Seminars & Consultants
When searching for financial aid and scholarships, be watchful for scammers! Seminars and consultants sometimes charge fees for services or information you can obtain for free.
Searching for Scholarships
Don't ever pay for a scholarship or financial aid search! There are plenty of FREE opportunities available to you on the internet!
10 SCAM WARNING SIGNS:
*FEES: You shouldn't have to pay to search for or apply for scholarships.
*CREDIT CARD OR BANK ACCOUNT INFORMATION NEEDED: You should never have to give credit card or bank account information to scholarship providers.
*NO WORK INVOLVED: Legitimate scholarship applications require time and energy!
*NO CONTACT INFORMATION: Legitimate sponsors should provide contact information. If they do not supply a valid email address, phone number and mailing address (not a PO Box) upon request, that could be a sign of a scam.
*UNSOLICITED SCHOLARSHIPS: If you are called to receive an award for which you never applied, be alert! It is most likely a scam!
*PRESSURE TACTICS: Don't allow yourself to be pressured into applying for a scholarship, especially if the sponsor is asking you to pay.
*CLAIMS OF "EXCLUSIVE" SCHOLARSHIPS: Legitimate sponsors won't restrict knowledge about their award to a single search service.
*AN OFFICIAL-SOUNDING NAME OR ENDORSEMENT DOESN'T AUTOMATICALLY MEAN LEGITIMACY: A sponsor might use words like "national", "education", or "federal" or have an official-looking seal, but might still be a scammer. Also, the federal government and the US Department of Education do not endorse private businesses.
*YOUR QUESTIONS AREN'T ANSWERED DIRECTLY: If you can't get a straight answer from a sponsor regarding their application, what will be done with your information, or other questions, proceed with caution.