Scholarship Scams

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As the economy has steadily worsened over the past year, the scholarship scammers are crawling out of the woodwork. The person who has been laid off work and sees no other option but to upgrade their skills to get and keep a new job is particularly vulnerable to these scammers. It certainly is expensive to return to college after an absence, but don't get caught up in a scholarship scam.

You really don't need a "financial aid expert" to help you apply for scholarships. Organizations that want to give away scholarship monies don't keep their scholarships a secret. You should never have to give out a credit card number or pay a fee to apply for a scholarship. If anyone asks you to do this, huge alarm bells should be set off--don't just walk away--run.

So how can you find legitmate sources for scholarships? Your first stop should be the financial aid office of the college or university you will be attending. They will have lists of scholarships available to the students of that school, along with requirements for application and deadlines for submitting the application. If you are having difficulty completing any paperwork, make an appointment with a financial aid counsellor from your school. They will be glad to help you; it is their job to help students get the financial aid they need to attend classes.

If there are no available scholarships at your school, what can you do? Check for legitimate outside sources. Do you belong to a service organization, for example, Rotary Club? Are you or your parents veterans? Are you left-handed? Scholarships are available for people in all of the above conditions, and more. How do you find these sources? Your local library is an excellent place to start, as they more than likely have books cataloging available scholarships. The internet is another source of scholarship money. Sites such as FastWeb and Scholarship Experts are legitimate sources of information on available scholarships. If you go to either site, you will notice that both prominently say "free" application. They are making money from their advertisers, not from soaking individual students to apply for scholarships. If you are looking for scholarship sites, make sure the application is free before you enter any personal information.

A legitimate scholarship opportunity will never ask you to pay money up front to apply. Applying for scholarships takes considerable time and effort; there is no quick route and easy route to getting scholarship money. As with any other venture, you will get results out of receiving scholarships based on the time and effort you make searching for and applying for them. Don't take the "get-rich-quick" route, or all you'll receive is a lower bank account balance for your efforts.

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