SCHOLARSHIPS

The Guidance Department receives notification of various scholarships throughout the year. Some scholarships are offered by various foundations, and others are offered by the colleges and universities. Foundation scholarships require a separate application. Many college scholarships are awarded based on GPA and SAT scores. Others are offered to students with special qualifications such as parents’ employment, athletics, ethnic background, career goals and community service. Please remind your students to check the Scholarship Bulletin in the Guidance Office for scholarship amounts, criteria, applications and deadlines. This information is updated on a weekly basis.

A WORD OF CAUTION: BEWARE!!

There are bogus scholarship companies preying on students throughout the United States. For a processing fee ranging from $50 to several hundred dollars, companies guarantee that students can be “matched” with sources of funding, regardless of their academic qualifications, scholastic credentials or family economic status. Some advertisements and sales pitches claim there are millions of dollars in unclaimed scholarship monies just waiting to be tapped. In exchange for their advanced fee, students receive lists of “possible” scholarship sources. Experience with scholarship matching services has revealed that while students may receive potential sources of aid, few, if any, receive any funds. Some consumers complain that they did not receive the guaranteed number of scholarship sources and were unable to obtain refunds. Others claim they didn’t qualify because the sources did not match the information on the student’s profile. Still others state that they received information after the application deadlines had passed for the funding sources. As a result, they were unable to apply to even one source.
BOTTOM LINE – DO NOT PAY FOR A SCHOLARSHIP OR SCHOLARSHIP INFORMATION!!

SCHOLARSHIP SCAMS

Scam Warning Signs
• You have to pay a fee
• Money back guarantee
• Credit Card/Bank Account information required
• Offers exclusive information

Common Scams
Phony scholarship – promises cash if you pay a registration fee
Phony scholarship matching service – pay a fee and they guarantee you will win scholarships
Phony educational loan – pay a fee and receive a low interest rate
Phony financial aid seminar – one big sales pitch

Reporting Scams
National Fraud Information Center (NFIC)
Call their toll-free hotline at: 1-800-876-7060, visit www.fraud.org or write:

National Fraud Information Center
PO Box 65868
Washington, DC 20035

Federal Trade Commission (FTC)
To report suspected fraud, call: 1-888-FTC-HELP (1-202-382-4357), visit www.ftc.gov to use the online consumer complaint form, or write:

Federal Trade Commission
CRC-240
600 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 20580

State Attorney General’s Office
File your complaint with the Bureau of Consumer Protection in your state.

Better Business Bureau (BBB)
Report business fraud or ask for information about a company. Visit www.bbb.org. (You must have an address for the questionable organization to file a complaint.)

US Postal Inspection Service (USPIS)
For complaints involving mail fraud, call the Postal Crime Hotline at: 1-800-654-8896 or write:

United States Postal Service
Attention: Hotline
1735 N. Lynn Street
Arlington, VA 22209-2020

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