There are scams for everything these days, and, unfortunately, there are people who will try and scam you out of your money when it comes to applying to college and getting scholarships. As for applying to college, there's only one scam I know of, which has to do with FAFSA. FAFSA is the form to fill out before you go to college and get financial aid. The website can be found at fafsa.ed.gov, but a website called fafsa.com will try and trick you into thinking it's the real website and paying them $80! A FAFSA application is always free - just stick to the legit site, which you can find here. Scholarship scams are some of the cruelest scams because they get your hopes up only to rob you, and they're hard to spot unless you know what you're looking for. If you see any of these warning signs, do not apply. Talk to a guidance counselor and figure out if the scholarship is real or not before you give it any of your information.
Warning Signs of Scholarship Scams
1. It asks you to pay an "application fee." Real scholarships generally do not ask for application fees. I've applied for a lot, and I've never seen one. And it makes sense - if they're giving you money, why would they make you pay a fee?
2. You never applied for a scholarship, but you got one anyway. It is a rare, rare case that you get a scholarship automatically that you didn't apply for. And this is another red flag that the scholarship you just receives isn't real.
3. It asks for personal information. You don't get a scholarship without the donor knowing who you are. At the very least, they will know your name and basic information. Asking for information like this is another red flag, especially if it asks for your social security number.