XML 122 R97.htm IDEA: XBRL DOCUMENT
v3.3.1.900

Arrangements with Navient Corporation Arrangements with Navient Corporation (Details) - USD ($) |  | 12 Months Ended
--- | --- | ---
Apr. 30, 2014 | Dec. 31, 2015 | Dec. 31, 2014 | Dec. 31, 2013
Related Party Transaction [Line Items] |  |  |  |
Agreements with Navient, period of term (or less) | 2 years |  |  |
Non-compete period | 5 years |  |  |
Deferred taxes | $ 283,000,000 | $ 81,588,000 | $ 158,216,000 |
Remaining amount of indemnification |  | 170,000,000 |  |
Deferred tax asset discount |  | 16,000,000 |  |
FDIC civil monetary penalties |  | 3,300,000 |  |
Contingency refund |  | $ 30,000,000 |  |
Minimum days past due for spin off loan purchase |  | 90 days |  |
Period of hardship forbearance |  | 6 months |  |
Private education loans |  | $ 10,515,505,000 | 8,246,647,000 |
Interest income from related party |  | 600,000 | 5,700,000 | $ 67,000,000
Gain (Loss) resulting from loans sold |  | 0 | 35,800,000 | 196,600,000
Write-down to fair value for loans sold to related party |  | 7,600,000 | 53,500,000 | 68,400,000
Participated loans |  |  |  |
Related Party Transaction [Line Items] |  |  |  |
Loans sold to related party |  | 27,000,000 | $ 804,700,000 | $ 2,415,800,000
Split Loans |  |  |  |
Related Party Transaction [Line Items] |  |  |  |
Private education loans |  | $ 89,000,000 |  |

X
- Definition Agreement with Related Party, Contractual Term + References No definition available. + Details
Name: | slm_AgreementwithRelatedPartyContractualTerm
Namespace Prefix: | slm_
Data Type: | xbrli:durationItemType
Balance Type: | na
Period Type: | duration

X
- Definition Contingency refund + References No definition available. + Details
Name: | slm_Contingencyrefund
Namespace Prefix: | slm_
Data Type: | xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type: | debit
Period Type: | instant

X
- Definition Deferred Tax Assets, Amount Remaining + References No definition available. + Details
Name: | slm_DeferredTaxAssetsAmountRemaining
Namespace Prefix: | slm_
Data Type: | xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type: | debit
Period Type: | instant

X
- Definition FDIC civil monetary penalties + References No definition available. + Details
Name: | slm_FDICcivilmonetarypenalties
Namespace Prefix: | slm_
Data Type: | xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type: | debit
Period Type: | instant

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 Related Party, Noncompete Agreement, Term + References No definition available. + Details
Name: | slm_RelatedPartyNoncompeteAgreementTerm
Namespace Prefix: | slm_
Data Type: | xbrli:durationItemType
Balance Type: | na
Period Type: | duration

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, after deferred tax asset, of deferred tax liability attributable to taxable differences, before jurisdictional netting. + References Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 740 -SubTopic 10 -Section 45 -Paragraph 6 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=37586315&loc=d3e31931-109318 Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 740 -SubTopic 10 -Section 50 -Paragraph 2 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6907707&loc=d3e32537-109319 + Details
Name: | us-gaap_DeferredTaxLiabilities
Namespace Prefix: | us-gaap_
Data Type: | xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type: | credit
Period Type: | instant

X
- Definition The gains (losses) included in earnings that represent the difference between the sale price and the carrying value of loans and leases that were sold during the reporting period. This element refers to the gain (loss) and not to the cash proceeds of the sales. This element is a noncash adjustment to net income when calculating net cash generated by operating activities using the indirect method. + References Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 230 -SubTopic 10 -Section 45 -Paragraph 24 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=56944662&loc=d3e3521-108585 Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 230 -SubTopic 10 -Section 45 -Paragraph 28 -Subparagraph (b) -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=56944662&loc=d3e3602-108585 + Details
Name: | us-gaap_GainLossOnSaleOfLoansAndLeases
Namespace Prefix: | us-gaap_
Data Type: | xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type: | credit
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
- Definition The current portion of the amount recognized for uncertain tax positions as of the balance sheet date. + References Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 210 -SubTopic 10 -Section S99 -Paragraph 1 -Subparagraph (SX 210.5-02.20) -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6877327&loc=d3e13212-122682 + Details
Name: | us-gaap_LiabilityForUncertainTaxPositionsCurrent
Namespace Prefix: | us-gaap_
Data Type: | xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type: | credit
Period Type: | instant

X
- Definition Line items represent financial concepts included in a table. These concepts are used to disclose reportable information associated with domain members defined in one or many axes to the table. + References No definition available. + 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: |