Scholarship Scams

To meet the demands of continually rising college costs, you may be looking for scholarship funding to help pay the bills.  As interest in finding scholarships has increased, so has the number of individuals fraudulently promoting them.  It is important to learn how to tell which scholarship offers—or promises to help you secure a scholarship—are probably not legitimate.

Sure Signs of a Scholarship Scam

Do any of these quotes sound familiar?

• “You’ve been selected by a national foundation to receive a scholarship.”

• “You’re a finalist” in a contest you never entered.

• “The scholarship is guaranteed, or your money back.”

• “You can’t get this information anywhere else.”

• “May I have your credit card or bank account number to hold your scholarship?”

• “You’ll have to pay a nominal fee to be considered.”

• “We’ll do all the work.”

If you have been a victim of this kind of scheme, you can report your experience to the Georgia Attorney General's Consumer Protection Division. 

You can also file a complaint with the Federal Trade Commission, which collects such information to use in pursuing companies operating from other states.