Need Money for College? Doesn't everybody? Unfortunately, in their efforts to pay the bills, many students and their families are falling prey to scholarship scams.

The FTC cautions students to look for tell tale lines:

• "The scholarship is guaranteed or your money back."
• "You can't get this information anywhere else."
• "I just need your credit card or bank account number to hold this scholarship."
• "We'll do all the work."
• "The scholarship will cost some money."
• "You've been selected by a 'national foundation' to receive a scholarship" or "You're a finalist" in a contest you never entered.

Information for Students and Parents

• Press Release: Federal Agencies Release First Annual Report to Congress on College Scholarship Fraud

• College Scholarship Fraud Prevention Act of 2000 - First Annual Report to Congress [PDF only]

• Looking for Student Aid

• OUCH...Students Getting Stung Trying to Find $$$ for College [PDF]

• Scholarship Scams Audio [RAM]   [MP3]

• 6 $igns That Your $cholarship Is $unk
  Poster [PDF only]
  Bookmark [PDF only]

• US Department of Education
  Student Guide
  Funding Your Education

• En Espaņol

Public Service Messages

List of Defendants in Project $cholar$cam

The FTC works for the consumer to prevent fraudulent, deceptive and unfair business practices in the marketplace and to provide information to help consumers spot, stop and avoid them. To file a complaint or to get free information on consumer issues, visit www.ftc.gov or call toll-free, 1-877-FTC-HELP (1-877-382-4357); TTY: 1-866-653-4261. The FTC enters Internet, telemarketing, identity theft and other fraud-related complaints into Consumer Sentinel, a secure, online database available to hundreds of civil and criminal law enforcement agencies in the U.S. and abroad.