Many legitimate companies advertise that they can get you access to lists of scholarships in exchange for a fee that ranges from $10 to $400. Others charge a fee to compare your profile with a database of scholarships and provide a list of awards for which you may qualify. Legitimate companies don't guarantee or promise scholarships.
Fraudulent companies, however, guarantee that you’ll get a scholarship if you work with them, or they say you’ll get a scholarship as long as you pay an advance fee. For this fee, you might get a list of scholarship opportunities, but it won’t be tailored to you. Or they may take your money and not provide anything at all.
In order to avoid falling prey to a scholarship scam, be on the lookout for lines like:
- "The scholarship is guaranteed or your money back."
- "You can't get this information anywhere else."
- "I need your credit card or bank account number to hold this scholarship."
- "We'll do all the work."
- "The scholarship will cost some money."
- "You've been selected by a 'national foundation' to receive a scholarship" or "You're a finalist" in a contest you never entered.
We strongly recommend that you use the free resources listed above -- some of which also provide scholarship matching services -- before paying any company to find scholarships for you.