Avoiding scholarship scams

It can be easy to get hooked by a scholarship scam. Follow these guidelines to help you separate scam scholarship sources from the real deal:

• Never pay a fee for scholarship searches or application information.
  
• Don’t give out your credit card or bank account numbers. Scam services will tell you they need this to “hold” your scholarship. However, real sources will never ask you for that information.
  
• Don't believe in "guarantees" or other promises. If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is!
  
• If you receive notice that you've been selected for a scholarship from an organization you've never heard of, or that you've won a contest you never entered, don't respond. 

Here's the truth: Real scholarships never charge fees and the information about applying for them is available to everyone. If you have any questions or doubts about a source of scholarship information, check it out with your school's financial aid office.