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Highly
Successful Scholarship Recipients Share Tips:
Note the following comments from
past awardees:
Even in the FREE scholarship databases, a few sponsors require
students to pay a fee. BE AWARE!
When students build a profile on
the scholarship databases, they may decline to include their names
on mailing lists. Declining to have their names on mailing lists
does not adversely affect the scholarship matches.
In order to apply for a private scholarship once a match is found
through the free databases, you must write to the company for an
application. Be sure to include a self-addressed, stamped envelop
even if you are not instructed to do this.
Companies mail the application back much more quickly
with a self-addressed stamped envelope.
The best time to apply for scholarships
for the next fall is during September through December. The
companies that offer the largest awards tend to have deadlines in
the early fall.
Once you build a profile in the
free scholarship databases, check your mailbox often for new
matches. Also, modify your profile frequently to find more
matches.
Create your own scholarship search file. The information you collect to
apply for one scholarship will likely be used in applications for
many scholarships. Keep the information in one place and this will
help streamline the application process.
A parent’s employer can start a
NEW scholarship as a benefit for the student and other dependents of
the employees. To establish the scholarship, the company contacts
Citizens Scholarship Foundation of America, 652 N. Girls School
Road, Suite 220, Indianapolis, IN 46214
A potential benefit of applying for scholarships sponsored by
companies associated with your major is future access to information
on internships and employment opportunities.
NATIONAL FRAUD INFORMATION CENTER
1-800-876-7060
“MILLIONS OF DOLLARS IN
UNCLAIMED STUDENT FINANCIAL AID….”
Many companies are advertising
through campus newspaper advertisements, flyers, direct mail and Web
homepages that they can get students access to millions of dollars
in unclaimed grants and scholarships. You should investigate
carefully before paying anyone an advance fee for help in obtaining
financial aid.
First, determine whether the company
is actually offering a scholarship or is simply a scholarship search
service. If the company claims to actually award a scholarship, be
aware that most scholarship sponsors do not charge up-front fees to
apply for funding and no legitimate scholarship sponsor will
guarantee that you will win an award.
Second, you should understand that
scholarship search services do not award scholarships. These
companies charge a fee to compare your profile with a database of
scholarship opportunities and provide a list of awards for which you
may qualify. They do not provide awards directly to applicants, nor
do they help you apply for the awards. Much of the information
provided by scholarship search services is available at no cost in
your local public library or school financial aid office, as well as
on the Internet. Several companies have also made their scholarship
databases available on the web to students for free.
Finally, get the information from the company
in writing. Do not rely on verbal promises. And don’t give out
your credit card number or checking account number over the phone or
through the Internet. If you feel you’ve been the victim of
fraud by a company promising you scholarships or grants in exchange
for an advance fee, contact the NFIC Hotline at
1-800-876-7060.
This page
contains an excerpt from the NFIC’s Current Fraud Alerts and
Information page |