Guaranteed Scholarships & More Scams

Be wary of claims of guaranteed scholarships, unclaimed scholarships, or other scholarship offers. Many teens coming out of high school as well as their parents would be thrilled to get a free scholarship to the university of their choice. The good news is there are many offers out there offering scholarship information services to help you. Many provide “free seminars” or “guaranteed scholarships”. Which of these offers are legitimate and will help you get into college? Which scholarship search services are unethical and are seeking to prey on anxious college students and their parents? Scholarship Experts, a legitimate source of Scholarship information, has compiled information on different types of scholarship scams. Read on to see if the Scholarship company contacting you may be running a scholarship scam.

Free Seminars.

Companies offering a "free seminar" for parents and students. This could be legitimate, or it could be a hidden sales pitch for expensive services.

Exclusive Information.

Companies who claim to be the exclusive holders of scholarship information, saying you "can't find this information anywhere else." You can always find information about scholarships on your own if you're willing to take the time to do the research!

Scholarship Finalist.

Companies telling you that you're a finalist or the recipient of a scholarship that you never applied for. They will probably ask for a credit card number to "hold" your award for you-beware!

Act Now.

Companies telling you that you "must act now" or that the award is a "limited time offer." Granted, there are deadlines that you have to meet when applying for scholarships, but be wary of someone telling you "first come, first served."

Unclaimed Scholarships.

Companies claiming "millions of scholarship dollars are left unclaimed every year." This is a myth, and simply not true.

Guaranteed Scholarships.

Companies saying that you are "guaranteed" to get an award. No one can promise you an award except the scholarship provider in charge of the scholarship program. Steer clear of guaranteed scholarships.

They do ALL the Work.

Companies that tell you they will "do all of the work for you, for a fee." You need to know that companies can do the research for you, but they cannot complete the whole application process for you. When it comes to winning scholarships, you have to do most of the work after the source of the money has been identified.

Note that all scholarship information services companies are not scams. There are many legitimate companies out there that can help you get a scholarship or funds for college. Many of these companies are fee-based to cover the cost of running their business. Many of these companies have a highly trained staff and up-to-date scholarship database that can be tailored to your specific scholarship needs. A good idea is to either get an referral or check the company’s references. Are they a member of the Better Business Bureau? Do they provide a physical address? Are they referred to you by someone you trust? What specific services do they provide to assist you with your scholarship search? Being aware of scams and doing business with a legitimate business will go a long way toward you getting that scholarship.