Sallie Mae, the student-lending giant, may lend an ear to its critics.

A petition signed by nearly 14,000 people is asking the private lender to quit the lobbyist group American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC), on the grounds that Sallie-crafted legislation backed by ALEC caps public spending in higher education.

“Sallie Mae and ALEC have a track record of pushing a legislative agenda that inextricably links higher education to a lifetime of debt — and a lifetime of customers for Sallie Mae,” said Chris Hicks, a petition organizer.

Sallie execs “balked” at the idea of quitting ALEC, but were open-minded about “alternatives” in a June meeting with student leaders, according to the group.

Sallie, already under fire from heavily indebted students for its lending practices, reports $145 billion in student loans. Sallie is the nation’s largest private student lender. Total US as student debt exceeds a $1 trillion.

Sallie Mae didn’t return phone calls from The Post seeking comment.