Scholarship Scams – Warning Signs
Watch out for the following claims companies will make in an effort to misinform you:
“For a fee, we provide a comprehensive list of scholarships.” Don’t spend money on a fee-based matching service. The biggest and best scholarship databases are available for free on the Web.
“Billions of dollars of award monies going unclaimed.” Statements about funds going unclaimed are simply untrue. If funds are available, students will compete for them.
“We have a money back guarantee.” Legitimate scholarships are always competitive. No one can guarantee that you will win a scholarship.
“We need your credit card or bank account number.” No legitimate scholarship should require your credit card number or bank account numbers.
“We will do all the work.” To receive a scholarship, students must complete the applications and essays themselves. No one else can do the work for them.
*Note to families filing the FREE Federal Financial Aide Form (FAFSA):
The official website is www.fafsa.gov. Please use the “.gov” website (it is linked in Naviance/Family Connection account). Other websites are for profit and charge a fee.
