SLM NASDAQ: SLM, known as Sallie Mae, reported second-quarter 2026 GAAP diluted earnings of $0.29 per share and said early indicators from the first peak season following Federal PLUS reform are tracking at the high end of expectations or better.
Chief Executive Officer Jonathan Witter said the company has spent the past year preparing for changes in the higher education financing market after Federal PLUS reform “created the potential for a $4.5 billion-$5 billion increase in annual originations for Sallie Mae over the next several years.” He said Sallie Mae has completed planned product and capability updates ahead of peak season, including enhancements to its medical, dental, law and MBA products and the launch of a new parent loan.
“While peak season is just beginning and it is too early for definitive conclusions, the application and volume trends for these new products ... are at the higher end of our expectations or better,” Witter said. He added that the trends, if sustained, support the company’s 2026 origination estimates and its longer-term view of the opportunity from PLUS program changes.
Originations Rise as Credit Quality Holds Steady
Sallie Mae reported second-quarter loan originations of $716 million, up nearly 4.5% from the prior-year quarter. Witter said origination credit quality improved modestly year over year, with average FICO scores rising to 755 from 754, while cosigner rates remained strong at 84%.
The company also emphasized its position with school partners. Witter said Sallie Mae remains a preferred lender for more than 2,100 schools and has focused on supporting those relationships as the financing landscape changes.
Net Interest Income Falls, but Fee Revenue Grows
Co-President and Chief Financial Officer Peter Graham said Sallie Mae generated $333 million of net interest income and $45 million of other income in the quarter. Net interest income declined by $44 million from the year-ago period, while other income increased by $16 million, driven by recurring program management fees from the company’s strategic partnership and growth in servicing fee revenue.
Net interest margin was 4.75% for the quarter. Graham said the moderation was expected and primarily reflected higher liquidity levels following a loan sale completed in late March. He said the company expects margin expansion to resume in the second half as excess liquidity is deployed into peak-season originations.
“As a result, we believe the second quarter will likely represent the low point for margin this year,” Graham said. In response to an analyst question, he said the company expects to normalize closer to its long-term target range of around 5%, though not necessarily far above that level in 2026.
Debt Resolution Activity Weighs on Recoveries
Credit remained a major focus of the call. Witter said Sallie Mae has identified activity affecting a small borrower segment that the company believes has both the willingness and capacity to repay but is moving directly through delinquency to default. He said many of those borrowers appear to be engaging with debt resolution providers whose services are marketed as consolidation or refinancing solutions.
Witter said Sallie Mae does not believe many of those practices are in customers’ best interests and has taken steps to increase control over post-default recoveries. The company previously estimated a potential roughly $25 million impact to 2026 recoveries from the change in recovery practices, but Witter described the issue as “largely a timing dynamic.”
Net charge-offs were $113 million in the quarter, up from $94 million in the prior-year quarter. Witter said about $16 million of the year-over-year increase was attributable to the misaligned third-party debt resolution practices and related changes in recovery strategy. He said the company does not view the increase as a broad-based weakening in credit.
Private education loans delinquent 30 days or more were 3.7% of loans in repayment, up from 3.5% a year earlier but down from 4% at the end of the first quarter. The provision for credit losses was $126 million, down from $149 million in the year-ago quarter, and the reserve rate was 5.89%, down six basis points from the prior-year period.
Witter also pointed to continued performance from loan modification programs. He said borrowers in active modification cohorts have payment success rates above 80% over six- and 12-month periods, while more than 75% of borrowers exiting the programs are consistently making payments after three and six months.
Expenses Rise as Company Invests for Growth
Non-interest expenses were $195 million, up $28 million from the prior-year quarter. Graham said most of the increase reflected one-time investments in product enhancements and strategic initiatives tied to expected growth from federal lending reforms. The efficiency ratio was 48.6%, up seven percentage points year over year.
Graham said revenue growth from servicing and recurring program management fees offset a significant portion of those investments. In the Q&A session, he said the company still expects the rate of expense growth in 2027 to be roughly half the rate from 2025 to 2026, while noting that management would like to do better.
Guidance Updated, Buybacks Continue
Sallie Mae narrowed its 2026 net charge-off guidance range, maintaining the high end at $385 million and raising the low end to $365 million. The company affirmed all other guidance metrics. Graham said the expected $25 million potential impact from recovery changes has been partially offset by slightly better-than-expected performance in the broader portfolio.
The company also continued to return capital to shareholders. Graham said Sallie Mae completed a $200 million accelerated share repurchase program during the second quarter, repurchasing 9.3 million shares. Year to date, the company has repurchased about 13 million shares, or 6.5% of shares outstanding at the end of 2025, at an average price of $21.95 per share.
Since 2020, Graham said Sallie Mae has reduced shares outstanding by approximately 59% at an average price of $17.19 per share. The company ended the quarter with $242 million remaining under its repurchase authorization, which it expects to substantially deploy during the remainder of 2026.
Sallie Mae ended the quarter with liquidity equal to 18.6% of total assets. Total risk-based capital was 13.1%, and Common Equity Tier 1 capital was 11.8%.
During the Q&A session, Graham said discussions with a potential second loan sale partner are progressing and could close in the third quarter or early fourth quarter. He said the existing partnership with KKR is performing according to plan and that both KKR and the potential second partner have expressed interest in building capabilities for graduate loan products.
About SLM (NASDAQ:SLM)
SLM Corporation, operating as Sallie Mae Bank, is a leading U.S.-based consumer banking company specializing in education financing and related banking products. The company provides a range of private student loans for undergraduate and graduate studies, Parent PLUS loans, and specialized financing for career and certificate programs. In addition to its core lending services, Sallie Mae offers deposit products including savings accounts, checking accounts, money market accounts, certificates of deposit, and credit cards tailored to students and young adults.
Founded in 1972 as the Student Loan Marketing Association—a government-sponsored enterprise—Sallie Mae was privatized in 2004 and has since focused on expanding its private education loan offerings and digital banking solutions.
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