XML 86 R60.htm IDEA: XBRL DOCUMENT
v2.4.1.9

Arrangements with Navient Corporation (Details) (USD $) | 3 Months Ended |
--- | --- | ---
Mar. 31, 2015 | Mar. 31, 2014 | Dec. 31, 2014
Related Party Transaction [Line Items] |  |  |
Minimum days past due that company may required spin-off company to purchase loans | 90 days |  |
Period of hardship forbearance | 6 months |  |
Private Education Loans Net | $ 9,701,152,000 slm_PrivateEducationLoansNet |  | $ 8,246,647,000 slm_PrivateEducationLoansNet
Interest income from related party | 168,000 us-gaap_InterestIncomeRelatedParty | 24,027,000 us-gaap_InterestIncomeRelatedParty |
Gains on loans to related party | 0 slm_Gainsonloanstorelatedparty | 33,888,000 slm_Gainsonloanstorelatedparty |
Write-down to fair value for loans sold to related party | 2,181,000 slm_Writedowntofairvalueforloanssoldtorelatedparty | 28,963,000 slm_Writedowntofairvalueforloanssoldtorelatedparty |
Split Loans |  |  |
Related Party Transaction [Line Items] |  |  |
Private Education Loans Net | 108,000,000 slm_PrivateEducationLoansNet / us-gaap_AccountsNotesLoansAndFinancingReceivableByReceivableTypeAxis = slm_SplitLoansMember |  |
Participated loans [Member] |  |  |
Related Party Transaction [Line Items] |  |  |
Loans sold to related party | $ 8,714,000 slm_Loanssoldtorelatedparty / us-gaap_AccountsNotesLoansAndFinancingReceivableByReceivableTypeAxis = slm_ParticipatedloansMember | $ 671,819,000 slm_Loanssoldtorelatedparty / us-gaap_AccountsNotesLoansAndFinancingReceivableByReceivableTypeAxis = slm_ParticipatedloansMember |

X
- Definition Gains on loans to related party + References No definition available. + Details
Name: | slm_Gainsonloanstorelatedparty
Namespace Prefix: | slm_
Data Type: | xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type: | credit
Period Type: | duration

X
- Definition Loans sold to related party + References No definition available. + Details
Name: | slm_Loanssoldtorelatedparty
Namespace Prefix: | slm_
Data Type: | xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type: | debit
Period Type: | duration

X
- Definition Minimum Days Past Due That Company May Require Spin Off Company to Purchase Loans + References No definition available. + Details
Name: | slm_MinimumDaysPastDueThatCompanyMayRequireSpinOffCompanytoPurchaseLoans
Namespace Prefix: | slm_
Data Type: | xbrli:durationItemType
Balance Type: | na
Period Type: | duration

X
- Definition Period of Hardship forbearance + References No definition available. + Details
Name: | slm_PeriodofHardshipforbearance
Namespace Prefix: | slm_
Data Type: | xbrli:durationItemType
Balance Type: | na
Period Type: | duration

X
- Definition Private education loans net. + References No definition available. + Details
Name: | slm_PrivateEducationLoansNet
Namespace Prefix: | slm_
Data Type: | xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type: | debit
Period Type: | instant

X
- Definition Write-down to fair value for loans sold to related party + References No definition available. + Details
Name: | slm_Writedowntofairvalueforloanssoldtorelatedparty
Namespace Prefix: | slm_
Data Type: | xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type: | debit
Period Type: | duration

X
- Definition Amount of interest income earned from interest-bearing assets owed to the entity by related party. + References No definition available. + Details
Name: | us-gaap_InterestIncomeRelatedParty
Namespace Prefix: | us-gaap_
Data Type: | xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type: | credit
Period Type: | duration

X
- Details
Name: | us-gaap_RelatedPartyTransactionLineItems
Namespace Prefix: | us-gaap_
Data Type: | xbrli:stringItemType
Balance Type: | na
Period Type: | duration

X
- Details
Name: | us-gaap_AccountsNotesLoansAndFinancingReceivableByReceivableTypeAxis=slm_ParticipatedloansMember
Namespace Prefix: |
Data Type: | na
Balance Type: |
Period Type: |

X
- Details
Name: | us-gaap_AccountsNotesLoansAndFinancingReceivableByReceivableTypeAxis=slm_SplitLoansMember
Namespace Prefix: |
Data Type: | na
Balance Type: |
Period Type: |