Posts Tagged credit card

Watchout – College Scholarship Scams to Avoid

The Internet has made access to college scholarships easier than ever, but students need to beware. There can be dangers in the scholarship search, and consumers need to be aware of how to protect themselves from scholarship scams. The Federal Trade Commission provides six telltale signs of suspicious scholarships.

  1. Beware if the scholarship offers you a money back guarantee. You shouldn’t have to pay anything to apply for a scholarship. Scholarships exist to fund your education, not someone else’s vacation.
  2. Do not believe anyone who tells you that you cannot get this information anywhere else. Information on scholarships is widespread. Colleges can tell you full details on the programs they offer and affiliated programs. The same goes for organizations. Any site that tells you they have exclusive information on scholarships isn’t being honest.
  3. Do not fall for the line that you should share your credit card information or bank account number so that they can hold the scholarship for you. Keep private information private. If someone wants to pay for your school they will send a check to you or the school. Your bank account and credit card information isn’t needed.
  4. Do not buy into anyone offering to “do all of the work.” Even simple college scholarships require some effort, say entering basic high school info and college plans.
  5. Remember that no scholarship should cost ANY money.
  6. Do not believe any communication that tells you that you are a finalist in a contest you did not enter or that you have been chosen to receive a scholarship given by a national foundation. If you didn’t apply for a scholarship yourself you haven’t won. These people are just fishing for your personal info. Keep track of which scholarships you have applied for and with which organizations.

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Scholarship Myths You Should Know About In Advance

Although there are many scholarships available every year to college students of all ages, there are still many myths about scholarships that discourage students from even applying in the first place. Unfortunately, this restricts the amount of college education funding that those students can often receive. So here are some of the myths about college scholarships that you need to know about in order to have the facts.

1. The first myth that is widely believed about college scholarships is that they are usually only available to those who have the highest grade averages, such as a “A”. This is just simply not true. Although many scholarship programs do list having a good academic record as a contributing factor in receiving the scholarship, there are actually several other factors that are taken into consideration as well. The truth is that even those who have a “B” or “C” grade average can often qualify for many scholarships because of other factors instead. For instance, many scholarship programs place a high priority on a student’s involvement in extracurricular activities, especially those in the community. To them, this helps indicate that you are a well rounded individual who will do well in a college environment and are seeking personal advancement. So if you want to qualify for college scholarships, try to involve yourself in activities that allow you to give something back to the community and expand your horizons.

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