How to Avoid Scams Offering Free Money for College
Free money for college is available in the form of many legitimate scholarships and grants. It is common knowledge that a high school senior may worry about how their college education is going to be paid for. A non-traditional student may worry about how he or she will support a family while returning to school. Unfortunately there are those who attempt to take advantage of the desperation that some people may encounter when it comes to paying for school. If you happen to receive an unsolicited scholarship application by email or through the regular mail, you should be on your guard.
If you receive such a piece of mail, you should be very thorough in research the offering institution before you fill out the scholarship application. While the offer of free money for college may seem attractive at first, the information that you submit to this company through the application is what the company will use to take advantage of you. If the scholarships offer seems to be too good to be true, exercise caution. It probably is. Now the question becomes: How do you tell what offers are legitimate?
One sign of a scam is an offer of guaranteed free money for college in exchange for a small fee. This type of solicitation promises that they will do the scholarship work for you for a price. The fee may seem small, but the company cannot offer you guaranteed money. They can guarantee results for your scholarship, but you will still have to do the legwork in applying for the scholarships. You should never have to pay money to apply for a scholarship. Offers of scholarships that attempt to pressure you into applying before the stated deadlines are another give a way of scams. The first come, first served rule is not one that should apply to scholarships or grants.
Another common free money for college is scam is an unsolicited letter stating that you've won a scholarship or contest that you do not remember entering. Often times, the letter will ask for your credit card or bank account number in order to transfer your winnings to you. Generally, any scholarship money that you win will be sent directly to the institute you will be attending. It is possible to receive free money for college. However, it is prudent for you to be on your guard and to make wise decisions when it comes to the methods you use to obtain that free money. Once again, if the offer is too good to be true, it probably is.