Scholarship scams can be a waste of your time and money. Learn what to look out for, so you avoid getting scammed.

Finding scholarships
College is expensive, and while scholarships offer the perfect solution for dealing with the expense, you’ve got to be willing to put a lot of research and work into netting those free dollars. Wondering how you can ensure that all of that hard work goes into pursuing legitimate scholarship opportunities, rather than the scholarship scams?

To help you in your search, here are several signs of a scholarship scam:

• You receive notice that you’ve been awarded a scholarship that you didn’t apply for. Generally speaking, scholarships require a long application process, including essays, letters of reference and a copy of your transcript. If you aren’t asked to put in the work, be wary.
• You are asked to pay for scholarship leads. There are plenty of free sources for scholarship information, so there’s no reason to pay. Visit your high-school guidance office for leads or check out a Web site.
• You are asked to pay a fee with your scholarship application. Scholarships are about earning money, not spending it.
• A scholarship service guarantees that they can get you scholarships. Only hard work and dedication can earn you a scholarship. There are no shortcuts.
• A scholarship service offers to do all of the work for you. While a scholarship service may alert you to potential scholarship matches, they can’t possibly fill out all of the applications and gather all of the required supporting materials for you. If they claim otherwise, run.
• A company claims that they’re the only source for the scholarship leads that they are providing. This just isn’t true. You can find the same scholarships listed in any number of sources. There’s no exclusivity involved.
• You’re asked to send money to secure or hold your scholarship.
• You’re told that everyone is eligible for the scholarship. College money is awarded for any number of reasons—academic success, athleticism, race, gender, etc.—but no scholarship is one-size-fits-all. If you aren’t asked to prove your worthiness, then the scholarship isn’t worth your time.