Don't get ripped off trying to find a scholarship... some pointers

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Yes, you can get a scholarship. NO, you should NOT have to pay for one!

Now... give me some money!

Some sites will tell you have DO have to pay to get a scholarship. This is just one kind of scholarship scam. There are also scams by so-called "consultants", and promises of a guaranteed scholarship. Don't be fooled by a fake scholarship scam.

This advice especially goes for the Official FAFSA site - - some people are trying to get money from FAFSA applicants by offering their services to get scholarships or loans for students. Don't be fooled. The Official FAFSA site is totally FREE and you can do it yourself.

You can look up "apply for your FAFSA" and get the completely wrong website. It might LOOK right but it isn't. The real FAFSA site is the government site, and has many scholarships there that an be offered to you along with low-rate loans. This is what the official (real) FAFSA site looks like: http://www.fafsa.ed.gov/.

Here is a page at the Nontrad website that has a FAFSA Filing hints video too, if you are filling out your FAFSA.

Be a detective!

Moving right along, an article at the FinAid site explains that there ARE scholarship scams out there, and that you need to be aware of them. Some scam sites actually "guarantee" you a scholarship, when there actually is no such thing as a guarantee of getting one. You have to be chosen and go through a vetting process for most REAL scholarships.

This article helps you evaluate different websites and consultants out there too, and how to "investigate suspicious offers." Be on the safe side - if a scholarship offer seems bogus, it very well may be.

Catching Scholarship $

Good luck on your scholarship search!

Check my Nontrads Scholarship pages:
Scholarships Links and Tips Page One
Scholarships Links and Tips Page Two
You may also like these popular postings:
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Don't get scammed while looking for a scholarship

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You CAN protect yourself from scholarship scams.

It's a common mistake to make. You think that the scholarship site is legit. You may be offered a scholarship for a "small fee", or someone offers to help you find a scholarship "just for you." (And bills you afterwards...)



On-the-level scholarship sites or organizations do NOT charge a fee to find you a scholarship, and they do not fill your forms out for you. And if you think a "non-profit" organization sounds a little too good to be true, it just might be.

Articles I found (below) warn NOT to give out your personal information like credit card numbers or bank account numbers to "scholarship" companies. Scholarships.com warns that a scholarship provider does not need this information.

Do your homework. Are you sceptical? Do you have a feeling that perhaps the offer you got is not legitimate? You can contact the Federal Trade Commission to find out if you are involved in any kind of a scholarship scam. Their web address is http://www.ftc.gov/scholarshipscams.

Sources for this article:

College: 10 Step Guide: How to Avoid being Taken by Scholarship scams
FinAid explains Scholarship Scams
Protect Yourself from Scholarship Scams (from Scholarships.com)

Other articles you may like:
Can you win an Ivy League Scholarship?
Scholarships.com - they are worth a try.
The Find Scholarships and Grants 5 Most Popular Post Pages
Scholarship dreaming - the Perfect Scholarship.

 -Betsyanne



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