CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF INCOME - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2021	Mar. 31, 2020
Interest income:
Loans	$ 431,804	$ 555,277
Investments	2,728	2,517
Cash and cash equivalents	1,626	17,139
Total interest income	436,158	574,933
Interest expense:
Deposits	66,598	135,112
Interest expense on short-term borrowings	3,202	4,217
Interest expense on long-term borrowings	35,244	35,488
Total interest expense	105,044	174,817
Net interest income	331,114	400,116
Less: provisions for credit losses	(225,767)	61,258
Net interest income after provisions for credit losses	556,881	338,858
Non-interest income:
Gains on sales of loans, net	399,111	238,935
Gains on derivatives and hedging activities, net	28	45,672
Other income	14,288	7,487
Total non-interest income	413,427	292,094
Operating expenses
Compensation and benefits	71,581	84,222
FDIC assessment fees	5,188	8,890
Other operating expenses	47,730	54,186
Total operating expenses	124,499	147,298
Restructuring expenses	1,077	0
Total non-interest expenses	125,576	147,298
Income before income tax expense	844,732	483,654
Income tax expense	203,525	121,481
Net income	641,207	362,173
Preferred stock dividends	1,201	3,464
Net income attributable to SLM Corporation common stock	$ 640,006	$ 358,709
Basic earnings per common share attributable to SLM Corporation (in dollars per share)	$ 1.77	$ 0.88
Average common shares outstanding (in shares)	361,042,000	409,786,000
Diluted earnings per common share attributable to SLM Corporation (in dollars per share)	$ 1.75	$ 0.87
Average common and common equivalent shares outstanding (in shares)	366,240,000	412,755,000
Declared dividends per common share attributable to SLM Corporation (in dollars per share)	$ 0.03	$ 0.03