Private Education Loans			Personal Loans			Total
Allowance for Loan Losses
Beginning balance	$	2,171		$	182,472		$	58		$	184,701
Total provision	(88		)	75,986			780			76,678
Net charge-offs:
Charge-offs	(477		)	(58,955		)	(20		)	(59,452		)
Recoveries	—			7,655			—			7,655
Net charge-offs	(477		)	(51,300		)	(20		)	(51,797		)
Loan sales(1)	—			(2,134		)	—			(2,134		)
Ending Balance	$	1,606		$	205,024		$	818		$	207,448
Allowance:
Ending balance: individually evaluated for impairment	$	—		$	95,177		$	—		$	95,177
Ending balance: collectively evaluated for impairment	$	1,606		$	109,847		$	818		$	112,271
Loans:
Ending balance: individually evaluated for impairment	$	—		$	803,456		$	—		$	803,456
Ending balance: collectively evaluated for impairment	$	967,237		$	14,876,001		$	69,508		$	15,912,746
Net charge-offs as a percentage of average loans in repayment (annualized)(2)	0.12		%	0.99		%	0.08		%
Allowance as a percentage of the ending total loan balance	0.17		%	1.31		%	1.18		%
Allowance as a percentage of the ending loans in repayment(2)	0.21		%	1.93		%	1.18		%
Allowance coverage of net charge-offs (annualized)	1.68			2.00			20.45
Ending total loans, gross	$	967,237		$	15,679,457		$	69,508
Average loans in repayment(2)	$	765,347		$	10,375,463		$	47,654
Ending loans in repayment(2)	$	765,980		$	10,615,105		$	69,508

____________

⁽¹⁾ Represents fair value adjustments on loans sold.

⁽²⁾ Loans in repayment include loans on which borrowers are making interest only or fixed payments, as well as loans that have entered full principal and interest repayment status after any applicable grace period.

Troubled Debt Restructurings (“TDRs”)

All of our loans are collectively assessed for impairment, except for loans classified as TDRs (where we conduct individual assessments of impairment). We modify the terms of loans for certain borrowers when we believe such modifications may increase the ability and willingness of a borrower to make payments and thus increase the ultimate overall amount collected on a loan. These modifications generally take the form of a forbearance, a temporary interest rate reduction or an extended repayment plan. The majority of our loans that are considered TDRs involve a temporary forbearance of payments and do not change the contractual interest rate of the loan. Once a loan qualifies for TDR status, it remains a TDR for allowance purposes for the remainder of its life. As of June 30, 2018, and December 31, 2017, approximately 61 percent and 66 percent, respectively, of TDRs were classified as such due to their forbearance status. For additional information, see Note 6, “Allowance for Loan Losses” in our 2017 Form 10-K.

Within the Private Education Loan portfolio, loans greater than 90 days past due are considered to be nonperforming. FFELP Loans are at least 97 percent guaranteed as to their principal and accrued interest by the federal government in the event of default and, therefore, we do not deem FFELP Loans as nonperforming from a credit risk perspective at any point in their life cycle prior to claim payment and continue to accrue interest on those loans through the date of claim.

At June 30, 2018 and December 31, 2017, all TDR loans had a related allowance recorded. The following table provides the recorded investment, unpaid principal balance and related allowance for our TDR loans.

	Recorded Investment		Unpaid Principal Balance		Allowance
June 30, 2018
TDR Loans	$	1,139,417	$	1,121,816	$	113,343
December 31, 2017
TDR Loans	$	1,007,141	$	990,351	$	94,682

The following table provides the average recorded investment and interest income recognized for our TDR loans.

	Three Months Ended   June 30,
	2018				2017
	Average Recorded Investment		Interest Income Recognized		Average Recorded Investment		Interest Income Recognized
TDR Loans	$	1,105,042	$	18,718	$	766,171	$	14,310

	Six Months Ended   June 30,
	2018				2017
	Average Recorded Investment		Interest Income Recognized		Average Recorded Investment		Interest Income Recognized
TDR Loans	$	1,069,721	$	36,565	$	718,727	$	26,567

The following table provides information regarding the loan status and aging of TDR loans.

	June 30,				December 31,
	2018				2017
	Balance		%		Balance		%
TDR loans in in-school/grace/deferment(1)	$	57,595			$	51,745
TDR loans in forbearance(2)	59,682				69,652
TDR loans in repayment(3) and percentage of each status:
Loans current	917,138		91.3	%	774,222		89.1	%
Loans delinquent 31-60 days(4)	45,080		4.5		48,377		5.6
Loans delinquent 61-90 days(4)	25,580		2.5		28,778		3.3
Loans delinquent greater than 90 days(4)	16,741		1.7		17,577		2.0
Total TDR loans in repayment	1,004,539		100.0	%	868,954		100.0	%
Total TDR loans, gross	$	1,121,816			$	990,351

_____

⁽¹⁾  Deferment includes customers who have returned to school or are engaged in other permitted educational activities and are not yet required to make payments on the loans (e.g., residency periods for medical students or a grace period for bar exam preparation).

⁽²⁾  Loans for customers who have requested extension of grace period generally during employment transition or who have temporarily ceased making full payments due to hardship or other factors, consistent with established loan program servicing policies and procedures.

⁽³⁾  Loans in repayment include loans on which borrowers are making interest only or fixed payments, as well as loans that have entered full principal and interest repayment status after any applicable grace period.

⁽⁴⁾  The period of delinquency is based on the number of days scheduled payments are contractually past due.

The following table provides the amount of modified loans (which include forbearance and reductions in interest rates) that became TDRs in the periods presented. Additionally, for the periods presented, the table summarizes charge-offs occurring in the TDR portfolio, as well as TDRs for which a payment default occurred in the relevant period presented and within 12 months of the loan first being designated as a TDR. We define payment default as more than 60 days past due for this disclosure.

	Three Months Ended   June 30, 2018						Three Months Ended   June 30, 2017
	Modified Loans(1)		Charge-offs		Payment- Default		Modified Loans(1)		Charge-offs		Payment- Default
TDR Loans	$	116,478	$	12,764	$	18,254	$	134,489	$	12,215	$	23,679

	Six Months Ended   June 30, 2018						Six Months Ended   June 30, 2017
	Modified Loans(1)		Charge-offs		Payment- Default		Modified Loans(1)		Charge-offs		Payment- Default
TDR Loans	$	200,652	$	28,224	$	47,988	$	246,695	$	22,738	$	49,113

_____

⁽¹⁾  Represents the principal balance of loans that have been modified during the period and resulted in a TDR.

Private Education Loan Key Credit Quality Indicators

FFELP Loans are at least 97 percent insured and guaranteed as to their principal and accrued interest in the event of default; therefore, there are no key credit quality indicators associated with FFELP Loans.

For Private Education Loans, the key credit quality indicators are FICO scores, the existence of a cosigner, the loan status and loan seasoning. The FICO scores are assessed at original approval and periodically refreshed/updated through the loan’s term. The following table highlights the gross principal balance of our Private Education Loan portfolio stratified by key credit quality indicators.

	Private Education Loans
	Credit Quality Indicators
	June 30, 2018				December 31, 2017
Credit Quality Indicators:	Balance(1)		% of Balance		Balance(1)		% of Balance
Cosigners:
With cosigner	$	16,757,587	90	%	$	15,658,539	90	%
Without cosigner	1,930,440		10		1,773,628		10
Total	$	18,688,027	100	%	$	17,432,167	100	%
FICO at Original Approval(2):
Less than 670	$	1,256,273	7	%	$	1,153,591	6	%
670-699	2,814,316		15		2,596,959		15
700-749	6,152,102		33		5,714,554		33
Greater than or equal to 750	8,465,336		45		7,967,063		46
Total	$	18,688,027	100	%	$	17,432,167	100	%
Seasoning(3):
1-12 payments	$	4,837,671	26	%	$	4,256,592	24	%
13-24 payments	3,209,308		17		3,229,465		19
25-36 payments	2,471,002		13		2,429,238		14
37-48 payments	1,582,586		9		1,502,327		9
More than 48 payments	1,337,067		7		1,256,813		7
Not yet in repayment	5,250,393		28		4,757,732		27
Total	$	18,688,027	100	%	$	17,432,167	100	%

⁽¹⁾  Balance represents gross Private Education Loans.

⁽²⁾  Represents the higher credit score of the cosigner or the borrower.

⁽³⁾  Number of months in active repayment (whether interest only payment, fixed payment, or full principal and interest payment status) for which a scheduled payment was due.

The following table provides information regarding the loan status of our Private Education Loans. Loans in repayment include loans making interest only or fixed payments, as well as loans that have entered full principal and interest repayment status after any applicable grace period.

	Private Education Loans
	June 30,					December 31,
	2018					2017
	Balance			%		Balance			%
Loans in-school/grace/deferment(1)	$	5,250,393				$	4,757,732
Loans in forbearance(2)	458,111					468,402
Loans in repayment and percentage of each status:
Loans current	12,697,362			97.8	%	11,911,128			97.6	%
Loans delinquent 31-60 days(3)	166,322			1.3		179,002			1.5
Loans delinquent 61-90 days(3)	75,534			0.6		78,292			0.6
Loans delinquent greater than 90 days(3)	40,305			0.3		37,611			0.3
Total Private Education Loans in repayment	12,979,523			100.0	%	12,206,033			100.0	%
Total Private Education Loans, gross	18,688,027					17,432,167
Private Education Loans deferred origination costs and unamortized premium/(discount)	61,908					56,378
Total Private Education Loans	18,749,935					17,488,545
Private Education Loans allowance for losses	(261,695		)			(243,715		)
Private Education Loans, net	$	18,488,240				$	17,244,830
Percentage of Private Education Loans in repayment				69.5	%				70.0	%
Delinquencies as a percentage of Private Education Loans in repayment				2.2	%				2.4	%
Loans in forbearance as a percentage of Private Education Loans in repayment and forbearance				3.4	%				3.7	%

⁽¹⁾  Deferment includes customers who have returned to school or are engaged in other permitted educational activities and are not yet required to make payments on the loans (e.g., residency periods for medical students or a grace period for bar exam preparation).

⁽²⁾  Loans for customers who have requested extension of grace period generally during employment transition or who have temporarily ceased making full payments due to hardship or other factors, consistent with established loan program servicing policies and procedures.

⁽³⁾  The period of delinquency is based on the number of days scheduled payments are contractually past due.

Personal Loan Key Credit Quality Indicators

For Personal Loans, the key credit quality indicators are FICO scores, loan seasoning and loan status. The FICO scores are assessed at original approval and periodically refreshed/updated through the loan’s term. The following table highlights the gross principal balance of our Personal Loan portfolio stratified by key credit quality indicators.

	Personal Loans
	Credit Quality Indicators
	June 30, 2018				December 31, 2017
Credit Quality Indicators:	Balance(1)		% of Balance		Balance(1)		% of Balance
FICO at Original Approval:
Less than 670	$	70,773	7	%	$	32,156	8	%
670-699	275,210		29		114,731		29
700-749	441,824		46		182,025		45
Greater than or equal to 750	178,273		18		71,368		18
Total	$	966,080	100	%	$	400,280	100	%
Seasoning(2):
0-12 payments	$	932,863	97	%	$	400,280	100	%
13-24 payments	33,217		3		—		—
25-36 payments	—		—		—		—
37-48 payments	—		—		—		—
More than 48 payments	—		—		—		—
Total	$	966,080	100	%	$	400,280	100	%

⁽¹⁾  Balance represents gross Personal Loans.

⁽²⁾  Number of months in active repayment for which a scheduled payment was due.

The following table provides information regarding the loan status of our Personal Loans.

	Personal Loans
	June 30,					December 31,
	2018					2017
	Balance			%		Balance			%
Loans in repayment and percentage of each status:
Loans current	$	960,865		99.5	%	$	398,988		99.7	%
Loans delinquent 31-60 days(1)	2,376			0.2		761			0.2
Loans delinquent 61-90 days(1)	1,594			0.2		340			0.1
Loans delinquent greater than 90 days(1)	1,245			0.1		191			—
Total Personal Loans in repayment	966,080			100.0	%	400,280			100.0	%
Total Personal Loans, gross	966,080					400,280
Personal Loans unamortized discount	(10		)			—
Total Personal Loans	966,070					400,280
Personal Loans allowance for losses	(32,509		)			(6,628		)
Personal Loans, net	$	933,561				$	393,652
Delinquencies as a percentage of Personal Loans in repayment				0.5	%				0.3	%

_______

⁽¹⁾  The period of delinquency is based on the number of days scheduled payments are contractually past due.

Accrued Interest Receivable

The following table provides information regarding accrued interest receivable on our Private Education Loans. The table also discloses the amount of accrued interest on loans greater than 90 days past due as compared to our allowance for uncollectible interest. The allowance for uncollectible interest exceeds the amount of accrued interest on our 90 days past due Private Education Loan portfolio for all periods presented.

	Private Education Loans
	Accrued Interest Receivable
	Total Interest Receivable		Greater Than 90 Days Past Due		Allowance for Uncollectible Interest
June 30, 2018	$	1,141,135	$	1,530	$	5,852
December 31, 2017	$	951,138	$	1,372	$	4,664

XML

Deposits

6 Months Ended

Jun. 30, 2018

Banking and Thrift [Abstract]

Deposits

Deposits

The following table summarizes total deposits at June 30, 2018 and December 31, 2017.

	June 30,		December 31,
	2018		2017
Deposits - interest bearing	$	16,743,885	$	15,504,330
Deposits - non-interest bearing	2,072		1,053
Total deposits	$	16,745,957	$	15,505,383

Our total deposits of $16.7 billion were comprised of $8.7 billion in brokered deposits and $8.0 billion in retail and other deposits at June 30, 2018, compared to total deposits of $15.5 billion, which were comprised of $8.2 billion in brokered deposits and $7.3 billion in retail and other deposits, at December 31, 2017.

Interest bearing deposits as of June 30, 2018 and December 31, 2017 consisted of retail and brokered non-maturity savings deposits, retail and brokered non-maturity money market deposits (“MMDAs”) and retail and brokered certificates of deposit (“CDs”). Interest bearing deposits include deposits from Educational 529 and Health Savings plans that diversify our funding sources and additional deposits we consider to be core. These and other large omnibus accounts, aggregating the deposits of many individual depositors, represented $5.7 billion of our deposit total as of June 30, 2018, compared with $5.5 billion at December 31, 2017.

Some of our deposit products are serviced by third-party providers. Placement fees associated with the brokered CDs are amortized into interest expense using the effective interest rate method. We recognized placement fee expense of $3 million and $2 million in the three months ended June 30, 2018 and 2017, respectively, and placement fee expense of $6 million and $4 million in the six months ended June 30, 2018 and 2017, respectively. Fees paid to third-party brokers related to brokered CDs were $12 million and $3 million for the three months ended June 30, 2018 and 2017, respectively, and fees paid to third-party brokers related to brokered CDs were $19 million and $5 million for the six months ended June 30, 2018 and 2017, respectively.

Interest bearing deposits at June 30, 2018 and December 31, 2017 are summarized as follows:

	June 30, 2018				December 31, 2017
	Amount		Qtr.-End Weighted Average Stated Rate(1)		Amount		Year-End Weighted Average Stated Rate(1)
Money market	$	8,113,708	2.21	%	$	7,731,966	1.80	%
Savings	682,242		1.59		738,243		1.10
Certificates of deposit	7,947,935		2.54		7,034,121		1.93
Deposits - interest bearing	$	16,743,885			$	15,504,330

____________

⁽¹⁾ Includes the effect of interest rate swaps in effective hedge relationships.

As of June 30, 2018, and December 31, 2017, there were $406 million and $396 million, respectively, of deposits exceeding Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (“FDIC”) insurance limits. Accrued interest on deposits was $39 million and $28 million at June 30, 2018 and December 31, 2017, respectively.

XML

Borrowings

6 Months Ended

Jun. 30, 2018

Debt Disclosure [Abstract]

Borrowings

Borrowings

Outstanding borrowings consist of unsecured debt and secured borrowings issued through our term asset-backed securitization (“ABS”) program and our asset-backed commercial paper (“ABCP”) funding facility (the “ABCP Facility”). The following table summarizes our borrowings at June 30, 2018 and December 31, 2017.

	June 30, 2018						December 31, 2017
	Short-Term		Long-Term		Total		Short-Term		Long-Term		Total
Unsecured borrowings:
Unsecured debt	$	—	$	196,943	$	196,943	$	—	$	196,539	$	196,539
Total unsecured borrowings	—		196,943		196,943		—		196,539		196,539
Secured borrowings:
Private Education Loan term securitizations:
Fixed rate	—		2,125,035		2,125,035		—		1,565,760		1,565,760
Variable rate	—		1,895,141		1,895,141		—		1,512,971		1,512,971
Total Private Education Loan term securitizations	—		4,020,176		4,020,176		—		3,078,731		3,078,731
ABCP Facility	—		—		—		—		—		—
Total secured borrowings	—		4,020,176		4,020,176		—		3,078,731		3,078,731
Total	$	—	$	4,217,119	$	4,217,119	$	—	$	3,275,270	$	3,275,270

Short-term Borrowings

Asset-Backed Commercial Paper Funding Facility

On February 21, 2018, we amended and extended the maturity of our $750 million ABCP Facility. We hold 100 percent of the residual interest in the ABCP Facility trust. Under the amended ABCP Facility, we incur financing costs of between 0.35 percent and 0.45 percent on unused borrowing capacity and approximately 3-month LIBOR plus 0.85 percent on outstandings. The amended ABCP Facility extends the revolving period, during which we may borrow, repay and reborrow funds, until February 20, 2019. The scheduled amortization period, during which amounts outstanding under the ABCP Facility must be repaid, ends on February 20, 2020 (or earlier, if certain material adverse events occur). At both June 30, 2018 and December 31, 2017, there were no borrowings outstanding under the ABCP Facility. We expect to amend and extend the ABCP Facility on an annual basis.

Long-term Borrowings

Unsecured Debt

On April 5, 2017, we issued an unsecured debt offering of $200 million of 5.125 percent Senior Notes due April 5, 2022 at par. At June 30, 2018, the outstanding balance was $197 million.

Secured Financings

On March 21, 2018, we executed our $670 million SMB Private Education Loan Trust 2018-A term ABS transaction, which was accounted for as a secured financing. We sold $670 million of notes to third parties and retained a 100 percent interest in the residual certificates issued in the securitization, raising approximately $668 million of gross proceeds. The Class A and Class B notes had a weighted average life of 4.43 years and priced at a weighted average LIBOR equivalent cost of 1-month LIBOR plus 0.78 percent. At June 30, 2018, $681 million of our Private Education Loans were encumbered because of this transaction.

On June 20, 2018, we executed our $687 million SMB Private Education Loan Trust 2018-B term ABS transaction, which was accounted for as a secured financing. We sold $687 million of notes to third parties and retained a 100 percent interest in the residual certificates issued in the securitization, raising approximately $683 million of gross proceeds. The Class A and Class B notes had a weighted average life of 4.40 years and priced at a weighted average LIBOR equivalent cost of 1-month LIBOR plus 0.76 percent. At June 30, 2018, $711 million of our Private Education Loans were encumbered because of this transaction.

Secured Financings at Issuance

Issue	Date Issued	Total Issued		Weighted Average Cost of Funds(1)	Weighted Average Life  (in years)
Private Education:
2016-A	May 2016	$	501,000	1-month LIBOR plus 1.38%	4.01
2016-B	July 2016	607,000		1-month LIBOR plus 1.36%	4.01
2016-C	October 2016	674,000		1-month LIBOR plus 1.15%	4.27
Total notes issued in 2016		$	1,782,000
Total loan and accrued interest amount securitized at inception in 2016		$	2,107,042
2017-A	February 2017	$	772,000	1-month LIBOR plus 0.93%	4.27
2017-B	November 2017	676,000		1-month LIBOR plus 0.80%	4.07
Total notes issued in 2017		$	1,448,000
Total loan and accrued interest amount securitized at inception in 2017		$	1,606,804
2018-A	March 2018	$	670,000	1-month LIBOR plus 0.78%	4.43
2018-B	June 2018	686,500		1-month LIBOR plus 0.76%	4.40
Total notes issued in 2018		$	1,356,500
Total loan and accrued interest amount securitized at inception in 2018		$	1,504,121

____________

⁽¹⁾ Represents LIBOR equivalent cost of funds for floating and fixed rate bonds, excluding issuance costs.

Consolidated Funding Vehicles

We consolidate our financing entities that are VIEs as a result of our being the entities’ primary beneficiary. As a result, these financing VIEs are accounted for as secured borrowings. We consolidate the following financing VIEs as of June 30, 2018 and December 31, 2017, respectively:

	June 30, 2018
	Debt Outstanding						Carrying Amount of Assets Securing Debt Outstanding
	Short-Term		Long-Term		Total		Loans		Restricted Cash		Other Assets(1)		Total
Secured borrowings:
Private Education Loan term securitizations	$	—	$	4,020,176	$	4,020,176	$	4,793,290	$	105,963	$	334,333	$	5,233,586
ABCP Facility	—		—		—		—		—		706		706
Total	$	—	$	4,020,176	$	4,020,176	$	4,793,290	$	105,963	$	335,039	$	5,234,292

	December 31, 2017
	Debt Outstanding						Carrying Amount of Assets Securing Debt Outstanding
	Short-Term		Long-Term		Total		Loans		Restricted Cash		Other Assets(1)		Total
Secured borrowings:
Private Education Loan term securitizations	$	—	$	3,078,731	$	3,078,731	$	3,691,024	$	95,966	$	240,208	$	4,027,198
ABCP Facility	—		—		—		—		1,017		161		1,178
Total	$	—	$	3,078,731	$	3,078,731	$	3,691,024	$	96,983	$	240,369	$	4,028,376

____

(1) Other assets primarily represent accrued interest receivable.

Other Borrowing Sources

We maintain discretionary uncommitted Federal Funds lines of credit with various correspondent banks, which totaled $125 million at June 30, 2018. The interest rate we are charged on these lines of credit is priced at Fed Funds plus a spread at the time of borrowing and is payable daily. We did not utilize these lines of credit in the six months ended June 30, 2018 or in the year ended December 31, 2017.

We established an account at the FRB to meet eligibility requirements for access to the Primary Credit borrowing facility at the FRB’s Discount Window (the “Window”). The Primary Credit borrowing facility is a lending program available to depository institutions that are in generally sound financial condition. All borrowings at the Window must be fully collateralized. We can pledge to the FRB asset-backed and mortgage-backed securities, as well as FFELP Loans and Private Education Loans, as collateral for borrowings at the Window. Generally, collateral value is assigned based on the estimated fair value of the pledged assets. At June 30, 2018 and December 31, 2017, the value of our pledged collateral at the FRB totaled $2.5 billion and $2.6 billion, respectively. The interest rate charged to us is the discount rate set by the FRB. We did not utilize this facility in the six months ended June 30, 2018 or in the year ended December 31, 2017.

XML

Derivative Financial Instruments

6 Months Ended

Jun. 30, 2018

Derivative Instruments and Hedging Activities Disclosure [Abstract]

Derivative Financial Instruments

Derivative Financial Instruments

We maintain an overall interest rate risk management strategy that incorporates the use of derivative instruments to reduce the economic effect of interest rate changes. Our goal is to manage interest rate sensitivity by modifying the repricing frequency and underlying index characteristics of certain balance sheet assets or liabilities, so any adverse impacts related to movements in interest rates are managed within low to moderate limits. As a result of interest rate fluctuations, hedged balance sheet positions will appreciate or depreciate in market value or create variability in cash flows. Income or loss on the derivative instruments linked to the hedged item will generally offset the effect of this unrealized appreciation or depreciation or volatility in cash flows for the period the item is being hedged. We view this strategy as a prudent management of interest rate risk. Please refer to Note 11, “Derivative Financial Instruments” in our 2017 Form 10-K for a full discussion of our risk management strategy.

Title VII of the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act of 2010 (the “Dodd-Frank Act”) requires all standardized derivatives, including most interest rate swaps, to be submitted for clearing to central counterparties to reduce counterparty risk. Two of the central counterparties we use are the Chicago Mercantile Exchange (“CME”) and the London Clearing House (“LCH”). The CME and the LCH made amendments to their respective rules that resulted in the prospective accounting treatment of certain daily variation margin payments being considered as the legal settlement of the outstanding exposure of the derivative instead of the posting of collateral. The CME rule changes, which became effective in January 2017, and the LCH rule changes, which became effective in January 2018, result in all variation margin payments on derivatives cleared through the CME and LCH being accounted for as legal settlement. As of June 30, 2018, $5.9 billion notional of our derivative contracts were cleared on the CME and $0.6 billion were cleared on the LCH. The derivative contracts cleared through the CME and LCH represent 90.3 percent and 9.7 percent, respectively, of our total notional derivative contracts of $6.5 billion at June 30, 2018.

For derivatives cleared through the CME and LCH, the net gain (loss) position includes the variation margin amounts as settlement of the derivative and not collateral against the fair value of the derivative. Interest income (expense) related to variation margin on derivatives that are not designated as hedging instruments or are designated as fair value relationships is recognized as a gain (loss) rather than as interest income (expense). Changes in fair value for derivatives not designated as hedging instruments will be presented as realized gains (losses).

Our exposure is limited to the value of the derivative contracts in a gain position less any collateral held and plus any collateral posted. When there is a net negative exposure, we consider our exposure to the counterparty to be zero. At June 30, 2018 and December 31, 2017, we had a net positive exposure (derivative gain positions to us, less collateral held by us and plus collateral posted with counterparties) related to derivatives of $30 million and $20 million, respectively.

Summary of Derivative Financial Statement Impact

The following tables summarize the fair values and notional amounts of all derivative instruments at June 30, 2018 and December 31, 2017, and their impact on earnings and other comprehensive income for the three and six months ended June 30, 2018 and 2017. Please refer to Note 11, “Derivative Financial Instruments” in our 2017 Form 10-K for a full discussion of cash flow hedges, fair value hedges, and trading activities.

Impact of Derivatives on the Consolidated Balance Sheet

		Cash Flow Hedges					Fair Value Hedges				Trading					Total
		June 30,		December 31,			June 30,		December 31,		June 30,			December 31,		June 30,			December 31,
		2018		2017			2018		2017		2018			2017		2018			2017
Fair Values(1)	Hedged Risk Exposure
Derivative Assets:(2)
Interest rate swaps	Interest rate	$	959	$	—		$	444	$	630	$	—		$	182	$	1,403		$	812
Derivative Liabilities:(2)
Interest rate swaps	Interest rate	—		(2,584		)	—		—		(92		)	—		(92		)	(2,584		)
Total net derivatives		$	959	$	(2,584	)	$	444	$	630	$	(92	)	$	182	$	1,311		$	(1,772	)

     ___________

(1) Fair values reported include variation margin as legal settlement of the derivative contract and accrued interest. Assets and liabilities are presented without consideration of master netting agreements. Derivatives are carried on the balance sheet based on net position by counterparty under master netting agreements and classified in other assets or other liabilities depending on whether in a net positive or negative position.

(2) The following table reconciles gross positions with the impact of master netting agreements to the balance sheet classification:

	Other Assets						Other Liabilities
	June 30,			December 31,			June 30,			December 31,
	2018			2017			2018			2017
Gross position(1)	$	1,403		$	812		$	(92	)	$	(2,584	)
Impact of master netting agreement	(92		)	(812		)	92			812
Derivative values with impact of master netting agreements (as carried on balance sheet)	1,311			—			—			(1,772		)
Cash collateral pledged(2)	28,385			—			—			21,586
Net position	$	29,696		$	—		$	—		$	19,814

__________

(1) Gross position amounts include accrued interest and variation margin as legal settlement of the derivative contract.

(2) Cash collateral pledged excludes amounts that represent legal settlement of the derivative contracts.

	Cash Flow				Fair Value				Trading				Total
	June 30,		December 31,		June 30,		December 31,		June 30,		December 31,		June 30,		December 31,
	2018		2017		2018		2017		2018		2017		2018		2017
Notional Values
Interest rate swaps	$	1,344,791	$	1,408,649	$	3,867,204	$	3,062,849	$	1,317,494	$	987,577	$	6,529,489	$	5,459,075

Impact of Derivatives on the Consolidated Statements of Income

	Three Months Ended   June 30,						Six Months Ended   June 30,
	2018			2017			2018			2017
Fair Value Hedges
Interest rate swaps:
Hedge ineffectiveness realized gains (losses) recorded in earnings(1)	$	(2,914	)	$	(3,711	)	$	2,939		$	(7,878	)
Realized gains (losses) recorded in interest expense	(2,812		)	2,881			(3,326		)	7,428
Total	$	(5,726	)	$	(830	)	$	(387	)	$	(450	)
Cash Flow Hedges
Interest rate swaps:
Hedge ineffectiveness gains (losses) recorded in earnings(1)	$	65		$	(75	)	$	2,749		$	(147	)
Realized losses recorded in interest expense	(543		)	(2,669		)	(2,104		)	(6,008		)
Total	$	(478	)	$	(2,744	)	$	645		$	(6,155	)
Trading
Interest rate swaps:
Interest reclassification	$	(239	)	$	(101	)	$	(129	)	$	(20	)
Realized losses recorded in earnings	(2,180		)	278			(6,935		)	(942		)
Total(1)	(2,419		)	177			(7,064		)	(962		)
Total	$	(8,623	)	$	(3,397	)	$	(6,806	)	$	(7,567	)

________

(1) Amounts included in “gains (losses) on derivatives and hedging activities, net” in the consolidated statements of income.

Impact of Derivatives on the Statements of Changes in Stockholders’ Equity

	Three Months Ended						Six Months Ended
	June 30,						June 30,
	2018			2017			2018			2017
Amount of gain recognized in other comprehensive income (loss)	$	9,471		$	(4,698	)	$	28,200		$	(3,258	)
Less: amount of loss reclassified in interest expense(1)	(543		)	(2,669		)	(2,104		)	(6,008		)
Total change in other comprehensive income (loss) for unrealized gains (losses) on derivatives, before income tax (expense) benefit	$	10,014		$	(2,029	)	$	30,304		$	2,750

___________

⁽¹⁾ Amounts included in “realized losses recorded in interest expense” in the “Impact of Derivatives on the Consolidated Statements of Income” table.

Cash Collateral

As of June 30, 2018, cash collateral held and pledged excludes amounts that represent legal settlement of the derivative contracts held with CME and LCH. Cash collateral held related to derivative exposure between us and our derivatives counterparties was zero at both June 30, 2018 and December 31, 2017. Collateral held is recorded in “Other Liabilities” on the consolidated balance sheets. Cash collateral pledged related to derivative exposure between us and our derivatives counterparties was $28 million and $22 million at June 30, 2018 and December 31, 2017, respectively. Collateral pledged is recorded in “Other interest-earning assets” on the consolidated balance sheets.

XML

Stockholders' Equity

6 Months Ended

Jun. 30, 2018

Equity [Abstract]

Stockholders' Equity

Stockholders’ Equity

Common Stock

The following table summarizes our common share repurchases and issuances.

	Three Months Ended   June 30,				Six Months Ended   June 30,
(Shares and per share amounts in actuals)	2018		2017		2018		2017
Shares repurchased related to employee stock-based compensation plans(1)(2)	200,577		981,477		2,940,595		2,584,964
Average purchase price per share	$	11.60	$	12.39	$	11.33	$	12.12
Common shares issued(3)	384,955		1,491,057		5,944,946		5,229,774

__________________

⁽¹⁾ Comprised of shares withheld from stock option exercises and vesting of restricted stock for employees’ tax withholding obligations and shares tendered by employees to satisfy option exercise costs.

⁽²⁾ At the present time, we do not intend to initiate a publicly announced share repurchase program.

⁽³⁾ Common shares issued under our various compensation and benefit plans.

The closing price of our common stock on June 29, 2018 was $11.45.

XML

Earnings per Common Share

6 Months Ended

Jun. 30, 2018

Earnings Per Share [Abstract]

Earnings per Common Share

Earnings per Common Share

Basic earnings per common share (“EPS”) are calculated using the weighted average number of shares of common stock outstanding during each period. A reconciliation of the numerators and denominators of the basic and diluted EPS calculations follows.

	Three Months Ended				Six Months Ended
	June 30,				June 30,
(In thousands, except per share data)	2018		2017		2018		2017
Numerator:
Net income	$	109,832	$	70,617	$	236,086	$	165,560
Preferred stock dividends	3,920		3,974		7,317		9,549
Net income attributable to SLM Corporation common stock	$	105,912	$	66,643	$	228,769	$	156,011
Denominator:
Weighted average shares used to compute basic EPS	435,187		431,245		434,573		430,572
Effect of dilutive securities:
Dilutive effect of stock options, restricted stock, restricted stock units and Employee Stock Purchase Plan (“ESPP”) (1)(2)	4,258		6,870		4,639		7,852
Weighted average shares used to compute diluted EPS	439,445		438,115		439,212		438,424
Basic earnings per common share attributable to SLM Corporation	$	0.24	$	0.15	$	0.53	$	0.36
Diluted earnings per common share attributable to SLM Corporation	$	0.24	$	0.15	$	0.52	$	0.35

________________             

⁽¹⁾ Includes the potential dilutive effect of additional common shares that are issuable upon exercise of outstanding stock options, restricted stock, restricted stock units, and the outstanding commitment to issue shares under the ESPP, determined by the treasury stock method.

⁽²⁾ For the three months ended June 30, 2018 and 2017, securities covering approximately 0 and 0 shares, respectively, and for six months ended June 30, 2018 and 2017, securities covering approximately 0 and 0 shares, respectively, were outstanding but not included in the computation of diluted earnings per share because they were anti-dilutive.

XML

Fair Value Measurements

6 Months Ended

Jun. 30, 2018

Fair Value Disclosures [Abstract]

Fair Value Measurements

Fair Value Measurements

We use estimates of fair value in applying various accounting standards for our financial statements.

We categorize our fair value estimates based on a hierarchical framework associated with three levels of price transparency utilized in measuring financial instruments at fair value. For additional information regarding our policies for determining fair value and the hierarchical framework, see Note 2, “Significant Accounting Policies - Fair Value Measurement” in our 2017 Form 10-K.

During the six months ended June 30, 2018, there were no significant transfers of financial instruments between levels or changes in our methodology or assumptions used to value our financial instruments.

The following table summarizes the valuation of our financial instruments that are marked to fair value on a recurring basis.

	Fair Value Measurements on a Recurring Basis
	June 30, 2018										December 31, 2017
	Level 1		Level 2			Level 3		Total			Level 1		Level 2			Level 3		Total
Assets
Available-for-sale investments	$	—	$	178,145		$	—	$	178,145		$	—	$	244,088		$	—	$	244,088
Derivative instruments	—		1,403			—		1,403			—		812			—		812
Total	$	—	$	179,548		$	—	$	179,548		$	—	$	244,900		$	—	$	244,900
Liabilities
Derivative instruments	$	—	$	(92	)	$	—	$	(92	)	$	—	$	(2,584	)	$	—	$	(2,584	)
Total	$	—	$	(92	)	$	—	$	(92	)	$	—	$	(2,584	)	$	—	$	(2,584	)

The following table summarizes the fair values of our financial assets and liabilities, including derivative financial instruments.

	June 30, 2018						December 31, 2017
	Fair Value		Carrying Value		Difference		Fair Value		Carrying Value		Difference
Earning assets
Loans held for investment, net	$	22,349,831	$	20,308,581	$	2,041,250	$	20,673,136	$	18,567,641	$	2,105,495
Cash and cash equivalents	2,043,789		2,043,789		—		1,534,339		1,534,339		—
Available-for-sale investments	178,145		178,145		—		244,088		244,088		—
Accrued interest receivable	1,161,161		1,161,161		—		967,482		967,482		—
Tax indemnification receivable	153,470		153,470		—		168,011		168,011		—
Derivative instruments	1,403		1,403		—		812		812		—
Total earning assets	$	25,887,799	$	23,846,549	$	2,041,250	$	23,587,868	$	21,482,373	$	2,105,495
Interest-bearing liabilities
Money-market and savings accounts	$	8,795,950	$	8,795,950	$	—	$	8,470,209	$	8,470,209	$	—
Certificates of deposit	7,911,777		7,947,935		36,158		7,044,208		7,034,121		(10,087		)
Long-term borrowings	4,198,150		4,217,119		18,969		3,299,871		3,275,270		(24,601		)
Accrued interest payable	46,658		46,658		—		35,363		35,363		—
Derivative instruments	92		92		—		2,584		2,584		—
Total interest-bearing liabilities	$	20,952,627	$	21,007,754	$	55,127	$	18,852,235	$	18,817,547	$	(34,688	)
Excess of net asset fair value over carrying value					$	2,096,377					$	2,070,807

Please refer to Note 15, “Fair Value Measurements” in our 2017 Form 10-K for a full discussion of the methods and assumptions used to estimate the fair value of each class of financial instruments.

XML

Arrangements with Navient Corporation

6 Months Ended

Jun. 30, 2018

Related Party Transactions [Abstract]

Arrangements with Navient Corporation

Arrangements with Navient Corporation

In connection with the Spin-Off, we entered into a separation and distribution agreement (the “Separation and Distribution Agreement”) and other ancillary agreements with Navient. Please refer to Note 16, “Arrangements with Navient Corporation” in our 2017 Form 10-K for a full discussion of these agreements.

Indemnification Obligations

Navient is responsible for, and has agreed to indemnify us against, all claims, actions, damages, losses or expenses that may arise from the conduct of all activities of pre-Spin-Off SLM Corporation (“pre-Spin-Off SLM”) occurring prior to the Spin-Off other than those specifically excluded in the Separation and Distribution Agreement. Some significant examples of the types of indemnification obligations Navient has under the Separation and Distribution Agreement and related ancillary agreements include:

• Navient will indemnify the Company and Sallie Mae Bank, a Utah industrial bank subsidiary of the Company (the “Bank”), for any liabilities, costs or expenses they may incur arising from any action or threatened action related to the servicing, operations and collections activities of pre-Spin-Off SLM and its subsidiaries with respect to Private Education Loans and FFELP Loans that were assets of the Bank or Navient at the time of the Spin-Off; provided that written notice was provided to Navient on or prior to April 30, 2017, the third anniversary date of the Spin-Off. Navient will not indemnify for changes in law or changes in prior existing interpretations of law that occur on or after April 30, 2014.

• Pursuant to a tax sharing agreement, Navient has agreed to indemnify us for $283 million in deferred taxes that we are legally responsible for but that relate to gains recognized by our predecessor on debt repurchases made prior to the Spin-Off. The remaining amount of this indemnification at June 30, 2018 was $18 million. In connection with the Spin-Off, we also recorded a liability related to uncertain tax positions of $27 million for which we are indemnified by Navient. As of June 30, 2018, the remaining balance of the indemnification receivable related to those uncertain tax positions was $26 million. In addition, we believe we are indemnified by Navient for uncertain tax positions relating to historical transactions among entities that are now subsidiaries of Navient that should have been recorded at the time of the Spin-Off. The remaining balance of the indemnification receivable related to those uncertain tax positions was $110 million at June 30, 2018.

Amended Loan Participation and Purchase Agreement

Prior to the Spin-Off, the Bank sold substantially all of its Private Education Loans to several former affiliates, now subsidiaries of Navient (collectively, the “Purchasers”), pursuant to this agreement. This agreement predates the Spin-Off but was significantly amended and reduced in scope in connection with the Spin-Off. Post-Spin-Off, the Bank retained only the right to require the Purchasers to purchase Split Loans (at fair value) when the Split Loans either (1) are more than 90 days past due; (2) have been restructured; (3) have been granted a hardship forbearance or more than six months of administrative forbearance; or (4) have a borrower or cosigner who has filed for bankruptcy. In the second quarter of 2018, we sold our remaining $43 million portfolio of Split Loans (both current and non-current loans) to Navient and recognized a net gain of $2 million.

XML

Regulatory Capital

6 Months Ended

Jun. 30, 2018

Banking and Thrift [Abstract]

Regulatory Capital

Regulatory Capital

The Bank is subject to various regulatory capital requirements administered by the FDIC and the Utah Department of Financial Institutions (the “UDFI”). Failure to meet minimum capital requirements can initiate certain mandatory and possibly additional discretionary actions by regulators that, if undertaken, could have a direct material adverse effect on our business, results of operation and financial condition. Under the FDIC’s regulations implementing the Basel III capital framework (“U.S. Basel III”) and the regulatory framework for prompt corrective action, the Bank must meet specific capital standards that involve quantitative measures of its assets, liabilities and certain off-balance sheet items as calculated under regulatory accounting practices. The Bank’s capital amounts and its classification under the prompt corrective action framework are also subject to qualitative judgments by the regulators about components of capital, risk weightings and other factors.

The Bank is required to report regulatory capital and ratios in accordance with U.S. Basel III. Among other things, U.S. Basel III established Common Equity Tier 1 as a tier of capital, modified methods for calculating risk-weighted assets, introduced a capital conservation buffer (which is being phased in over several years), and revised the capital thresholds of the prompt corrective action framework, including the “well capitalized” standard.

“Well capitalized” regulatory requirements are the quantitative measures established by regulation to ensure capital adequacy. To qualify as “well capitalized,” the Bank must maintain minimum amounts and ratios (set forth in the table below) of Common Equity Tier 1, Tier 1 and Total capital to risk-weighted assets and of Tier 1 capital to average assets. The following capital amounts and ratios are based upon the Bank’s assets.

	Actual				“Well Capitalized” Regulatory Requirements
	Amount		Ratio		Amount			Ratio
As of June 30, 2018:
Common Equity Tier 1 Capital (to Risk-Weighted Assets)	$	2,617,021	12.0	%	$	1,417,350	>	6.5	%
Tier 1 Capital (to Risk-Weighted Assets)	$	2,617,021	12.0	%	$	1,744,431	>	8.0	%
Total Capital (to Risk-Weighted Assets)	$	2,889,876	13.3	%	$	2,180,539	>	10.0	%
Tier 1 Capital (to Average Assets)	$	2,617,021	11.2	%	$	1,164,750	>	5.0	%
As of December 31, 2017:
Common Equity Tier 1 Capital (to Risk-Weighted Assets)	$	2,350,081	11.9	%	$	1,288,435	>	6.5	%
Tier 1 Capital (to Risk-Weighted Assets)	$	2,350,081	11.9	%	$	1,585,767	>	8.0	%
Total Capital (to Risk-Weighted Assets)	$	2,597,926	13.1	%	$	1,982,208	>	10.0	%
Tier 1 Capital (to Average Assets)	$	2,350,081	11.0	%	$	1,067,739	>	5.0	%

Bank Dividends

The Bank is chartered under the laws of the State of Utah and its deposits are insured by the FDIC. The Bank’s ability to pay dividends is subject to the laws of Utah and the regulations of the FDIC. Generally, under Utah’s industrial bank laws and regulations as well as FDIC regulations, the Bank may pay dividends from its net profits without regulatory approval if, following the payment of the dividend, the Bank’s capital and surplus would not be impaired. The Bank paid no dividends for the six months ended June 30, 2018 and June 30, 2017.

XML

Commitments, Contingencies and Guarantees

6 Months Ended

Jun. 30, 2018

Commitments and Contingencies Disclosure [Abstract]

Commitments, Contingencies and Guarantees

Commitments, Contingencies and Guarantees

Commitments

When we approve a Private Education Loan at the beginning of an academic year, that approval may cover the borrowing for the entire academic year. As such, we do not always disburse the full amount of the loan at the time of such approval, but instead have a commitment to fund a portion of the loan at a later date (usually at the start of the second semester or subsequent trimesters). At June 30, 2018, we had $1.7 billion of outstanding contractual loan commitments which we expect to fund during the remainder of the 2018/2019 academic year. At June 30, 2018, we had a $0.6 million reserve recorded in “Other Liabilities” to cover expected losses that may occur during the one-year loss emergence period on these unfunded commitments.

Contingencies

In the ordinary course of business, we and our subsidiaries are routinely defendants in or parties to pending and threatened legal actions and proceedings, including actions brought on behalf of various classes of claimants. These actions and proceedings may be based on alleged violations of consumer protection, securities, employment and other laws. In certain of these actions and proceedings, claims for substantial monetary damage may be asserted against us and our subsidiaries.

It is common for the Company, our subsidiaries and affiliates to receive information and document requests and investigative demands from state attorneys general, legislative committees, and administrative agencies. These requests may be for informational or regulatory purposes and may relate to our business practices, the industries in which we operate, or other companies with whom we conduct business. Our practice has been and continues to be to cooperate with these bodies and be responsive to any such requests.

We are required to establish reserves for litigation and regulatory matters where those matters present loss contingencies that are both probable and estimable. When loss contingencies are not both probable and estimable, we do not establish reserves.

Based on current knowledge, management does not believe there are loss contingencies, if any, arising from pending investigations, litigation or regulatory matters for which reserves should be established.

XML

Significant Accounting Policies (Policies)

6 Months Ended

Jun. 30, 2018

Accounting Policies [Abstract]

Basis of Presentation

Basis of Presentation

The accompanying unaudited, consolidated financial statements of SLM Corporation (“Sallie Mae,” “SLM,” the “Company,” “we,” or “us”) 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 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 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, 2018 are not necessarily indicative of the results for the year ending December 31, 2018 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, 2017 (the “2017 Form 10-K”).

Consolidation

Consolidation

The consolidated financial statements include the accounts of the Company and its majority-owned and controlled subsidiaries after eliminating the effects of intercompany accounts and transactions.

We consolidate any variable interest entity (“VIE”) where we have determined we are the primary beneficiary. The primary beneficiary is the entity which has both: (1) the power to direct the activities of the VIE that most significantly impact the VIE’s economic performance and (2) the obligation to absorb losses or receive benefits of the entity that could potentially be significant to the VIE.

Recently Issued and Adopted Accounting Pronouncements

Recently Issued and Adopted Accounting Pronouncements

In November 2016, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (the “FASB”) issued Accounting Standards Update (“ASU”) No. 2016-18, “Statement of Cash Flows (Topic 230): Restricted Cash.” Whereas restricted cash balances have traditionally been excluded from the statement of cash flows, this ASU requires restricted cash and restricted cash equivalents to be included within the beginning and ending totals of cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash presented on the statement of cash flows for all periods presented. Restricted cash and restricted cash equivalent inflows and outflows with external parties are required to be classified within the operating, investing, and/or financing activity sections of the statement of cash flows, whereas transfers between cash and cash equivalents and restricted cash and restricted cash equivalents should no longer be presented on the statement of cash flows. ASU No. 2016-18 also requires (a) the nature of the restrictions to be disclosed to help provide information about the sources and uses of these balances during a reporting period and (b) a reconciliation of the cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash totals on the statement of cash flows to the related balance sheet line items when cash, cash equivalents, and restricted cash are presented in more than one line item on the balance sheet. The reconciliation can be presented either on the face of the statement of cash flows or in the notes to the financial statements and must be provided for each period that a balance sheet is presented. We adopted the new accounting pronouncement on January 1, 2018, and the adoption did not have a material impact to our statement of cash flows.

In February 2018, the FASB issued ASU No. 2018-02, “Income Statement - Reporting Comprehensive Income (Topic 220): Reclassification of Certain Tax Effects from Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income,” which allows a reclassification from accumulated other comprehensive income to retained earnings for stranded tax effects resulting from the tax law and tax rate changes under the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 (the “Tax Act”) enacted on December 22, 2017. Under the Tax Act, deferred taxes were adjusted to reflect the reduction of the historical corporate income tax rate to the newly enacted corporate income tax rate, which left the tax effects on items within accumulated other comprehensive income stranded at an inappropriate tax rate. This guidance is effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2018, and for interim periods within those fiscal years, with early adoption permitted. We adopted this standard effective January 1, 2018 and recorded a $0.6 million reclass from accumulated other comprehensive income to retained earnings in the first quarter of 2018.

XML

Investments (Tables)

6 Months Ended

Jun. 30, 2018

Investments, Debt and Equity Securities [Abstract]

Schedule of amortized cost and fair value of securities available for sale

The amortized cost and fair value of securities available for sale are as follows:

	June 30, 2018
	Amortized Cost		Gross Unrealized Gains		Gross Unrealized Losses			Estimated Fair Value
Available for sale:
Mortgage-backed securities	$	167,203	$	119	$	(6,906	)	$	160,416
Utah Housing Corporation bonds	18,546		—		(817		)	17,729
Total	$	185,749	$	119	$	(7,723	)	$	178,145
	December 31, 2017
	Amortized Cost		Gross Unrealized Gains		Gross Unrealized Losses			Estimated Fair Value
Available for sale:
Mortgage-backed securities	$	227,607	$	650	$	(3,210	)	$	225,047
Utah Housing Corporation bonds	20,000		—		(959		)	19,041
Total	$	247,607	$	650	$	(4,169	)	$	244,088

Available-for-sale securities, continuous unrealized loss position, fair value

The following table summarizes the amount of gross unrealized losses for our mortgage-backed securities and Utah Housing Corporation bonds and the estimated fair value for securities having gross unrealized losses, categorized by length of time the securities have been in an unrealized loss position:

	Less than 12 months					12 months or more					Total
	Gross Unrealized Losses			Estimated Fair Value		Gross Unrealized Losses			Estimated Fair Value		Gross Unrealized Losses			Estimated Fair Value
As of June 30, 2018:
Mortgage-backed securities	$	(1,568	)	$	49,747	$	(5,338	)	$	107,182	$	(6,906	)	$	156,929
Utah Housing Corporation bonds	—			—		(817		)	17,729		(817		)	17,729
Total	$	(1,568	)	$	49,747	$	(6,155	)	$	124,911	$	(7,723	)	$	174,658
As of December 31, 2017:
Mortgage-backed securities	$	(772	)	$	77,356	$	(2,438	)	$	110,500	$	(3,210	)	$	187,856
Utah Housing Corporation bonds	(77		)	4,923		(882		)	14,118		(959		)	19,041
Total	$	(849	)	$	82,279	$	(3,320	)	$	124,618	$	(4,169	)	$	206,897

Schedule of amortized cost and fair value of securities, by contractual maturities

As of June 30, 2018, the amortized cost and fair value of securities, by contractual maturities, are summarized below. Contractual maturities versus actual maturities may differ due to the effect of prepayments.

Year of Maturity	Amortized Cost		Estimated Fair Value
2038	$	269	$	284
2039	3,099		3,203
2042	10,099		9,381
2043	15,371		14,823
2044	24,183		23,464
2045	28,117		26,883
2046	41,807		39,789
2047	59,890		57,416
2048	2,914		2,902
Total	$	185,749	$	178,145

XML

Loans Held for Investment (Tables)

6 Months Ended

Jun. 30, 2018

Receivables [Abstract]

Schedule of Accounts, Notes, Loans and Financing Receivable

Loans held for investment are summarized as follows:

	June 30,			December 31,
	2018			2017
Private Education Loans:
Fixed rate	$	5,086,329		$	4,000,447
Variable rate	13,601,698			13,431,720
Total Private Education Loans, gross	18,688,027			17,432,167
Deferred origination costs and unamortized premium/(discount)	61,908			56,378
Allowance for loan losses	(261,695		)	(243,715		)
Total Private Education Loans, net	18,488,240			17,244,830
FFELP Loans	885,357			927,660
Deferred origination costs and unamortized premium/(discount)	2,496			2,631
Allowance for loan losses	(1,073		)	(1,132		)
Total FFELP Loans, net	886,780			929,159
Personal Loans (fixed rate)	966,080			400,280
Deferred origination costs and unamortized premium/(discount)	(10		)	—
Allowance for loan losses	(32,509		)	(6,628		)
Total Personal Loans, net	933,561			393,652
Loans held for investment, net	$	20,308,581		$	18,567,641

The average balance and the respective weighted average interest rates of loans in our portfolio are summarized as follows:

	Three Months Ended
	June 30,
	2018				2017
	Average Balance		Weighted Average Interest Rate		Average Balance		Weighted Average Interest Rate
Private Education Loans	$	18,764,768	9.03	%	$	15,687,803	8.33	%
FFELP Loans	898,095		4.51		980,478		3.87
Personal Loans	815,356		10.65		60,910		9.28
Total portfolio	$	20,478,219			$	16,729,191

	Six Months Ended
	June 30,
	2018				2017
	Average Balance		Weighted Average Interest Rate		Average Balance		Weighted Average Interest Rate
Private Education Loans	$	18,712,533	8.93	%	$	15,569,337	8.30	%
FFELP Loans	908,846		4.38		991,740		3.78
Personal Loans	672,792		10.65		48,464		9.24
Total portfolio	$	20,294,171			$	16,609,541

The following table provides the average recorded investment and interest income recognized for our TDR loans.

	Three Months Ended   June 30,
	2018				2017
	Average Recorded Investment		Interest Income Recognized		Average Recorded Investment		Interest Income Recognized
TDR Loans	$	1,105,042	$	18,718	$	766,171	$	14,310

	Six Months Ended   June 30,
	2018				2017
	Average Recorded Investment		Interest Income Recognized		Average Recorded Investment		Interest Income Recognized
TDR Loans	$	1,069,721	$	36,565	$	718,727	$	26,567

XML

Allowance for Loan Losses (Tables)

6 Months Ended

Jun. 30, 2018

Receivables [Abstract]

Allowance for credit losses and recorded investments in loans

Allowance for Loan Losses Metrics

	Allowance for Loan Losses
	Three Months Ended June 30, 2018
	FFELP Loans			Private Education Loans			Personal Loans			Total
Allowance for Loan Losses
Beginning balance	$	1,113		$	252,103		$	18,907		$	272,123
Total provision	252			46,264			16,378			62,894
Net charge-offs:
Charge-offs	(292		)	(42,270		)	(2,872		)	(45,434		)
Recoveries	—			5,598			96			5,694
Net charge-offs	(292		)	(36,672		)	(2,776		)	(39,740		)
Loan sales(1)	—			—			—			—
Ending Balance	$	1,073		$	261,695		$	32,509		$	295,277
Allowance:
Ending balance: individually evaluated for impairment	$	—		$	113,343		$	—		$	113,343
Ending balance: collectively evaluated for impairment	$	1,073		$	148,352		$	32,509		$	181,934
Loans:
Ending balance: individually evaluated for impairment	$	—		$	1,121,816		$	—		$	1,121,816
Ending balance: collectively evaluated for impairment	$	885,357		$	17,566,211		$	966,080		$	19,417,648
Net charge-offs as a percentage of average loans in repayment (annualized)(2)	0.17		%	1.14		%	1.36		%
Allowance as a percentage of the ending total loan balance	0.12		%	1.40		%	3.37		%
Allowance as a percentage of the ending loans in repayment(2)	0.16		%	2.02		%	3.37		%
Allowance coverage of net charge-offs (annualized)	0.92			1.78			2.93
Ending total loans, gross	$	885,357		$	18,688,027		$	966,080
Average loans in repayment(2)	$	698,197		$	12,909,623		$	815,741
Ending loans in repayment(2)	$	680,802		$	12,979,523		$	966,080

____________

⁽¹⁾ Represents fair value adjustments on loans sold.

⁽²⁾ Loans in repayment include loans on which borrowers are making interest only or fixed payments, as well as loans that have entered full principal and interest repayment status after any applicable grace period.

	Allowance for Loan Losses
	Three Months Ended June 30, 2017
	FFELP Loans			Private Education Loans			Personal Loans			Total
Allowance for Loan Losses
Beginning balance	$	1,637		$	185,103		$	346		$	187,086
Total provision	228			49,166			492			49,886
Net charge-offs:
Charge-offs	(259		)	(32,728		)	(20		)	(33,007		)
Recoveries	—			4,396			—			4,396
Net charge-offs	(259		)	(28,332		)	(20		)	(28,611		)
Loan sales(1)	—			(913		)	—			(913		)
Ending Balance	$	1,606		$	205,024		$	818		$	207,448
Allowance:
Ending balance: individually evaluated for impairment	$	—		$	95,177		$	—		$	95,177
Ending balance: collectively evaluated for impairment	$	1,606		$	109,847		$	818		$	112,271
Loans:
Ending balance: individually evaluated for impairment	$	—		$	803,456		$	—		$	803,456
Ending balance: collectively evaluated for impairment	$	967,237		$	14,876,001		$	69,508		$	15,912,746
Net charge-offs as a percentage of average loans in repayment (annualized)(2)	0.14		%	1.08		%	0.13		%
Allowance as a percentage of the ending total loan balance	0.17		%	1.31		%	1.18		%
Allowance as a percentage of the ending loans in repayment(2)	0.21		%	1.93		%	1.18		%
Allowance coverage of net charge-offs (annualized)	1.55			1.81			10.23
Ending total loans, gross	$	967,237		$	15,679,457		$	69,508
Average loans in repayment(2)	$	757,186		$	10,523,225		$	61,439
Ending loans in repayment(2)	$	765,980		$	10,615,105		$	69,508

____________

⁽¹⁾ Represents fair value adjustments on loans sold.

⁽²⁾ Loans in repayment include loans on which borrowers are making interest only or fixed payments, as well as loans that have entered full principal and interest repayment status after any applicable grace period.

	Allowance for Loan Losses
	Six Months Ended June 30, 2018
	FFELP Loans			Private Education Loans			Personal Loans			Total
Allowance for Loan Losses
Beginning balance	$	1,132		$	243,715		$	6,628		$	251,475
Total provision	483			88,134			29,826			118,443
Net charge-offs:
Charge-offs	(542		)	(79,623		)	(4,072		)	(84,237		)
Recoveries	—			10,685			127			10,812
Net charge-offs	(542		)	(68,938		)	(3,945		)	(73,425		)
Loan sales(1)	—			(1,216		)	—			(1,216		)
Ending Balance	$	1,073		$	261,695		$	32,509		$	295,277
Allowance:
Ending balance: individually evaluated for impairment	$	—		$	113,343		$	—		$	113,343
Ending balance: collectively evaluated for impairment	$	1,073		$	148,352		$	32,509		$	181,934
Loans:
Ending balance: individually evaluated for impairment	$	—		$	1,121,816		$	—		$	1,121,816
Ending balance: collectively evaluated for impairment	$	885,357		$	17,566,211		$	966,080		$	19,417,648
Net charge-offs as a percentage of average loans in repayment (annualized)(2)	0.15		%	1.08		%	1.17		%
Allowance as a percentage of the ending total loan balance	0.12		%	1.40		%	3.37		%
Allowance as a percentage of the ending loans in repayment(2)	0.16		%	2.02		%	3.37		%
Allowance coverage of net charge-offs (annualized)	0.99			1.90			4.12
Ending total loans, gross	$	885,357		$	18,688,027		$	966,080
Average loans in repayment(2)	$	709,010		$	12,810,072		$	673,552
Ending loans in repayment(2)	$	680,802		$	12,979,523		$	966,080

____________

⁽¹⁾ Represents fair value adjustments on loans sold.

⁽²⁾ Loans in repayment include loans on which borrowers are making interest only or fixed payments, as well as loans that have entered full principal and interest repayment status after any applicable grace period.

	Allowance for Loan Losses
	Six Months Ended June 30, 2017
	FFELP Loans			Private Education Loans			Personal Loans			Total
Allowance for Loan Losses
Beginning balance	$	2,171		$	182,472		$	58		$	184,701
Total provision	(88		)	75,986			780			76,678
Net charge-offs:
Charge-offs	(477		)	(58,955		)	(20		)	(59,452		)
Recoveries	—			7,655			—			7,655
Net charge-offs	(477		)	(51,300		)	(20		)	(51,797		)
Loan sales(1)	—			(2,134		)	—			(2,134		)
Ending Balance	$	1,606		$	205,024		$	818		$	207,448
Allowance:
Ending balance: individually evaluated for impairment	$	—		$	95,177		$	—		$	95,177
Ending balance: collectively evaluated for impairment	$	1,606		$	109,847		$	818		$	112,271
Loans:
Ending balance: individually evaluated for impairment	$	—		$	803,456		$	—		$	803,456
Ending balance: collectively evaluated for impairment	$	967,237		$	14,876,001		$	69,508		$	15,912,746
Net charge-offs as a percentage of average loans in repayment (annualized)(2)	0.12		%	0.99		%	0.08		%
Allowance as a percentage of the ending total loan balance	0.17		%	1.31		%	1.18		%
Allowance as a percentage of the ending loans in repayment(2)	0.21		%	1.93		%	1.18		%
Allowance coverage of net charge-offs (annualized)	1.68			2.00			20.45
Ending total loans, gross	$	967,237		$	15,679,457		$	69,508
Average loans in repayment(2)	$	765,347		$	10,375,463		$	47,654
Ending loans in repayment(2)	$	765,980		$	10,615,105		$	69,508

____________

⁽¹⁾ Represents fair value adjustments on loans sold.

⁽²⁾ Loans in repayment include loans on which borrowers are making interest only or fixed payments, as well as loans that have entered full principal and interest repayment status after any applicable grace period.

Impaired financing receivables

The following table provides the recorded investment, unpaid principal balance and related allowance for our TDR loans.

	Recorded Investment		Unpaid Principal Balance		Allowance
June 30, 2018
TDR Loans	$	1,139,417	$	1,121,816	$	113,343
December 31, 2017
TDR Loans	$	1,007,141	$	990,351	$	94,682

Average recorded investment and interest income recognized for troubled debt restructuring loans

Loans held for investment are summarized as follows:

	June 30,			December 31,
	2018			2017
Private Education Loans:
Fixed rate	$	5,086,329		$	4,000,447
Variable rate	13,601,698			13,431,720
Total Private Education Loans, gross	18,688,027			17,432,167
Deferred origination costs and unamortized premium/(discount)	61,908			56,378
Allowance for loan losses	(261,695		)	(243,715		)
Total Private Education Loans, net	18,488,240			17,244,830
FFELP Loans	885,357			927,660
Deferred origination costs and unamortized premium/(discount)	2,496			2,631
Allowance for loan losses	(1,073		)	(1,132		)
Total FFELP Loans, net	886,780			929,159
Personal Loans (fixed rate)	966,080			400,280
Deferred origination costs and unamortized premium/(discount)	(10		)	—
Allowance for loan losses	(32,509		)	(6,628		)
Total Personal Loans, net	933,561			393,652
Loans held for investment, net	$	20,308,581		$	18,567,641

The average balance and the respective weighted average interest rates of loans in our portfolio are summarized as follows:

	Three Months Ended
	June 30,
	2018				2017
	Average Balance		Weighted Average Interest Rate		Average Balance		Weighted Average Interest Rate
Private Education Loans	$	18,764,768	9.03	%	$	15,687,803	8.33	%
FFELP Loans	898,095		4.51		980,478		3.87
Personal Loans	815,356		10.65		60,910		9.28
Total portfolio	$	20,478,219			$	16,729,191

	Six Months Ended
	June 30,
	2018				2017
	Average Balance		Weighted Average Interest Rate		Average Balance		Weighted Average Interest Rate
Private Education Loans	$	18,712,533	8.93	%	$	15,569,337	8.30	%
FFELP Loans	908,846		4.38		991,740		3.78
Personal Loans	672,792		10.65		48,464		9.24
Total portfolio	$	20,294,171			$	16,609,541

The following table provides the average recorded investment and interest income recognized for our TDR loans.

	Three Months Ended   June 30,
	2018				2017
	Average Recorded Investment		Interest Income Recognized		Average Recorded Investment		Interest Income Recognized
TDR Loans	$	1,105,042	$	18,718	$	766,171	$	14,310

	Six Months Ended   June 30,
	2018				2017
	Average Recorded Investment		Interest Income Recognized		Average Recorded Investment		Interest Income Recognized
TDR Loans	$	1,069,721	$	36,565	$	718,727	$	26,567

Age analysis of past due loans delinquencies

The following table provides information regarding the loan status and aging of TDR loans.

	June 30,				December 31,
	2018				2017
	Balance		%		Balance		%
TDR loans in in-school/grace/deferment(1)	$	57,595			$	51,745
TDR loans in forbearance(2)	59,682				69,652
TDR loans in repayment(3) and percentage of each status:
Loans current	917,138		91.3	%	774,222		89.1	%
Loans delinquent 31-60 days(4)	45,080		4.5		48,377		5.6
Loans delinquent 61-90 days(4)	25,580		2.5		28,778		3.3
Loans delinquent greater than 90 days(4)	16,741		1.7		17,577		2.0
Total TDR loans in repayment	1,004,539		100.0	%	868,954		100.0	%
Total TDR loans, gross	$	1,121,816			$	990,351

_____

⁽¹⁾  Deferment includes customers who have returned to school or are engaged in other permitted educational activities and are not yet required to make payments on the loans (e.g., residency periods for medical students or a grace period for bar exam preparation).

⁽²⁾  Loans for customers who have requested extension of grace period generally during employment transition or who have temporarily ceased making full payments due to hardship or other factors, consistent with established loan program servicing policies and procedures.

⁽³⁾  Loans in repayment include loans on which borrowers are making interest only or fixed payments, as well as loans that have entered full principal and interest repayment status after any applicable grace period.

⁽⁴⁾  The period of delinquency is based on the number of days scheduled payments are contractually past due.

The following table provides information regarding the loan status of our Private Education Loans. Loans in repayment include loans making interest only or fixed payments, as well as loans that have entered full principal and interest repayment status after any applicable grace period.

	Private Education Loans
	June 30,					December 31,
	2018					2017
	Balance			%		Balance			%
Loans in-school/grace/deferment(1)	$	5,250,393				$	4,757,732
Loans in forbearance(2)	458,111					468,402
Loans in repayment and percentage of each status:
Loans current	12,697,362			97.8	%	11,911,128			97.6	%
Loans delinquent 31-60 days(3)	166,322			1.3		179,002			1.5
Loans delinquent 61-90 days(3)	75,534			0.6		78,292			0.6
Loans delinquent greater than 90 days(3)	40,305			0.3		37,611			0.3
Total Private Education Loans in repayment	12,979,523			100.0	%	12,206,033			100.0	%
Total Private Education Loans, gross	18,688,027					17,432,167
Private Education Loans deferred origination costs and unamortized premium/(discount)	61,908					56,378
Total Private Education Loans	18,749,935					17,488,545
Private Education Loans allowance for losses	(261,695		)			(243,715		)
Private Education Loans, net	$	18,488,240				$	17,244,830
Percentage of Private Education Loans in repayment				69.5	%				70.0	%
Delinquencies as a percentage of Private Education Loans in repayment				2.2	%				2.4	%
Loans in forbearance as a percentage of Private Education Loans in repayment and forbearance				3.4	%				3.7	%

⁽¹⁾  Deferment includes customers who have returned to school or are engaged in other permitted educational activities and are not yet required to make payments on the loans (e.g., residency periods for medical students or a grace period for bar exam preparation).

⁽²⁾  Loans for customers who have requested extension of grace period generally during employment transition or who have temporarily ceased making full payments due to hardship or other factors, consistent with established loan program servicing policies and procedures.

⁽³⁾  The period of delinquency is based on the number of days scheduled payments are contractually past due.

Modified loans accounts for troubled debt restructuring

The following table provides the amount of modified loans (which include forbearance and reductions in interest rates) that became TDRs in the periods presented. Additionally, for the periods presented, the table summarizes charge-offs occurring in the TDR portfolio, as well as TDRs for which a payment default occurred in the relevant period presented and within 12 months of the loan first being designated as a TDR. We define payment default as more than 60 days past due for this disclosure.

	Three Months Ended   June 30, 2018						Three Months Ended   June 30, 2017
	Modified Loans(1)		Charge-offs		Payment- Default		Modified Loans(1)		Charge-offs		Payment- Default
TDR Loans	$	116,478	$	12,764	$	18,254	$	134,489	$	12,215	$	23,679

	Six Months Ended   June 30, 2018						Six Months Ended   June 30, 2017
	Modified Loans(1)		Charge-offs		Payment- Default		Modified Loans(1)		Charge-offs		Payment- Default
TDR Loans	$	200,652	$	28,224	$	47,988	$	246,695	$	22,738	$	49,113

_____

⁽¹⁾  Represents the principal balance of loans that have been modified during the period and resulted in a TDR.

Private education loan portfolio stratified by key credit quality indicators

The following table provides information regarding the loan status of our Personal Loans.

	Personal Loans
	June 30,					December 31,
	2018					2017
	Balance			%		Balance			%
Loans in repayment and percentage of each status:
Loans current	$	960,865		99.5	%	$	398,988		99.7	%
Loans delinquent 31-60 days(1)	2,376			0.2		761			0.2
Loans delinquent 61-90 days(1)	1,594			0.2		340			0.1
Loans delinquent greater than 90 days(1)	1,245			0.1		191			—
Total Personal Loans in repayment	966,080			100.0	%	400,280			100.0	%
Total Personal Loans, gross	966,080					400,280
Personal Loans unamortized discount	(10		)			—
Total Personal Loans	966,070					400,280
Personal Loans allowance for losses	(32,509		)			(6,628		)
Personal Loans, net	$	933,561				$	393,652
Delinquencies as a percentage of Personal Loans in repayment				0.5	%				0.3	%

_______

⁽¹⁾  The period of delinquency is based on the number of days scheduled payments are contractually past due.

The following table highlights the gross principal balance of our Private Education Loan portfolio stratified by key credit quality indicators.

	Private Education Loans
	Credit Quality Indicators
	June 30, 2018				December 31, 2017
Credit Quality Indicators:	Balance(1)		% of Balance		Balance(1)		% of Balance
Cosigners:
With cosigner	$	16,757,587	90	%	$	15,658,539	90	%
Without cosigner	1,930,440		10		1,773,628		10
Total	$	18,688,027	100	%	$	17,432,167	100	%
FICO at Original Approval(2):
Less than 670	$	1,256,273	7	%	$	1,153,591	6	%
670-699	2,814,316		15		2,596,959		15
700-749	6,152,102		33		5,714,554		33
Greater than or equal to 750	8,465,336		45		7,967,063		46
Total	$	18,688,027	100	%	$	17,432,167	100	%
Seasoning(3):
1-12 payments	$	4,837,671	26	%	$	4,256,592	24	%
13-24 payments	3,209,308		17		3,229,465		19
25-36 payments	2,471,002		13		2,429,238		14
37-48 payments	1,582,586		9		1,502,327		9
More than 48 payments	1,337,067		7		1,256,813		7
Not yet in repayment	5,250,393		28		4,757,732		27
Total	$	18,688,027	100	%	$	17,432,167	100	%

⁽¹⁾  Balance represents gross Private Education Loans.

⁽²⁾  Represents the higher credit score of the cosigner or the borrower.

⁽³⁾  Number of months in active repayment (whether interest only payment, fixed payment, or full principal and interest payment status) for which a scheduled payment was due.

The following table highlights the gross principal balance of our Personal Loan portfolio stratified by key credit quality indicators.

	Personal Loans
	Credit Quality Indicators
	June 30, 2018				December 31, 2017
Credit Quality Indicators:	Balance(1)		% of Balance		Balance(1)		% of Balance
FICO at Original Approval:
Less than 670	$	70,773	7	%	$	32,156	8	%
670-699	275,210		29		114,731		29
700-749	441,824		46		182,025		45
Greater than or equal to 750	178,273		18		71,368		18
Total	$	966,080	100	%	$	400,280	100	%
Seasoning(2):
0-12 payments	$	932,863	97	%	$	400,280	100	%
13-24 payments	33,217		3		—		—
25-36 payments	—		—		—		—
37-48 payments	—		—		—		—
More than 48 payments	—		—		—		—
Total	$	966,080	100	%	$	400,280	100	%

⁽¹⁾  Balance represents gross Personal Loans.

⁽²⁾  Number of months in active repayment for which a scheduled payment was due.

Accrued interest receivable

The following table provides information regarding accrued interest receivable on our Private Education Loans. The table also discloses the amount of accrued interest on loans greater than 90 days past due as compared to our allowance for uncollectible interest. The allowance for uncollectible interest exceeds the amount of accrued interest on our 90 days past due Private Education Loan portfolio for all periods presented.

	Private Education Loans
	Accrued Interest Receivable
	Total Interest Receivable		Greater Than 90 Days Past Due		Allowance for Uncollectible Interest
June 30, 2018	$	1,141,135	$	1,530	$	5,852
December 31, 2017	$	951,138	$	1,372	$	4,664

XML

Deposits (Tables)

6 Months Ended

Jun. 30, 2018

Banking and Thrift [Abstract]

Schedule of deposits

The following table summarizes total deposits at June 30, 2018 and December 31, 2017.

	June 30,		December 31,
	2018		2017
Deposits - interest bearing	$	16,743,885	$	15,504,330
Deposits - non-interest bearing	2,072		1,053
Total deposits	$	16,745,957	$	15,505,383

Interest bearing deposits

Interest bearing deposits at June 30, 2018 and December 31, 2017 are summarized as follows:

	June 30, 2018				December 31, 2017
	Amount		Qtr.-End Weighted Average Stated Rate(1)		Amount		Year-End Weighted Average Stated Rate(1)
Money market	$	8,113,708	2.21	%	$	7,731,966	1.80	%
Savings	682,242		1.59		738,243		1.10
Certificates of deposit	7,947,935		2.54		7,034,121		1.93
Deposits - interest bearing	$	16,743,885			$	15,504,330

____________

⁽¹⁾ Includes the effect of interest rate swaps in effective hedge relationships.

XML

Borrowings (Tables)

6 Months Ended

Jun. 30, 2018

Debt Disclosure [Abstract]

Schedule of debt

The following table summarizes our borrowings at June 30, 2018 and December 31, 2017.

	June 30, 2018						December 31, 2017
	Short-Term		Long-Term		Total		Short-Term		Long-Term		Total
Unsecured borrowings:
Unsecured debt	$	—	$	196,943	$	196,943	$	—	$	196,539	$	196,539
Total unsecured borrowings	—		196,943		196,943		—		196,539		196,539
Secured borrowings:
Private Education Loan term securitizations:
Fixed rate	—		2,125,035		2,125,035		—		1,565,760		1,565,760
Variable rate	—		1,895,141		1,895,141		—		1,512,971		1,512,971
Total Private Education Loan term securitizations	—		4,020,176		4,020,176		—		3,078,731		3,078,731
ABCP Facility	—		—		—		—		—		—
Total secured borrowings	—		4,020,176		4,020,176		—		3,078,731		3,078,731
Total	$	—	$	4,217,119	$	4,217,119	$	—	$	3,275,270	$	3,275,270

Schedule of securities financing transactions

Secured Financings at Issuance

Issue	Date Issued	Total Issued		Weighted Average Cost of Funds(1)	Weighted Average Life  (in years)
Private Education:
2016-A	May 2016	$	501,000	1-month LIBOR plus 1.38%	4.01
2016-B	July 2016	607,000		1-month LIBOR plus 1.36%	4.01
2016-C	October 2016	674,000		1-month LIBOR plus 1.15%	4.27
Total notes issued in 2016		$	1,782,000
Total loan and accrued interest amount securitized at inception in 2016		$	2,107,042
2017-A	February 2017	$	772,000	1-month LIBOR plus 0.93%	4.27
2017-B	November 2017	676,000		1-month LIBOR plus 0.80%	4.07
Total notes issued in 2017		$	1,448,000
Total loan and accrued interest amount securitized at inception in 2017		$	1,606,804
2018-A	March 2018	$	670,000	1-month LIBOR plus 0.78%	4.43
2018-B	June 2018	686,500		1-month LIBOR plus 0.76%	4.40
Total notes issued in 2018		$	1,356,500
Total loan and accrued interest amount securitized at inception in 2018		$	1,504,121

____________

⁽¹⁾ Represents LIBOR equivalent cost of funds for floating and fixed rate bonds, excluding issuance costs.

Schedule of variable interest entities

We consolidate the following financing VIEs as of June 30, 2018 and December 31, 2017, respectively:

	June 30, 2018
	Debt Outstanding						Carrying Amount of Assets Securing Debt Outstanding
	Short-Term		Long-Term		Total		Loans		Restricted Cash		Other Assets(1)		Total
Secured borrowings:
Private Education Loan term securitizations	$	—	$	4,020,176	$	4,020,176	$	4,793,290	$	105,963	$	334,333	$	5,233,586
ABCP Facility	—		—		—		—		—		706		706
Total	$	—	$	4,020,176	$	4,020,176	$	4,793,290	$	105,963	$	335,039	$	5,234,292

	December 31, 2017
	Debt Outstanding						Carrying Amount of Assets Securing Debt Outstanding
	Short-Term		Long-Term		Total		Loans		Restricted Cash		Other Assets(1)		Total
Secured borrowings:
Private Education Loan term securitizations	$	—	$	3,078,731	$	3,078,731	$	3,691,024	$	95,966	$	240,208	$	4,027,198
ABCP Facility	—		—		—		—		1,017		161		1,178
Total	$	—	$	3,078,731	$	3,078,731	$	3,691,024	$	96,983	$	240,369	$	4,028,376

____

(1) Other assets primarily represent accrued interest receivable.

XML

Derivative Financial Instruments (Tables)

6 Months Ended

Jun. 30, 2018

Derivative Instruments and Hedging Activities Disclosure [Abstract]

Impact of derivatives on the consolidated balance sheet

The following tables summarize the fair values and notional amounts of all derivative instruments at June 30, 2018 and December 31, 2017, and their impact on earnings and other comprehensive income for the three and six months ended June 30, 2018 and 2017. Please refer to Note 11, “Derivative Financial Instruments” in our 2017 Form 10-K for a full discussion of cash flow hedges, fair value hedges, and trading activities.

Impact of Derivatives on the Consolidated Balance Sheet

		Cash Flow Hedges					Fair Value Hedges				Trading					Total
		June 30,		December 31,			June 30,		December 31,		June 30,			December 31,		June 30,			December 31,
		2018		2017			2018		2017		2018			2017		2018			2017
Fair Values(1)	Hedged Risk Exposure
Derivative Assets:(2)
Interest rate swaps	Interest rate	$	959	$	—		$	444	$	630	$	—		$	182	$	1,403		$	812
Derivative Liabilities:(2)
Interest rate swaps	Interest rate	—		(2,584		)	—		—		(92		)	—		(92		)	(2,584		)
Total net derivatives		$	959	$	(2,584	)	$	444	$	630	$	(92	)	$	182	$	1,311		$	(1,772	)

     ___________

(1) Fair values reported include variation margin as legal settlement of the derivative contract and accrued interest. Assets and liabilities are presented without consideration of master netting agreements. Derivatives are carried on the balance sheet based on net position by counterparty under master netting agreements and classified in other assets or other liabilities depending on whether in a net positive or negative position.

(2) The following table reconciles gross positions with the impact of master netting agreements to the balance sheet classification:

	Other Assets						Other Liabilities
	June 30,			December 31,			June 30,			December 31,
	2018			2017			2018			2017
Gross position(1)	$	1,403		$	812		$	(92	)	$	(2,584	)
Impact of master netting agreement	(92		)	(812		)	92			812
Derivative values with impact of master netting agreements (as carried on balance sheet)	1,311			—			—			(1,772		)
Cash collateral pledged(2)	28,385			—			—			21,586
Net position	$	29,696		$	—		$	—		$	19,814

__________

(1) Gross position amounts include accrued interest and variation margin as legal settlement of the derivative contract.

(2) Cash collateral pledged excludes amounts that represent legal settlement of the derivative contracts.

Offsetting assets

The following table reconciles gross positions with the impact of master netting agreements to the balance sheet classification:

	Other Assets						Other Liabilities
	June 30,			December 31,			June 30,			December 31,
	2018			2017			2018			2017
Gross position(1)	$	1,403		$	812		$	(92	)	$	(2,584	)
Impact of master netting agreement	(92		)	(812		)	92			812
Derivative values with impact of master netting agreements (as carried on balance sheet)	1,311			—			—			(1,772		)
Cash collateral pledged(2)	28,385			—			—			21,586
Net position	$	29,696		$	—		$	—		$	19,814

__________

(1) Gross position amounts include accrued interest and variation margin as legal settlement of the derivative contract.

(2) Cash collateral pledged excludes amounts that represent legal settlement of the derivative contracts.

Offsetting liabilities

The following table reconciles gross positions with the impact of master netting agreements to the balance sheet classification:

	Other Assets						Other Liabilities
	June 30,			December 31,			June 30,			December 31,
	2018			2017			2018			2017
Gross position(1)	$	1,403		$	812		$	(92	)	$	(2,584	)
Impact of master netting agreement	(92		)	(812		)	92			812
Derivative values with impact of master netting agreements (as carried on balance sheet)	1,311			—			—			(1,772		)
Cash collateral pledged(2)	28,385			—			—			21,586
Net position	$	29,696		$	—		$	—		$	19,814

__________

(1) Gross position amounts include accrued interest and variation margin as legal settlement of the derivative contract.

(2) Cash collateral pledged excludes amounts that represent legal settlement of the derivative contracts.

Schedule of notional amounts of outstanding derivative positions

	Cash Flow				Fair Value				Trading				Total
	June 30,		December 31,		June 30,		December 31,		June 30,		December 31,		June 30,		December 31,
	2018		2017		2018		2017		2018		2017		2018		2017
Notional Values
Interest rate swaps	$	1,344,791	$	1,408,649	$	3,867,204	$	3,062,849	$	1,317,494	$	987,577	$	6,529,489	$	5,459,075

Derivative instruments, gain (loss)

Impact of Derivatives on the Consolidated Statements of Income

	Three Months Ended   June 30,						Six Months Ended   June 30,
	2018			2017			2018			2017
Fair Value Hedges
Interest rate swaps:
Hedge ineffectiveness realized gains (losses) recorded in earnings(1)	$	(2,914	)	$	(3,711	)	$	2,939		$	(7,878	)
Realized gains (losses) recorded in interest expense	(2,812		)	2,881			(3,326		)	7,428
Total	$	(5,726	)	$	(830	)	$	(387	)	$	(450	)
Cash Flow Hedges
Interest rate swaps:
Hedge ineffectiveness gains (losses) recorded in earnings(1)	$	65		$	(75	)	$	2,749		$	(147	)
Realized losses recorded in interest expense	(543		)	(2,669		)	(2,104		)	(6,008		)
Total	$	(478	)	$	(2,744	)	$	645		$	(6,155	)
Trading
Interest rate swaps:
Interest reclassification	$	(239	)	$	(101	)	$	(129	)	$	(20	)
Realized losses recorded in earnings	(2,180		)	278			(6,935		)	(942		)
Total(1)	(2,419		)	177			(7,064		)	(962		)
Total	$	(8,623	)	$	(3,397	)	$	(6,806	)	$	(7,567	)

________

(1) Amounts included in “gains (losses) on derivatives and hedging activities, net” in the consolidated statements of income.

Schedule of derivative instruments, effect on other comprehensive income (loss)

Impact of Derivatives on the Statements of Changes in Stockholders’ Equity

	Three Months Ended						Six Months Ended
	June 30,						June 30,
	2018			2017			2018			2017
Amount of gain recognized in other comprehensive income (loss)	$	9,471		$	(4,698	)	$	28,200		$	(3,258	)
Less: amount of loss reclassified in interest expense(1)	(543		)	(2,669		)	(2,104		)	(6,008		)
Total change in other comprehensive income (loss) for unrealized gains (losses) on derivatives, before income tax (expense) benefit	$	10,014		$	(2,029	)	$	30,304		$	2,750

___________

⁽¹⁾ Amounts included in “realized losses recorded in interest expense” in the “Impact of Derivatives on the Consolidated Statements of Income” table.

XML

Stockholders' Equity (Tables)

6 Months Ended

Jun. 30, 2018

Equity [Abstract]

Schedule of common share repurchases

The following table summarizes our common share repurchases and issuances.

	Three Months Ended   June 30,				Six Months Ended   June 30,
(Shares and per share amounts in actuals)	2018		2017		2018		2017
Shares repurchased related to employee stock-based compensation plans(1)(2)	200,577		981,477		2,940,595		2,584,964
Average purchase price per share	$	11.60	$	12.39	$	11.33	$	12.12
Common shares issued(3)	384,955		1,491,057		5,944,946		5,229,774

__________________

⁽¹⁾ Comprised of shares withheld from stock option exercises and vesting of restricted stock for employees’ tax withholding obligations and shares tendered by employees to satisfy option exercise costs.

⁽²⁾ At the present time, we do not intend to initiate a publicly announced share repurchase program.

⁽³⁾ Common shares issued under our various compensation and benefit plans.

XML

Earnings per Common Share (Tables)

6 Months Ended

Jun. 30, 2018

Earnings Per Share [Abstract]

Schedule of earnings per share, basic and diluted

A reconciliation of the numerators and denominators of the basic and diluted EPS calculations follows.

	Three Months Ended				Six Months Ended
	June 30,				June 30,
(In thousands, except per share data)	2018		2017		2018		2017
Numerator:
Net income	$	109,832	$	70,617	$	236,086	$	165,560
Preferred stock dividends	3,920		3,974		7,317		9,549
Net income attributable to SLM Corporation common stock	$	105,912	$	66,643	$	228,769	$	156,011
Denominator:
Weighted average shares used to compute basic EPS	435,187		431,245		434,573		430,572
Effect of dilutive securities:
Dilutive effect of stock options, restricted stock, restricted stock units and Employee Stock Purchase Plan (“ESPP”) (1)(2)	4,258		6,870		4,639		7,852
Weighted average shares used to compute diluted EPS	439,445		438,115		439,212		438,424
Basic earnings per common share attributable to SLM Corporation	$	0.24	$	0.15	$	0.53	$	0.36
Diluted earnings per common share attributable to SLM Corporation	$	0.24	$	0.15	$	0.52	$	0.35

________________             

⁽¹⁾ Includes the potential dilutive effect of additional common shares that are issuable upon exercise of outstanding stock options, restricted stock, restricted stock units, and the outstanding commitment to issue shares under the ESPP, determined by the treasury stock method.

⁽²⁾ For the three months ended June 30, 2018 and 2017, securities covering approximately 0 and 0 shares, respectively, and for six months ended June 30, 2018 and 2017, securities covering approximately 0 and 0 shares, respectively, were outstanding but not included in the computation of diluted earnings per share because they were anti-dilutive.

XML

Fair Value Measurements (Tables)

6 Months Ended

Jun. 30, 2018

Fair Value Disclosures [Abstract]

Valuation of financial instruments that are marked-to-market on recurring basis

The following table summarizes the valuation of our financial instruments that are marked to fair value on a recurring basis.

	Fair Value Measurements on a Recurring Basis
	June 30, 2018										December 31, 2017
	Level 1		Level 2			Level 3		Total			Level 1		Level 2			Level 3		Total
Assets
Available-for-sale investments	$	—	$	178,145		$	—	$	178,145		$	—	$	244,088		$	—	$	244,088
Derivative instruments	—		1,403			—		1,403			—		812			—		812
Total	$	—	$	179,548		$	—	$	179,548		$	—	$	244,900		$	—	$	244,900
Liabilities
Derivative instruments	$	—	$	(92	)	$	—	$	(92	)	$	—	$	(2,584	)	$	—	$	(2,584	)
Total	$	—	$	(92	)	$	—	$	(92	)	$	—	$	(2,584	)	$	—	$	(2,584	)

Fair values of financial assets and liabilities, including derivative financial instruments

The following table summarizes the fair values of our financial assets and liabilities, including derivative financial instruments.

	June 30, 2018						December 31, 2017
	Fair Value		Carrying Value		Difference		Fair Value		Carrying Value		Difference
Earning assets
Loans held for investment, net	$	22,349,831	$	20,308,581	$	2,041,250	$	20,673,136	$	18,567,641	$	2,105,495
Cash and cash equivalents	2,043,789		2,043,789		—		1,534,339		1,534,339		—
Available-for-sale investments	178,145		178,145		—		244,088		244,088		—
Accrued interest receivable	1,161,161		1,161,161		—		967,482		967,482		—
Tax indemnification receivable	153,470		153,470		—		168,011		168,011		—
Derivative instruments	1,403		1,403		—		812		812		—
Total earning assets	$	25,887,799	$	23,846,549	$	2,041,250	$	23,587,868	$	21,482,373	$	2,105,495
Interest-bearing liabilities
Money-market and savings accounts	$	8,795,950	$	8,795,950	$	—	$	8,470,209	$	8,470,209	$	—
Certificates of deposit	7,911,777		7,947,935		36,158		7,044,208		7,034,121		(10,087		)
Long-term borrowings	4,198,150		4,217,119		18,969		3,299,871		3,275,270		(24,601		)
Accrued interest payable	46,658		46,658		—		35,363		35,363		—
Derivative instruments	92		92		—		2,584		2,584		—
Total interest-bearing liabilities	$	20,952,627	$	21,007,754	$	55,127	$	18,852,235	$	18,817,547	$	(34,688	)
Excess of net asset fair value over carrying value					$	2,096,377					$	2,070,807

XML

Regulatory Capital (Tables)

6 Months Ended

Jun. 30, 2018

Banking and Thrift [Abstract]

Schedule of compliance with regulatory capital requirements under banking regulations

The following capital amounts and ratios are based upon the Bank’s assets.

	Actual				“Well Capitalized” Regulatory Requirements
	Amount		Ratio		Amount			Ratio
As of June 30, 2018:
Common Equity Tier 1 Capital (to Risk-Weighted Assets)	$	2,617,021	12.0	%	$	1,417,350	>	6.5	%
Tier 1 Capital (to Risk-Weighted Assets)	$	2,617,021	12.0	%	$	1,744,431	>	8.0	%
Total Capital (to Risk-Weighted Assets)	$	2,889,876	13.3	%	$	2,180,539	>	10.0	%
Tier 1 Capital (to Average Assets)	$	2,617,021	11.2	%	$	1,164,750	>	5.0	%
As of December 31, 2017:
Common Equity Tier 1 Capital (to Risk-Weighted Assets)	$	2,350,081	11.9	%	$	1,288,435	>	6.5	%
Tier 1 Capital (to Risk-Weighted Assets)	$	2,350,081	11.9	%	$	1,585,767	>	8.0	%
Total Capital (to Risk-Weighted Assets)	$	2,597,926	13.1	%	$	1,982,208	>	10.0	%
Tier 1 Capital (to Average Assets)	$	2,350,081	11.0	%	$	1,067,739	>	5.0	%

XML

Significant Accounting Polices (Details) $ in Millions	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2018 USD ($)
Accounting Policies [Abstract]
Reclassification resulting from the adoption of ASU No. 2018-02	$ 0.6

XML

Investments - Schedule of Amortized Cost and Fair Value of Securities Available-for-sale (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Jun. 30, 2018	Dec. 31, 2017
Available for sale:
Amortized Cost	$ 185,749	$ 247,607
Gross Unrealized Gains	119	650
Gross Unrealized Losses	(7,723)	(4,169)
Available-for-sale investments	178,145	244,088
Mortgage-backed securities
Available for sale:
Amortized Cost	167,203	227,607
Gross Unrealized Gains	119	650
Gross Unrealized Losses	(6,906)	(3,210)
Available-for-sale investments	160,416	225,047
Utah Housing Corporation bonds
Available for sale:
Amortized Cost	18,546	20,000
Gross Unrealized Gains	0	0
Gross Unrealized Losses	(817)	(959)
Available-for-sale investments	$ 17,729	$ 19,041

XML

Investments - Unrealized Losses and Fair Value for Mortgage-Backed Securities (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Jun. 30, 2018	Dec. 31, 2017
Less than 12 months
Gross Unrealized Losses	$ (1,568)	$ (849)
Estimated Fair Value	49,747	82,279
12 months or more
Gross Unrealized Losses	(6,155)	(3,320)
Estimated Fair Value	124,911	124,618
Gross Unrealized Losses	(7,723)	(4,169)
Estimated Fair Value	174,658	206,897
Mortgage-backed securities
Less than 12 months
Gross Unrealized Losses	(1,568)	(772)
Estimated Fair Value	49,747	77,356
12 months or more
Gross Unrealized Losses	(5,338)	(2,438)
Estimated Fair Value	107,182	110,500
Gross Unrealized Losses	(6,906)	(3,210)
Estimated Fair Value	156,929	187,856
Utah Housing Corporation bonds
Less than 12 months
Gross Unrealized Losses	0	(77)
Estimated Fair Value	0	4,923
12 months or more
Gross Unrealized Losses	(817)	(882)
Estimated Fair Value	17,729	14,118
Gross Unrealized Losses	(817)	(959)
Estimated Fair Value	$ 17,729	$ 19,041

XML

Investments - Narrative (Details) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2018 USD ($) security	Dec. 31, 2017 USD ($) security
Debt Securities, Available-for-sale [Line Items]
Amortized cost	$ 185,749	$ 247,607
Available-for-sale investments	178,145	244,088
Ginnie Mae
Debt Securities, Available-for-sale [Line Items]
Amortized cost	72,000
Fannie Mae
Debt Securities, Available-for-sale [Line Items]
Amortized cost	49,000
Freddie Mac
Debt Securities, Available-for-sale [Line Items]
Amortized cost	46,000
Mortgage-backed securities
Debt Securities, Available-for-sale [Line Items]
Amortized cost	$ 167,203	227,607
Number of mortgage-backed securities sold | security	9
Securities sold to align the portfolio with the Community Reinvestment Act requirements	$ 41,000
Available-for-sale investments	160,416	$ 225,047
Recognized loss on securities	$ 2,000
Number of mortgage-backed securities with unrealized losses | security	75	62
Number of mortgage-backed securities | security	84	92
Par value of mortgage-backed securities pledged	$ 161,000	$ 218,000
Mortgage-backed securities | Ginnie Mae
Debt Securities, Available-for-sale [Line Items]
Number of mortgage-backed securities with unrealized losses | security	35	31
Utah Housing Corporation bonds
Debt Securities, Available-for-sale [Line Items]
Amortized cost	$ 18,546	$ 20,000
Available-for-sale investments	17,729	19,041
Moody's, Aa3 Rating | Utah Housing Corporation bonds
Debt Securities, Available-for-sale [Line Items]
Amortized cost basis	$ 19,000	$ 20,000

XML

Investments - Schedule of Maturity (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Jun. 30, 2018	Dec. 31, 2017
Debt Securities, Available-for-sale [Line Items]
Amortized Cost	$ 185,749	$ 247,607
Available-for-sale investments	178,145	$ 244,088
2038
Debt Securities, Available-for-sale [Line Items]
Amortized Cost	269
Available-for-sale investments	284
2039
Debt Securities, Available-for-sale [Line Items]
Amortized Cost	3,099
Available-for-sale investments	3,203
2042
Debt Securities, Available-for-sale [Line Items]
Amortized Cost	10,099
Available-for-sale investments	9,381
2043
Debt Securities, Available-for-sale [Line Items]
Amortized Cost	15,371
Available-for-sale investments	14,823
2044
Debt Securities, Available-for-sale [Line Items]
Amortized Cost	24,183
Available-for-sale investments	23,464
2045
Debt Securities, Available-for-sale [Line Items]
Amortized Cost	28,117
Available-for-sale investments	26,883
2046
Debt Securities, Available-for-sale [Line Items]
Amortized Cost	41,807
Available-for-sale investments	39,789
2047
Debt Securities, Available-for-sale [Line Items]
Amortized Cost	59,890
Available-for-sale investments	57,416
2048
Debt Securities, Available-for-sale [Line Items]
Amortized Cost	2,914
Available-for-sale investments	$ 2,902

XML

Loans Held for Investment - Additional Information (Detail) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended		6 Months Ended		12 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2018	Jun. 30, 2017	Jun. 30, 2018	Jun. 30, 2017	Dec. 31, 2017	Jul. 01, 2006	Jun. 30, 2006	Sep. 30, 1993
Accounts, Notes, Loans and Financing Receivable [Line Items]
Percent of private loans indexed to LIBOR	73.00%		73.00%		77.00%
Gain on sale of portfolio split loans	$ 2,060	$ 0	$ 2,060	$ 0
Tier 1 of government guarantee (in percentage)	97.00%		97.00%			97.00%
Tier 2 of government guarantee (in percentage)							98.00%
Tier 3 of government guarantee (in percentage)								100.00%
Estimated weighted average life of student loans (in years)			5 years 3 months 5 days		5 years 6 months 5 days
Discontinued Operations, Disposed of by Sale
Accounts, Notes, Loans and Financing Receivable [Line Items]
Gain on sale of portfolio split loans	$ 2,000
Portfolio split loans sold	$ 43,000		$ 43,000

XML

Loans Held for Investment - Student Loan Portfolio by Program (Detail) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Jun. 30, 2018	Mar. 31, 2018	Dec. 31, 2017	Jun. 30, 2017	Mar. 31, 2017	Dec. 31, 2016
Accounts, Notes, Loans and Financing Receivable [Line Items]
Allowance for loan losses	$ (295,277)	$ (272,123)	$ (251,475)	$ (207,448)	$ (187,086)	$ (184,701)
Loans held for investment, net	20,308,581		18,567,641
Private Education Loans
Accounts, Notes, Loans and Financing Receivable [Line Items]
Gross amount of loans	18,688,027		17,432,167
Deferred origination costs and unamortized premium/(discount)	61,908		56,378
Allowance for loan losses	(261,695)		(243,715)
Loans held for investment, net	18,488,240		17,244,830
Private Education Loans | Fixed rate
Accounts, Notes, Loans and Financing Receivable [Line Items]
Gross amount of loans	5,086,329		4,000,447
Private Education Loans | Variable rate
Accounts, Notes, Loans and Financing Receivable [Line Items]
Gross amount of loans	13,601,698		13,431,720
FFELP Loans
Accounts, Notes, Loans and Financing Receivable [Line Items]
Gross amount of loans	885,357		927,660
Deferred origination costs and unamortized premium/(discount)	2,496		2,631
Allowance for loan losses	(1,073)		(1,132)
Loans held for investment, net	886,780		929,159
Personal Loans
Accounts, Notes, Loans and Financing Receivable [Line Items]
Gross amount of loans	966,080		400,280
Deferred origination costs and unamortized premium/(discount)	(10)		0
Allowance for loan losses	(32,509)		(6,628)
Loans held for investment, net	$ 933,561		$ 393,652

XML

Loans Held for Investment - Student Loan Portfolio Average Balances (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended		6 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2018	Jun. 30, 2017	Jun. 30, 2018	Jun. 30, 2017
Accounts, Notes, Loans and Financing Receivable [Line Items]
Average Balance	$ 20,478,219	$ 16,729,191	$ 20,294,171	$ 16,609,541
Private Education Loans
Accounts, Notes, Loans and Financing Receivable [Line Items]
Average Balance	$ 18,764,768	$ 15,687,803	$ 18,712,533	$ 15,569,337
Weighted Average Interest Rate	9.03%	8.33%	8.93%	8.30%
FFELP Loans
Accounts, Notes, Loans and Financing Receivable [Line Items]
Average Balance	$ 898,095	$ 980,478	$ 908,846	$ 991,740
Weighted Average Interest Rate	4.51%	3.87%	4.38%	3.78%
Personal Loans
Accounts, Notes, Loans and Financing Receivable [Line Items]
Average Balance	$ 815,356	$ 60,910	$ 672,792	$ 48,464
Weighted Average Interest Rate	10.65%	9.28%	10.65%	9.24%

XML

Allowance for Loan Losses - Allowance for Credit Losses and Recorded Investments in Loans (Detail) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended		6 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2018 USD ($) charge_off	Jun. 30, 2017 USD ($) charge_off	Jun. 30, 2018 USD ($) charge_off	Jun. 30, 2017 USD ($) charge_off
Allowance for Loan Losses
Allowance at beginning of period	$ 272,123	$ 187,086	$ 251,475	$ 184,701
Total provision	62,894	49,886	118,443	76,678
Net charge-offs:
Charge-offs	(45,434)	(33,007)	(84,237)	(59,452)
Recoveries	5,694	4,396	10,812	7,655
Net charge-offs	(39,740)	(28,611)	(73,425)	(51,797)
Loan sales	0	(913)	(1,216)	(2,134)
Allowance at end of period	295,277	207,448	295,277	207,448
Allowance:
Ending balance: individually evaluated for impairment	113,343	95,177	113,343	95,177
Ending balance: collectively evaluated for impairment	181,934	112,271	181,934	112,271
Loans:
Ending balance: individually evaluated for impairment	1,121,816	803,456	1,121,816	803,456
Ending balance: collectively evaluated for impairment	19,417,648	15,912,746	19,417,648	15,912,746
FFELP Loans
Allowance for Loan Losses
Allowance at beginning of period	1,113	1,637	1,132	2,171
Total provision	252	228	483	(88)
Net charge-offs:
Charge-offs	(292)	(259)	(542)	(477)
Recoveries	0	0	0	0
Net charge-offs	(292)	(259)	(542)	(477)
Loan sales	0	0	0	0
Allowance at end of period	1,073	1,606	1,073	1,606
Allowance:
Ending balance: individually evaluated for impairment	0	0	0	0
Ending balance: collectively evaluated for impairment	1,073	1,606	1,073	1,606
Loans:
Ending balance: individually evaluated for impairment	0	0	0	0
Ending balance: collectively evaluated for impairment	$ 885,357	$ 967,237	$ 885,357	$ 967,237
Net charge-offs as a percentage of average loans in repayment (annualized)	0.17%	0.14%	0.15%	0.12%
Allowance as a percentage of the ending total loan balance	0.12%	0.17%	0.12%	0.17%
Allowance as a percentage of the ending loans in repayment	0.16%	0.21%	0.16%	0.21%
Allowance coverage of net charge-offs (annualized) | charge_off	0.92	1.55	0.99	1.68
Ending total loans, gross	$ 885,357	$ 967,237	$ 885,357	$ 967,237
Average loans in repayment	698,197	757,186	709,010	765,347
Ending loans in repayment	680,802	765,980	680,802	765,980
Private Education Loans
Allowance for Loan Losses
Allowance at beginning of period	252,103	185,103	243,715	182,472
Total provision	46,264	49,166	88,134	75,986
Net charge-offs:
Charge-offs	(42,270)	(32,728)	(79,623)	(58,955)
Recoveries	5,598	4,396	10,685	7,655
Net charge-offs	(36,672)	(28,332)	(68,938)	(51,300)
Loan sales	0	(913)	(1,216)	(2,134)
Allowance at end of period	261,695	205,024	261,695	205,024
Allowance:
Ending balance: individually evaluated for impairment	113,343	95,177	113,343	95,177
Ending balance: collectively evaluated for impairment	148,352	109,847	148,352	109,847
Loans:
Ending balance: individually evaluated for impairment	1,121,816	803,456	1,121,816	803,456
Ending balance: collectively evaluated for impairment	$ 17,566,211	$ 14,876,001	$ 17,566,211	$ 14,876,001
Net charge-offs as a percentage of average loans in repayment (annualized)	1.14%	1.08%	1.08%	0.99%
Allowance as a percentage of the ending total loan balance	1.40%	1.31%	1.40%	1.31%
Allowance as a percentage of the ending loans in repayment	2.02%	1.93%	2.02%	1.93%
Allowance coverage of net charge-offs (annualized) | charge_off	1.78	1.81	1.90	2.00
Ending total loans, gross	$ 18,688,027	$ 15,679,457	$ 18,688,027	$ 15,679,457
Average loans in repayment	12,909,623	10,523,225	12,810,072	10,375,463
Ending loans in repayment	12,979,523	10,615,105	12,979,523	10,615,105
Personal Loans
Allowance for Loan Losses
Allowance at beginning of period	18,907	346	6,628	58
Total provision	16,378	492	29,826	780
Net charge-offs:
Charge-offs	(2,872)	(20)	(4,072)	(20)
Recoveries	96	0	127	0
Net charge-offs	(2,776)	(20)	(3,945)	(20)
Loan sales	0	0	0	0
Allowance at end of period	32,509	818	32,509	818
Allowance:
Ending balance: individually evaluated for impairment	0	0	0	0
Ending balance: collectively evaluated for impairment	32,509	818	32,509	818
Loans:
Ending balance: individually evaluated for impairment	0	0	0	0
Ending balance: collectively evaluated for impairment	$ 966,080	$ 69,508	$ 966,080	$ 69,508
Net charge-offs as a percentage of average loans in repayment (annualized)	1.36%	0.13%	1.17%	0.08%
Allowance as a percentage of the ending total loan balance	3.37%	1.18%	3.37%	1.18%
Allowance as a percentage of the ending loans in repayment	3.37%	1.18%	3.37%	1.18%
Allowance coverage of net charge-offs (annualized) | charge_off	2.93	10.23	4.12	20.45
Ending total loans, gross	$ 966,080	$ 69,508	$ 966,080	$ 69,508
Average loans in repayment	815,741	61,439	673,552	47,654
Ending loans in repayment	$ 966,080	$ 69,508	$ 966,080	$ 69,508

XML

Allowance for Loan Losses - Additional Information (Detail)	6 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2018	Dec. 31, 2017	Jul. 01, 2006
Receivables [Abstract]
Percentage of loans granted forbearance qualified as TDR	61.00%	66.00%
Criteria for loans to be considered as nonperforming (greater than)	90 days
Tier 1 of government guarantee (at least) (in percentage)	97.00%		97.00%
TDR payment default period (more than)	60 days
Percentage of FFELP loans insured and guaranteed (at least)	97.00%
Period of loans past due that have accrued interest (greater than)	90 days

XML

Allowance for Loan Losses - Recorded Investment, Unpaid Principal Balance and Related Allowance for TDR Loans (Detail) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Jun. 30, 2018	Dec. 31, 2017
Receivables [Abstract]
Recorded Investment	$ 1,139,417	$ 1,007,141
Unpaid Principal Balance	1,121,816	990,351
Allowance	$ 113,343	$ 94,682

XML

Allowance for Loan Losses - Average Recorded Investment and Interest Income Recognized for TDR (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended		6 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2018	Jun. 30, 2017	Jun. 30, 2018	Jun. 30, 2017
Receivables [Abstract]
Average Recorded Investment	$ 1,105,042	$ 766,171	$ 1,069,721	$ 718,727
Interest Income Recognized	$ 18,718	$ 14,310	$ 36,565	$ 26,567

XML

Allowance for Loan Losses - Loan Status and Aging of Past Due TDR Loans (Detail) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Jun. 30, 2018	Mar. 31, 2018	Dec. 31, 2017	Jun. 30, 2017	Mar. 31, 2017	Dec. 31, 2016
TDR loans in repayment and percentage of each status:
Allowance for loan losses	$ (295,277)	$ (272,123)	$ (251,475)	$ (207,448)	$ (187,086)	$ (184,701)
Loans held for investment, net	20,308,581		18,567,641
Student Loan | Consumer Portfolio Segment | Troubled Debt Restructured Loans
Accounts, Notes, Loans and Financing Receivable [Line Items]
TDR loans in in-school/grace/deferment	57,595		51,745
TDR loans in forbearance	59,682		69,652
TDR loans in repayment and percentage of each status:
Loans current	917,138		774,222
Total TDR loans in repayment	$ 1,004,539		$ 868,954
Loans current (as a percentage)	91.30%		89.10%
Total TDR loans in repayment	100.00%		100.00%
Total Private Education Loans, gross	$ 1,121,816		$ 990,351
Student Loan | Consumer Portfolio Segment | Loans delinquent 31-60 days | Troubled Debt Restructured Loans
TDR loans in repayment and percentage of each status:
Loans delinquent	$ 45,080		$ 48,377
Loans delinquent (as a percentage)	4.50%		5.60%
Student Loan | Consumer Portfolio Segment | Loans delinquent 61-90 days | Troubled Debt Restructured Loans
TDR loans in repayment and percentage of each status:
Loans delinquent	$ 25,580		$ 28,778
Loans delinquent (as a percentage)	2.50%		3.30%
Student Loan | Consumer Portfolio Segment | Loans delinquent, greater than 90 days | Troubled Debt Restructured Loans
TDR loans in repayment and percentage of each status:
Loans delinquent	$ 16,741		$ 17,577
Loans delinquent (as a percentage)	1.70%		2.00%

XML

Allowance for Loan Losses - Modified Loan Accounts for TDR (Detail) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended		6 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2018	Jun. 30, 2017	Jun. 30, 2018	Jun. 30, 2017
Receivables [Abstract]
Modified Loans	$ 116,478	$ 134,489	$ 200,652	$ 246,695
Charge-offs	12,764	12,215	28,224	22,738
Payment Default	$ 18,254	$ 23,679	$ 47,988	$ 49,113

XML

Allowance for Loan Losses - Loan Portfolio Stratified by Key Credit Quality Indicators (Detail) - Consumer Portfolio Segment - Student Loan - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Jun. 30, 2018	Dec. 31, 2017
Private Education Loans | With Cosigner
Accounts, Notes, Loans and Financing Receivable [Line Items]
Private Education Loans	$ 16,757,587	$ 15,658,539
Private Education Loans with cosigner (in percentage)	90.00%	90.00%
Private Education Loans | Without Cosigner
Accounts, Notes, Loans and Financing Receivable [Line Items]
Private Education Loans	$ 1,930,440	$ 1,773,628
Private Education Loans without cosigner (in percentage)	10.00%	10.00%
Private Education Loans | Cosigners
Accounts, Notes, Loans and Financing Receivable [Line Items]
Private Education Loans	$ 18,688,027	$ 17,432,167
Total in percent	100.00%	100.00%
Private Education Loans | FICO at Original Approval
Accounts, Notes, Loans and Financing Receivable [Line Items]
Private Education Loans	$ 18,688,027	$ 17,432,167
Total in percent	100.00%	100.00%
Private Education Loans | Seasoning
Accounts, Notes, Loans and Financing Receivable [Line Items]
Private Education Loans	$ 18,688,027	$ 17,432,167
Total in percent	100.00%	100.00%
Seasoning based on monthly scheduled payments due from 1-12 payments (in percentage)	26.00%	24.00%
Seasoning based on monthly scheduled payments due from 13 - 24 payments (in percentage)	17.00%	19.00%
Seasoning based on monthly scheduled payments due from 25 - 36 payments (in percentage)	13.00%	14.00%
Seasoning based on monthly scheduled payments due from 37 - 48 payments (in percentage)	9.00%	9.00%
Seasoning based on monthly scheduled payments due from more than 48 payments (in percentage)	7.00%	7.00%
Seasoning based on monthly scheduled payments due from not yet in repayment (in percentage)	28.00%	27.00%
Private Education Loans | FICO score less than 670 | FICO at Original Approval
Accounts, Notes, Loans and Financing Receivable [Line Items]
Private Education Loans	$ 1,256,273	$ 1,153,591
Private Education Loans At Origination	7.00%	6.00%
Private Education Loans | FICO score 670-699 | FICO at Original Approval
Accounts, Notes, Loans and Financing Receivable [Line Items]
Private Education Loans	$ 2,814,316	$ 2,596,959
Private Education Loans At Origination	15.00%	15.00%
Private Education Loans | FICO score 700-749 | FICO at Original Approval
Accounts, Notes, Loans and Financing Receivable [Line Items]
Private Education Loans	$ 6,152,102	$ 5,714,554
Private Education Loans At Origination	33.00%	33.00%
Private Education Loans | FICO score greater than or equal to 750 | FICO at Original Approval
Accounts, Notes, Loans and Financing Receivable [Line Items]
Private Education Loans	$ 8,465,336	$ 7,967,063
Private Education Loans At Origination	45.00%	46.00%
Private Education Loans | 1-12 payments | Seasoning
Accounts, Notes, Loans and Financing Receivable [Line Items]
Private Education Loans	$ 4,837,671	$ 4,256,592
Private Education Loans | 13-24 payments | Seasoning
Accounts, Notes, Loans and Financing Receivable [Line Items]
Private Education Loans	3,209,308	3,229,465
Private Education Loans | 25-36 payments | Seasoning
Accounts, Notes, Loans and Financing Receivable [Line Items]
Private Education Loans	2,471,002	2,429,238
Private Education Loans | 37-48 payments | Seasoning
Accounts, Notes, Loans and Financing Receivable [Line Items]
Private Education Loans	1,582,586	1,502,327
Private Education Loans | More than 48 payments | Seasoning
Accounts, Notes, Loans and Financing Receivable [Line Items]
Private Education Loans	1,337,067	1,256,813
Private Education Loans | Not yet in repayment | Seasoning
Accounts, Notes, Loans and Financing Receivable [Line Items]
Private Education Loans	5,250,393	4,757,732
Personal Loans | FICO at Original Approval
Accounts, Notes, Loans and Financing Receivable [Line Items]
Private Education Loans	$ 966,080	$ 400,280
Total in percent	100.00%	100.00%
Personal Loans | Seasoning
Accounts, Notes, Loans and Financing Receivable [Line Items]
Private Education Loans	$ 966,080	$ 400,280
Total in percent	100.00%	100.00%
Seasoning based on monthly scheduled payments due from 1-12 payments (in percentage)	97.00%	100.00%
Seasoning based on monthly scheduled payments due from 13 - 24 payments (in percentage)	3.00%	0.00%
Seasoning based on monthly scheduled payments due from 25 - 36 payments (in percentage)	0.00%	0.00%
Seasoning based on monthly scheduled payments due from 37 - 48 payments (in percentage)	0.00%	0.00%
Seasoning based on monthly scheduled payments due from more than 48 payments (in percentage)	0.00%	0.00%
Personal Loans | FICO score less than 670 | FICO at Original Approval
Accounts, Notes, Loans and Financing Receivable [Line Items]
Private Education Loans	$ 70,773	$ 32,156
Private Education Loans At Origination	7.00%	8.00%
Personal Loans | FICO score 670-699 | FICO at Original Approval
Accounts, Notes, Loans and Financing Receivable [Line Items]
Private Education Loans	$ 275,210	$ 114,731
Private Education Loans At Origination	29.00%	29.00%
Personal Loans | FICO score 700-749 | FICO at Original Approval
Accounts, Notes, Loans and Financing Receivable [Line Items]
Private Education Loans	$ 441,824	$ 182,025
Private Education Loans At Origination	46.00%	45.00%
Personal Loans | FICO score greater than or equal to 750 | FICO at Original Approval
Accounts, Notes, Loans and Financing Receivable [Line Items]
Private Education Loans	$ 178,273	$ 71,368
Private Education Loans At Origination	18.00%	18.00%
Personal Loans | 1-12 payments | Seasoning
Accounts, Notes, Loans and Financing Receivable [Line Items]
Private Education Loans	$ 932,863	$ 400,280
Personal Loans | 13-24 payments | Seasoning
Accounts, Notes, Loans and Financing Receivable [Line Items]
Private Education Loans	33,217	0
Personal Loans | 25-36 payments | Seasoning
Accounts, Notes, Loans and Financing Receivable [Line Items]
Private Education Loans	0	0
Personal Loans | 37-48 payments | Seasoning
Accounts, Notes, Loans and Financing Receivable [Line Items]
Private Education Loans	0	0
Personal Loans | More than 48 payments | Seasoning
Accounts, Notes, Loans and Financing Receivable [Line Items]
Private Education Loans	$ 0	$ 0

XML

Allowance for Loan Losses - Age Analysis of Past Due Loans Delinquencies (Detail) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Jun. 30, 2018	Mar. 31, 2018	Dec. 31, 2017	Jun. 30, 2017	Mar. 31, 2017	Dec. 31, 2016
Loans in repayment and percentage of each status:
Private Education Loans allowance for losses	$ (295,277)	$ (272,123)	$ (251,475)	$ (207,448)	$ (187,086)	$ (184,701)
Loans held for investment, net	20,308,581		18,567,641
Private Education Loans
Loans in repayment and percentage of each status:
Private Education Loans deferred origination costs	61,908		56,378
Total Private Education Loans, gross	18,688,027		17,432,167
Private Education Loans allowance for losses	(261,695)		(243,715)
Loans held for investment, net	18,488,240		17,244,830
Private Education Loans | Consumer Portfolio Segment
Accounts, Notes, Loans and Financing Receivable [Line Items]
Loans in-school/grace/deferment	5,250,393		4,757,732
Loans in forbearance	458,111		468,402
Loans in repayment and percentage of each status:
Loans current	$ 12,697,362		$ 11,911,128
Loans current (as a percentage)	97.80%		97.60%
Total TDR loans in repayment	$ 12,979,523		$ 12,206,033
Total TDR loans in repayment (as a percentage)	100.00%		100.00%
Private Education Loans deferred origination costs	$ 61,908		$ 56,378
Total Private Education Loans, gross	18,749,935		17,488,545
Total Private Education Loans, gross	18,688,027		17,432,167
Private Education Loans allowance for losses	(261,695)		(243,715)
Loans held for investment, net	$ 18,488,240		$ 17,244,830
Percentage of Private Education Loans in repayment	69.50%		70.00%
Delinquencies as a percentage of Private Education Loans in repayment	2.20%		2.40%
Loans in forbearance as a percentage of Private Education Loans in repayment and forbearance	3.40%		3.70%
Private Education Loans | Consumer Portfolio Segment | Loans delinquent 31-60 days
Loans in repayment and percentage of each status:
Loans delinquent	$ 166,322		$ 179,002
Loans delinquent (as a percentage)	1.30%		1.50%
Private Education Loans | Consumer Portfolio Segment | Loans delinquent 61-90 days
Loans in repayment and percentage of each status:
Loans delinquent	$ 75,534		$ 78,292
Loans delinquent (as a percentage)	0.60%		0.60%
Private Education Loans | Consumer Portfolio Segment | Loans delinquent, greater than 90 days
Loans in repayment and percentage of each status:
Loans delinquent	$ 40,305		$ 37,611
Loans delinquent (as a percentage)	0.30%		0.30%
Personal Loans
Loans in repayment and percentage of each status:
Private Education Loans deferred origination costs	$ (10)		$ 0
Total Private Education Loans, gross	966,080		400,280
Private Education Loans allowance for losses	(32,509)		(6,628)
Loans held for investment, net	933,561		393,652
Personal Loans | Consumer Portfolio Segment
Loans in repayment and percentage of each status:
Loans current	$ 960,865		$ 398,988
Loans current (as a percentage)	99.50%		99.70%
Total TDR loans in repayment	$ 966,080		$ 400,280
Total TDR loans in repayment (as a percentage)	100.00%		100.00%
Private Education Loans deferred origination costs	$ (10)		$ 0
Total Private Education Loans, gross	966,070		400,280
Total Private Education Loans, gross	966,080		400,280
Private Education Loans allowance for losses	(32,509)		(6,628)
Loans held for investment, net	$ 933,561		$ 393,652
Delinquencies as a percentage of Private Education Loans in repayment	0.50%		0.30%
Personal Loans | Consumer Portfolio Segment | Loans delinquent 31-60 days
Loans in repayment and percentage of each status:
Loans delinquent	$ 2,376		$ 761
Loans delinquent (as a percentage)	0.20%		0.20%
Personal Loans | Consumer Portfolio Segment | Loans delinquent 61-90 days
Loans in repayment and percentage of each status:
Loans delinquent	$ 1,594		$ 340
Loans delinquent (as a percentage)	0.20%		0.10%
Personal Loans | Consumer Portfolio Segment | Loans delinquent, greater than 90 days
Loans in repayment and percentage of each status:
Loans delinquent	$ 1,245		$ 191
Loans delinquent (as a percentage)	0.10%		0.00%

XML

Allowance for Loan Losses - Accrued Interest Receivable (Detail) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Jun. 30, 2018	Dec. 31, 2017
Receivables [Abstract]
Total Interest Receivable	$ 1,141,135	$ 951,138
Greater Than 90 Days Past Due	1,530	1,372
Allowance for Uncollectible Interest	$ 5,852	$ 4,664

XML

Deposits - Summary of Total Deposits (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Jun. 30, 2018	Dec. 31, 2017
Banking and Thrift [Abstract]
Deposits - interest bearing	$ 16,743,885	$ 15,504,330
Deposits - non-interest bearing	2,072	1,053
Total deposits	$ 16,745,957	$ 15,505,383

XML

Deposits - Additional Information (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended		6 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2018	Jun. 30, 2017	Jun. 30, 2018	Jun. 30, 2017	Dec. 31, 2017
Banking and Thrift [Abstract]
Deposits	$ 16,745,957		$ 16,745,957		$ 15,505,383
Brokered deposits	8,700,000		8,700,000		8,200,000
Retail and other deposits	8,000,000		8,000,000		7,300,000
Stable interest-bearing deposits, total	5,700,000		5,700,000		5,500,000
Brokered deposit placement fee	3,000	$ 2,000	6,000	$ 4,000
Third party broker fees paid	12,000	$ 3,000	19,000	$ 5,000
Deposits exceeding FDIC insurance limits	406,000		406,000		396,000
Accrued interest on deposits	$ 39,000		$ 39,000		$ 28,000

XML

Deposits - Interest Bearing Deposits (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Jun. 30, 2018	Dec. 31, 2017
Amount
Money market	$ 8,113,708	$ 7,731,966
Savings	682,242	738,243
Certificates of deposit	7,947,935	7,034,121
Deposits - interest bearing	$ 16,743,885	$ 15,504,330
Weighted Average Stated Rate
Money market	2.21%	1.80%
Savings	1.59%	1.10%
Certificates of deposit	2.54%	1.93%

XML

Borrowings - Company Borrowings (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Jun. 30, 2018	Dec. 31, 2017
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Short Term	$ 0	$ 0
Long Term	4,217,119	3,275,270
Total	4,217,119	3,275,270
Unsecured borrowings
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Short Term	0	0
Long Term	196,943	196,539
Total	196,943	196,539
Secured borrowings
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Short Term	0	0
Long Term	4,020,176	3,078,731
Total	4,020,176	3,078,731
Secured borrowings | Private Education Loan securitization
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Short Term	0	0
Long Term	4,020,176	3,078,731
Total	4,020,176	3,078,731
Secured borrowings | Private Education Loan securitization | Fixed rate
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Short Term	0	0
Long Term	2,125,035	1,565,760
Total	2,125,035	1,565,760
Secured borrowings | Private Education Loan securitization | Variable rate
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Short Term	0	0
Long Term	1,895,141	1,512,971
Total	1,895,141	1,512,971
Secured borrowings | ABCP Facility
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Short Term	0	0
Long Term	0	0
Total	$ 0	$ 0

XML

Borrowings - Additional Information (Details) - USD ($)				6 Months Ended		12 Months Ended
	Jun. 20, 2018	Mar. 21, 2018	Feb. 21, 2018	Jun. 30, 2018	Jun. 30, 2017	Dec. 31, 2017	Apr. 05, 2017	Dec. 31, 2016
Line of Credit Facility [Line Items]
Short-term borrowings				$ 0		$ 0
Unsecured offering issued				1,356,500,000		$ 1,448,000,000		$ 1,782,000,000
Proceeds from loan securitization sold to third parties				$ 0	$ 197,000,000
Estimated weighted average life of student loans (in years)				5 years 3 months 5 days		5 years 6 months 5 days
Uncommitted federal funds				$ 125,000,000
Lendable value of collateral				2,500,000,000		$ 2,600,000,000
ABCP borrowings | Commercial Paper
Line of Credit Facility [Line Items]
Private asset backed commercial paper education loan funding facility			$ 750,000,000
Ownership interest percentage in residual interest in ABCP facility			100.00%
Short-term borrowings				0		0
Private Education Loans 2018 Term A
Line of Credit Facility [Line Items]
Total loan amount securitized at inception		$ 670,000,000
Amount of loan securitization sold to third parties		$ 670,000,000
Ownership interest percentage		100.00%
Proceeds from loan securitization sold to third parties		$ 668,000,000
Loans pledged as collateral				681,000,000
Class A and B Notes
Line of Credit Facility [Line Items]
Estimated weighted average life of student loans (in years)	4 years 4 months 25 days	4 years 5 months 5 days
Private Education Loans 2018 Term B
Line of Credit Facility [Line Items]
Total loan amount securitized at inception	$ 687,000,000
Amount of loan securitization sold to third parties	$ 687,000,000
Ownership interest percentage	100.00%
Proceeds from loan securitization sold to third parties	$ 683,000,000
Loans pledged as collateral	$ 711,000,000
LIBOR | ABCP borrowings | Commercial Paper
Line of Credit Facility [Line Items]
Basis spread on variable rate			0.85%
LIBOR | Class A and B Notes
Line of Credit Facility [Line Items]
Basis spread on variable rate	0.76%	0.78%
Minimum | ABCP borrowings | Commercial Paper
Line of Credit Facility [Line Items]
Financing cost percentage of unused borrowing capacity			0.35%
Maximum | ABCP borrowings | Commercial Paper
Line of Credit Facility [Line Items]
Financing cost percentage of unused borrowing capacity			0.45%
Unsecured borrowings
Line of Credit Facility [Line Items]
Short-term borrowings				0		$ 0
Unsecured borrowings | Senior Unsecured Notes Due April 5, 2022
Line of Credit Facility [Line Items]
Unsecured offering issued				$ 197,000,000			$ 200,000,000
Interest rate stated percentage							5.125%

XML

Borrowings - Securitizations (Details) - USD ($)					1 Months Ended
	Feb. 28, 2017	Oct. 31, 2016	Jul. 31, 2016	May 31, 2016	Jun. 30, 2018	Mar. 31, 2018	Nov. 30, 2017	Dec. 31, 2017	Dec. 31, 2016
Securities Financing Transaction [Line Items]
Total Issued					$ 1,356,500,000			$ 1,448,000,000	$ 1,782,000,000
Total loan and accrued interest amount securitized at inception on-balance sheet term securitization					1,504,121,000			$ 1,606,804,000	$ 2,107,042,000
2016-A
Securities Financing Transaction [Line Items]
Total Issued				$ 501,000,000
Weighted Average Life (in years)				4 years 3 days
2016-B
Securities Financing Transaction [Line Items]
Total Issued			$ 607,000,000
Weighted Average Life (in years)			4 years 3 days
2016-C
Securities Financing Transaction [Line Items]
Total Issued		$ 674,000,000
Weighted Average Life (in years)		4 years 3 months 7 days
2017-A
Securities Financing Transaction [Line Items]
Total Issued	$ 772,000,000
Weighted Average Life (in years)	4 years 3 months 7 days
2017-B
Securities Financing Transaction [Line Items]
Total Issued							$ 676,000,000
Weighted Average Life (in years)							4 years 25 days
Basis spread on variable rate							0.80%
2018-A
Securities Financing Transaction [Line Items]
Total Issued						$ 670,000,000
Weighted Average Life (in years)						4 years 5 months 4 days
Basis spread on variable rate						0.78%
2018-B
Securities Financing Transaction [Line Items]
Total Issued					$ 686,500,000
Weighted Average Life (in years)					4 years 4 months 25 days
Basis spread on variable rate					0.76%
LIBOR | 2016-A
Securities Financing Transaction [Line Items]
Basis spread on variable rate				1.38%
LIBOR | 2016-B
Securities Financing Transaction [Line Items]
Basis spread on variable rate			1.36%
LIBOR | 2016-C
Securities Financing Transaction [Line Items]
Basis spread on variable rate		1.15%
LIBOR | 2017-A
Securities Financing Transaction [Line Items]
Basis spread on variable rate	0.93%

XML

Borrowings - Financing VIEs (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Jun. 30, 2018	Dec. 31, 2017	Jun. 30, 2017
Debt Outstanding
Short Term	$ 0	$ 0
Long Term	4,217,119	3,275,270
Total	4,217,119	3,275,270
Carrying Amount of Assets Securing Debt Outstanding
Restricted Cash	114,659	101,836	$ 62,466
Other Assets	99,651	84,853
Variable Interest Entity, Primary Beneficiary
Debt Outstanding
Short Term	0	0
Long Term	4,020,176	3,078,731
Total	4,020,176	3,078,731
Carrying Amount of Assets Securing Debt Outstanding
Loans	4,793,290	3,691,024
Restricted Cash	105,963	96,983
Other Assets	335,039	240,369
Total	5,234,292	4,028,376
Variable Interest Entity, Primary Beneficiary | Private Education Loan securitization
Debt Outstanding
Short Term	0	0
Long Term	4,020,176	3,078,731
Total	4,020,176	3,078,731
Carrying Amount of Assets Securing Debt Outstanding
Loans	4,793,290	3,691,024
Restricted Cash	105,963	95,966
Other Assets	334,333	240,208
Total	5,233,586	4,027,198
Variable Interest Entity, Primary Beneficiary | ABCP Facility
Debt Outstanding
Short Term	0	0
Long Term	0	0
Total	0	0
Carrying Amount of Assets Securing Debt Outstanding
Loans	0	0
Restricted Cash	0	1,017
Other Assets	706	161
Total	$ 706	$ 1,178

XML

Derivative Financial Instruments - Additional Information (Detail) - USD ($)	6 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2018	Dec. 31, 2017
Derivative [Line Items]
Notional value	$ 6,500,000,000
Net derivatives	30,000,000	$ 20,000,000
Cash collateral held relative to derivative exposure	0	0
Cash collateral pledged	28,000,000	$ 22,000,000
Chicago Mercantile Exchange
Derivative [Line Items]
Notional value	$ 5,900,000,000
Percent of total notional derivative contracts	90.30%
London Clearing House
Derivative [Line Items]
Notional value	$ 600,000,000
Percent of total notional derivative contracts	9.70%

XML

Derivative Financial Instruments - Impact of Derivatives on Consolidated Balance Sheet (Detail) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Jun. 30, 2018	Dec. 31, 2017
Derivatives, Fair Value [Line Items]
Total net derivatives	$ 30,000	$ 20,000
Interest rate swaps
Derivatives, Fair Value [Line Items]
Derivative instruments	1,403	812
Derivative Liabilities	(92)	(2,584)
Total net derivatives	1,311	(1,772)
Interest rate swaps | Trading
Derivatives, Fair Value [Line Items]
Derivative instruments	0	182
Derivative Liabilities	(92)	0
Total net derivatives	(92)	182
Interest rate swaps | Cash Flow | Designated as Hedging Instrument
Derivatives, Fair Value [Line Items]
Derivative instruments	959	0
Derivative Liabilities	0	(2,584)
Total net derivatives	959	(2,584)
Interest rate swaps | Fair Value | Designated as Hedging Instrument
Derivatives, Fair Value [Line Items]
Derivative instruments	444	630
Derivative Liabilities	0	0
Total net derivatives	$ 444	$ 630

XML

Derivative Financial Instruments - Offsetting Assets and Liabilities (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Jun. 30, 2018	Dec. 31, 2017
Other Liabilities
Cash collateral pledged	$ 28,000	$ 22,000
Other Assets
Other Assets
Gross position	1,403	812
Impact of master netting agreement	(92)	(812)
Derivative values with impact of master netting agreements (as carried on balance sheet)	1,311	0
Cash collateral pledged	28,385	0
Net position	29,696	0
Other Liabilities
Other Liabilities
Gross position	(92)	(2,584)
Impact of master netting agreement	92	812
Derivative values with impact of master netting agreements (as carried on balance sheet)	0	(1,772)
Cash collateral pledged	0	21,586
Net position	$ 0	$ 19,814

XML

Derivative Financial Instruments - Notional Values (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Jun. 30, 2018	Dec. 31, 2017
Derivatives, Fair Value [Line Items]
Notional values	$ 6,500,000
Interest rate swaps
Derivatives, Fair Value [Line Items]
Notional values	6,529,489	$ 5,459,075
Interest rate swaps | Trading
Derivatives, Fair Value [Line Items]
Notional values	1,317,494	987,577
Interest rate swaps | Cash Flow Hedges | Designated as Hedging Instrument
Derivatives, Fair Value [Line Items]
Notional values	1,344,791	1,408,649
Interest rate swaps | Fair Value Hedges | Designated as Hedging Instrument
Derivatives, Fair Value [Line Items]
Notional values	$ 3,867,204	$ 3,062,849

XML

Derivative Financial Instruments - Impact of Derivatives on Consolidated Statements of Income (Details) - Interest rate swaps - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended		6 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2018	Jun. 30, 2017	Jun. 30, 2018	Jun. 30, 2017
Trading
Total	$ (8,623)	$ (3,397)	$ (6,806)	$ (7,567)
Designated as Hedging Instrument | Fair Value Hedges
Fair Value Hedges
Hedge ineffectiveness realized gains (losses) recorded in earnings	(2,914)	(3,711)	2,939	(7,878)
Realized gains (losses) recorded in interest expense	(2,812)	2,881	(3,326)	7,428
Trading
Total	(5,726)	(830)	(387)	(450)
Designated as Hedging Instrument | Cash Flow Hedges
Cash Flow Hedges
Hedge ineffectiveness gains (losses) recorded in earnings	65	(75)	2,749	(147)
Realized losses recorded in interest expense	(543)	(2,669)	(2,104)	(6,008)
Trading
Total	(478)	(2,744)	645	(6,155)
Trading
Trading
Interest reclassification	(239)	(101)	(129)	(20)
Realized losses recorded in earnings	(2,180)	278	(6,935)	(942)
Total	$ (2,419)	$ 177	$ (7,064)	$ (962)

XML

Derivative Financial Instruments - Impact of Derivatives on Consolidated Statement of Changes in Stockholders' Equity (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended		6 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2018	Jun. 30, 2017	Jun. 30, 2018	Jun. 30, 2017
Derivative Instruments and Hedging Activities Disclosure [Abstract]
Amount of gain recognized in other comprehensive income (loss)	$ 9,471	$ (4,698)	$ 28,200	$ (3,258)
Less: amount of loss reclassified in interest expense	(543)	(2,669)	(2,104)	(6,008)
Total change in other comprehensive income (loss) for unrealized gains (losses) on derivatives, before income tax (expense) benefit	$ 10,014	$ (2,029)	$ 30,304	$ 2,750

XML

Stockholders' Equity - Common stock repurchased (Details) - $ / shares	3 Months Ended		6 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2018	Jun. 30, 2017	Jun. 30, 2018	Jun. 30, 2017
Equity [Abstract]
Shares repurchased related to employee stock-based compensation plans (in shares)	200,577	981,477	2,940,595	2,584,964
Average purchase price per share (in dollars per share)	$ 11.60	$ 12.39	$ 11.33	$ 12.12
Common shares issued (in shares)	384,955	1,491,057	5,944,946	5,229,774

XML

Stockholders' Equity - Additional Detail (Details)	Jun. 29, 2018 $ / shares
Common Stock
Class of Stock [Line Items]
Common stock closing price (in dollars per share)	$ 11.45

XML

Earnings per Common Share (Details) - USD ($) $ / shares in Units, $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended		6 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2018	Jun. 30, 2017	Jun. 30, 2018	Jun. 30, 2017
Numerator:
Net income	$ 109,832	$ 70,617	$ 236,086	$ 165,560
Preferred stock dividends	3,920	3,974	7,317	9,549
Net income attributable to SLM Corporation common stock	$ 105,912	$ 66,643	$ 228,769	$ 156,011
Denominator:
Weighted average shares used to compute basic EPS (in shares)	435,187,000	431,245,000	434,573,000	430,572,000
Effect of dilutive securities:
Dilutive effect of stock options, restricted stock and restricted stock units and Employee Stock Purchase Plan (ESPP) (in shares)	4,258,000	6,870,000	4,639,000	7,852,000
Weighted average shares used to compute diluted EPS (in shares)	439,445,000	438,115,000	439,212,000	438,424,000
Basic earnings per common share attributable to SLM Corporation (in dollars per share)	$ 0.24	$ 0.15	$ 0.53	$ 0.36
Diluted earnings per common share attributable to SLM Corporation (in dollars per share)	$ 0.24	$ 0.15	$ 0.52	$ 0.35
Securities excluded from computation of EPS (in shares)	0	0	0	0

XML

Fair Value Measurements - Valuation of Financial Instruments that are Marked-to-Market on Recurring Basis (Detail) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Jun. 30, 2018	Dec. 31, 2017
Assets
Available-for-sale investments	$ 178,145	$ 244,088
Fair Value Measurements on a Recurring Basis
Assets
Available-for-sale investments	178,145	244,088
Derivative instruments	1,403	812
Total earning assets	179,548	244,900
Liabilities
Derivative instruments	(92)	(2,584)
Fair Value Measurements on a Recurring Basis | Level 1
Assets
Available-for-sale investments	0	0
Derivative instruments	0	0
Total earning assets	0	0
Liabilities
Derivative instruments	0	0
Fair Value Measurements on a Recurring Basis | Level 2
Assets
Available-for-sale investments	178,145	244,088
Derivative instruments	1,403	812
Total earning assets	179,548	244,900
Liabilities
Derivative instruments	(92)	(2,584)
Fair Value Measurements on a Recurring Basis | Level 3
Assets
Available-for-sale investments	0	0
Derivative instruments	0	0
Total earning assets	0	0
Liabilities
Derivative instruments	$ 0	$ 0

XML

Fair Value Measurements - Fair Values of Financial Assets and Liabilities, Including Derivative Financial Instruments (Detail) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Jun. 30, 2018	Dec. 31, 2017
Earning assets
Loans held for investment, net, difference	$ 2,041,250	$ 2,105,495
Accrued interest receivable, difference	0
Tax indemnification receivable	153,470	168,011
Total earning assets, difference	2,041,250	2,105,495
Interest-bearing liabilities
Long-term borrowings, difference	18,969	(24,601)
Total interest-bearing liabilities, difference	55,127	(34,688)
Excess of net asset fair value over carrying value	2,096,377	2,070,807
Certificates of deposit
Interest-bearing liabilities
Deposits, difference	36,158	(10,087)
Fair Value
Earning assets
Loans held for investment, net	22,349,831	20,673,136
Cash and cash equivalents	2,043,789	1,534,339
Available-for-sale investments	178,145	244,088
Accrued interest receivable	1,161,161	967,482
Tax indemnification receivable	153,470	168,011
Derivative instruments	1,403	812
Total earning assets	25,887,799	23,587,868
Interest-bearing liabilities
Long-term borrowings	4,198,150	3,299,871
Accrued interest payable	46,658	35,363
Derivative instruments	92	2,584
Total interest-bearing liabilities	20,952,627	18,852,235
Fair Value | Money-market and savings accounts
Interest-bearing liabilities
Deposits	8,795,950	8,470,209
Fair Value | Certificates of deposit
Interest-bearing liabilities
Deposits	7,911,777	7,044,208
Carrying Value
Earning assets
Loans held for investment, net	20,308,581	18,567,641
Cash and cash equivalents	2,043,789	1,534,339
Available-for-sale investments	178,145	244,088
Accrued interest receivable	1,161,161	967,482
Tax indemnification receivable	153,470	168,011
Derivative instruments	1,403	812
Total earning assets	23,846,549	21,482,373
Interest-bearing liabilities
Long-term borrowings	4,217,119	3,275,270
Accrued interest payable	46,658	35,363
Derivative instruments	92	2,584
Total interest-bearing liabilities	21,007,754	18,817,547
Carrying Value | Money-market and savings accounts
Interest-bearing liabilities
Deposits	8,795,950	8,470,209
Deposits, difference	0
Carrying Value | Certificates of deposit
Interest-bearing liabilities
Deposits	$ 7,947,935	$ 7,034,121

XML

Arrangements with Navient Corporation (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended		6 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2018	Jun. 30, 2017	Jun. 30, 2018	Jun. 30, 2017	Apr. 30, 2014
Accounts, Notes, Loans and Financing Receivable [Line Items]
Deferred taxes to be indemnified					$ 283,000
Amount remaining	$ 18,000		$ 18,000
Remaining balance of indemnification receivable in connection with the spin-off	27,000		27,000
Liability for uncertainty in income taxes	26,000		26,000
Liability for uncertainty in income taxes relating to historical transactions	110,000		110,000
Gain on sale of portfolio split loans	2,060	$ 0	2,060	$ 0
Discontinued Operations, Disposed of by Sale
Accounts, Notes, Loans and Financing Receivable [Line Items]
Portfolio split loans sold	43,000		$ 43,000
Gain on sale of portfolio split loans	$ 2,000

XML

Regulatory Capital - Well Capitalized Regulatory Requirements (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Jun. 30, 2018	Dec. 31, 2017
Actual Amount
Common Equity Tier 1 Capital (to Risk-Weighted Assets)	$ 2,617,021	$ 2,350,081
Tier 1 Capital (to Risk-Weighted Assets)	2,617,021	2,350,081
Total Capital (to Risk-Weighted Assets)	2,889,876	2,597,926
Tier 1 Capital (to Average Assets)	$ 2,617,021	$ 2,350,081
Actual Ratio
Common Equity Tier 1 Capital (to Risk-Weighted Assets)	12.00%	11.90%
Tier 1 Capital (to Risk-Weighted Assets)	12.00%	11.90%
Total Capital (to Risk-Weighted Assets)	13.30%	13.10%
Tier 1 Capital (to Average Assets)	11.20%	11.00%
Well Capitalized Regulatory Requirements, Amount
Common Equity Tier 1 Capital (to Risk-Weighted Assets)	$ 1,417,350	$ 1,288,435
Tier 1 Capital (to Risk-Weighted Assets)	1,744,431	1,585,767
Total Capital (to Risk-Weighted Assets)	2,180,539	1,982,208
Tier 1 Capital (to Average Assets)	$ 1,164,750	$ 1,067,739
Well Capitalized Regulatory Requirements, Ratio
Common Equity Tier 1 Capital (to Risk-Weighted Assets)	6.50%	6.50%
Tier 1 Capital (to Risk-Weighted Assets)	8.00%	8.00%
Total Capital (to Risk-Weighted Assets)	10.00%	10.00%
Tier 1 Capital (to Average Assets)	5.00%	5.00%

XML

Regulatory Capital - Additional Information (Details) - USD ($)	6 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2018	Jun. 30, 2017
Banking and Thrift [Abstract]
Dividends	$ 0	$ 0

XML

Commitments, Contingencies and Guarantees (Detail) $ in Millions	6 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2018 USD ($)
Commitments and Contingencies Disclosure [Abstract]
Contractual obligation	$ 1,700.0
Other liabilities reserve	$ 0.6
Loss contingency, loss emergence period	1 year