Wondering where to go to find scholarship opportunities and information? Start here.
You can trust PennWest Edinboro to show you how to find legitimate scholarships online
and give you tips to help you avoid common scams.
Peterson’s helps you discover, prepare for and fund your education.
How to Avoid Common Scams
Internet searches are another great way to find free money, but caution is a must.
While there are many reputable websites such as those listed above, many other sites
will try to scam you and your family out of money and even your identity.
Here are some red flags:
You must pay a fee (any fee) to apply for the scholarship.
You must provide a credit card number or your bank or savings account information
to apply for the scholarship.
You don’t need to do anything (or do very little) to apply.
The offer “guarantees” that you will be given a scholarship.
The offer includes no contact information, such as a valid email address, phone number
and mailing address (a P.O. box does not count).
You never applied for the scholarship.
You must attend a free seminar to be considered for the scholarship.
The offer includes official-sounding words like “national” or “federal” or has an
official-looking seal.
The offer says there are millions in unclaimed scholarship dollars waiting for you.
The offer is filled with typos and spelling errors. For example, “scholarship” is
spelled “scholorship.”
For more information and advice on applying for various scholarships and avoiding
scams, visit EducationPlanner.org.