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Can You Spot a College Scholarship Scam?
Be a Smart Consumer
Scholarships are an attractive way to help manage college costs. You won't have to repay them (like loans) or work to maintain them (like work-study). Since students and parents are so eager to find these funds, it's no wonder that they become easy targets for financial aid con artists.

Scholarship Scams
Many scholarship-finding services will tell you that "millions of dollars in private scholarship money goes unused every year." The fact is, nearly all available financial aid comes from the federal government or from individual colleges.

Private scholarships are usually slated for very specific applicants, such as students with a particular career interest, or members of a certain church or organization. These institutions have created funds for students, so they are eager to give them to qualified individuals. They are not interested in keeping the money a secret.

You can easily find out about these opportunities by checking with appropriate institutions. Contact clubs or other organizations to find out what they seek in an applicant. Your counselor can also provide information on scholarships.

Tell-Tale Signs It's a Scam
According to the Federal Trade Commission's Scholarship Scams, if you hear these lines from a scholarship service, you may be getting duped:

"The scholarship is guaranteed or your money back."
No one can guarantee that they'll get you a grant or a scholarship. Refund guarantees often have conditions or strings attached. Get refund policies in writing—before you pay.
"You can't get this information anywhere else."
There are many free lists of scholarships available. Start researching scholarships at the high school or library before you decide to pay someone to do the work for you.
"I just need your credit card or bank account number to hold this scholarship."
Never give out credit card or bank account number on the phone without getting information in writing first. It may be the set-up for an unauthorized withdrawal from your account.
"We'll do all the work."
Don't be fooled. There's no way around it. You must apply for scholarships or grants yourself.
"The scholarship will cost money."
Don't pay anyone who claims to be "holding" a scholarship or grant for you. Free money shouldn't cost a thing.
"You've been selected by a national foundation" to receive a scholarship or "You're a finalist" in a contest you never entered.
Before you send money to apply for a scholarship, check it out. Make sure the foundation or program is legitimate.
Fight Back
Free money shouldn't cost a thing. If you suspect a scam, bring a copy of all literature and correspondence to your guidance office or to a financial aid administrator at a local college for advice. You can also contact the Better Business Bureau, your State Bureau of Consumer Protection, your State Attorney General's Office, or report the offer to the National Fraud Information Center.

More Information
Scholarship Scams from FinAid.org provides advice on how to identify scams, how to distinguish between legitimate and fraudulent organizations, how to protect yourself from scholarship scams, and what to do if you are scammed.

Other Financial Aid Scams
Telemarketing Grant Scams
A recent financial aid scam attempts to steal your credit card number or bank account. A caller, claiming to be a representative of the U.S. Department of Education, offers to replace your student loan with an $8,000 grant. The catch: the caller needs your bank account number in order to charge a processing fee. (The Department of Education does not provide a plan to replace loans with grants and does not charge a processing fee to obtain Title IV grants.)

The lesson: don't give out personal information unless you've initiated the contact or are sure you know who you're dealing with. Identity thieves may pose as a representative of government agencies, banks, or businesses in an attempt to get you to reveal personal information.

The Office of the Inspector General, U.S. Department of Education website offers information about what you should do if you have provided bank or credit card information to such a caller.

Do You Really Need a Financial Aid Consultant?
Parents who feel intimidated by the financial aid process often turn to financial aid consultants. But beware, some of these services can be shady, and financial aid officers often resent the intervention of outside professionals in the aid package award process.

Financial aid consultants advertise their ability to help families through complicated financial aid forms and provide tricks to getting through the system. But financial aid forms are relatively simple, and a high school counselor will give you advice for free.

Also, there are not really any tricks to the financial aid system. It is the job of financial aid officers to ensure that once you're accepted you can pay for the college. They are not trying to hoard money, but give it away. Financial aid officers make funding decisions based on the school's award criteria and funds available. The aid officer is your best ally in this process; no independent service is likely to influence it. Aid officers will also know about state funding and other opportunities to apply for aid.

Financial aid consultants may suggest moving assets around or transacting a major purchase or gift to reduce income and qualify for more aid. This should set off your alarm bells. First, administrators can easily spot this kind of maneuvering. If they suspect they are being deceived, colleges may refuse to consider the financial aid application.

Professionals may also promise to use your credentials to bargain for the best deal at various colleges. Colleges usually have strict financial aid award guidelines, and they will not bargain for students with other institutions. If you feel important financial information has been overlooked in your aid award, you should certainly contact the school's financial aid office to contest the award. Financial aid offices are unlikely to be willing to discuss these circumstances with a professional consultant.