There are an abundance of scholarship opportunities for prospective and current students. However, you should be aware that some of these “offers” are really scams that can take advantage of your money and private information. Check out these common signs that your scholarship might be a scam:
1. You need to attend a meeting or seminar to be considered
Be wary of advertisements that try to get you to invest money and time into some kind of meeting or seminar that sells itself on educating you about the college process. You may think you’re headed towards a scholarship meeting but it might just be a hoax that wants you to invest in high interest loans or expensive college consulting. There’s a major difference between scholarships and the financial aid process, learn where they differ.
2. It costs money to apply
It’s no secret that aspiring college students as well as current college students are a little on the broke side. Most of the time your money will disappear and this company is looking to make profit which isn’t the point of awarding scholarships. Even if it is a legitimate website asking for a fee, this fee won’t be awarded back to you if you aren’t a winner of the award.
3. You won something you didn’t actually apply for
Say you’re on a website, streaming a television show, when all of a sudden a Technicolor popup announces you’ve won not only a scholarship but also a free iPad and lifetime supply of Taco Bell. Obviously this isn’t real life (I wish it was), so why would you believe it if a random scholarship popped into your email inbox? If you haven’t applied for something, you most likely haven’t really won it.
4. The scholarship is guaranteed
Nothing in life is guaranteed, just kidding but seriously scholarships are one of the most competitive contests you’ll enter and it doesn’t happen with that much ease. Some might claim that half of the participants win which is completely false. Even the richest companies would be broke if they delegated the wealth to half of the participants.
5. They’re asking for your credit card/bank info
There is never a reason for this. Ever. Exit the website and move on. A real scholarship would communicate via mail or email not direct deposit to something that should remain entirely private.
Finding money for school is necessary for many students but don’t let your information be compromised in the process. Keep aware of these red flags in your scholarship search and you won’t fall victim to a scam. Good luck!
Ali Sewalt is the editorial intern for NextStepU and is a junior at Nazareth College. You can reach her with questions and for advice at Alison@nextstepu.com.
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