Getting a scholarship should be a joyous occasion. You’ve worked hard, you took your time on your application and submitted it with care. All that should be left for you to do is cross your fingers and hope your best work puts you on the top of the submission pile. Unfortunately, the way the world works today, there is always someone out there looking to bank off of another’s success or to take advantage of a person’s good nature.
That’s why you have to be on the look out for scholarship scams. If you ask me, it’s pretty shady to steal money from college kids. They are already on a tight budget as it is, and they are so used to paying fees for this and that, that they might not think twice about paying money to apply to a scholarship. And that’s how they get you.
Tips for Spotting a Scholarship Scam
While it may not be possible to catch all of the culprits, you can protect yourself from potential scholarship predators by keeping your eyes and ears open. The following are some surefire signs that the scholarship you’re interested in is not on the up and up.
Fees to Apply
If you have to put any money down to apply for a scholarship, run away! This is not a legitimate scholarship. Sure, it might not seem so bad when some “scholarships” may request you submit $2 or $3 as an application fee, but your odds of winning are very slim because these are typically “lottery” style awards. In short, they’re just not worth it.
Fees to be “Matched”
Another common sign of a scam is if you have to pay money to be matched with scholarships that suit you the best. Paid matching services are just not needed nowadays in the age of the Internet. Anyone can find out information about any scholarship with just a few clicks of the mouse. Don’t pay anyone to do this for you.
Guarantees
No legitimate scholarship has a guarantee. This means that you should never apply for a scholarship that guarantees you will win money. This is just not worth your time at all. Even if there is a prize, it will probably be very small and you’ll have to jump through a million hoops to get it.
Unnecessary Glitz and Glamour
If the scholarship application reads like an ad, don’t apply. A real scholarship will just present information to you in an upfront manner. There’s no need to try and “sell” the scholarship to you!
Offers to Apply For You
Some scholarship scams work by stating that for a fee, the company in question will apply for you. This just does not work. In order to be eligible for scholarships, you have to submit your own applications and write your own essays. You can’t get around this, even by paying money.
Requests For Too Much Info
With identity theft on the rise these days, you have to be especially careful of scholarship scams that request too much personal info. If you receive a phone call on behalf of the scholarship claiming they need your bank account number to deposit your winnings or that they need your social security number to confirm your identity, hang up immediately and report the company, if you can.
Fake Federal
Just because a company looks or sounds official, does not mean it is. Anyone can slap together a document and throw the word “Federal” or “Association” on it to make it seem legitimate. However, if something doesn’t seem quite right, be sure to search for the name of the organization online to make sure it is real.
Unprofessional Look
If you feel as though the scholarship application and accompanying materials were never proofread, I’d say it’s time to move on. Multiple spelling and grammatical errors show a lack of professionalism that is essential to a scholarship foundation’s success.
False Endorsements
If the scholarship claims to be endorsed by the U.S. Department of Education or any other government group, do not apply. It is undoubtedly a scam because they do not endorse private businesses! Be sure to investigate any Better Business Bureau seals of approval as well.
No Real Address
If the only address you can find for a scholarship is a P.O. Box address, do not apply! This is definitely a scam as well. Also be wary of residential addresses as the company “headquarters.”
No Real Phone Number
If you can’t find a phone number for the scholarship sponsor, abandon ship. It’s just not worth putting your private information on the line for an award that may not even exist.
No Eligibility Requirements
If anyone, anywhere is eligible for the scholarship, it is most likely a fake. The scholarship sponsors want to provide money for college students for some reason or another. Now, the requirements do not need to be prestigious like academic or athletic ability, but there should be some requirements, such as being left-handed or having a ponytail. Seriously, no legitimate scholarship has no requirements.
Un-requested Offers
If you receive scholarship information in the mail one day when you did not request it, it is most likely a scam. You will usually only hear back from a scholarship organization if you have requested more information.
The “You Won’ Phone Call
You will never be notified of winning a scholarship by phone. It will always occur by mail. In fact, scholarship winning notifications that occur over the phone often sound much more like those “you’ve won a free cruise” offers than actually winning money for college.
No History
Another way to tell if a scholarship is a scam is if you can’t find any documentation of previous winners or previous award amounts. Most scholarship organizations want to promote who their previous winners were, not hide that information from the public. If there is no way for you to know that any scholarship money has ever been awarded, do not apply.
The Mad Dash
If there is serious pressure to submit your application by a certain, very near deadline, it may not be worth it to apply. Be also on the lookout for year-round awards. Hardly any legitimate scholarship companies give out awards year round.
The Run Around
No one likes to be given the run around, but you definitely should not be treated in this manner by a scholarship committee. You should always be able to receive answers to all of your questions. If you are given anything less than that, move on.
Scholarship scams are everywhere. However, you shouldn’t let this fact discourage you from applying for scholarships. Just follow these tips and you should be able to weed out the baddies in no time. Besides, it would be a real shame if you forewent all scholarship opportunities just because of a few bad apples.