Both government as well as private organizations offer a number of scholarship schemes to students enabling them to meet the rising cost of their education. These scholarships are based on academic performance, unique qualities and talents of students in fields such as sports, arts, literature and entertainment. Taking advantage of the students' interest in obtaining a scholarship, various false schemes are being offered to make money and make students a victim of scholarship scams. The following tips help students to be aware of such scholarship scams.

• Where you are required to pay money of any sort towards application fee, loan fee or any other fee it is a scam.

• If any scheme sounds to be too good then beware, it could be a scam. Certain sites offer guaranteed award/ scholarship, which are not true.

• You can spend time, but think before spending money. The maximum you spend will be for postage.

• Every scholarship has certain criteria to be fulfilled. Hence no body will offer you a scholarship for merely existing

• Few ads talk about huge amounts of scholarship funds being unused and thereby assure you of a minimum amount. Kindly be alert it is a scam. Scholarships are highly competitive, hence there is no question of any money being unused.

• Do not believe announcements which say that they apply scholarship on your behalf. You need to apply to get a scholarship.

• Scholarship matching service providers do not have any control on the decision of sponsors regarding granting of a scholarship. Any such claim is a scam

• Overhyped success rates of providing scholarships are probably not true.

• Unusual request for personal information then beware it could be scam

• Factors such as no telephone number, mail box for a return address, time pressure, typing and spelling mistakes in application forms, a Florida or a California address, disguised advertising, newly formed company generally result in being a scam.

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