All applications for financial aid are FREE. Do not use any web address other than . If you find yourself on a website that quotes a price or asks for a credit card number, be suspicious. You may also be contacted by companies who want you to pay for some type of financial aid application assistance or guaranteed financial aid amount.
According to the U.S. Department of Education, these are some of the sales pitches to watch out for:
鈥淚f you use our services, you鈥檙e guaranteed to get at least $3,000 in student aid for college, or we鈥檒l give you your money back.鈥�
No one can guarantee to get you a grant or scholarship. Most students are eligible for at least $3,500 in unsubsidized student loans anyway and no credit check is necessary. Because a student loan is considered financial aid, you won鈥檛 be able to ask for a refund if a loan is all that you鈥檙e offered. Remember that refund guarantees often have conditions or strings attached so get refund policies in writing and read them carefully before committing.
鈥淎pplying for aid is complicated. We鈥檙e the only ones who can help you through the process and find all the aid for which you鈥檙e eligible.鈥�
There are many places to get free help applying for student aid. Check with your high school counselor or college financial aid office for help filling out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). The FAFSA website itself has a lot of tips to help you with the application. Your high school or college can also help you find scholarships. Also, check out the Links page we鈥檝e put on the OC Student Financial Services website.
鈥淚鈥檇 like to offer you a scholarship or grant. All I need is your bank account information so the money can be deposited and a processing fee charged.鈥�
It鈥檚 extremely rare for a legitimate organization to charge a processing fee for a scholarship. Some criminals pretend to be working for legitimate foundations, federal agencies and corporations. Don鈥檛 give anyone your bank account or credit card information or your Social Security number unless you initiated the contact and trust the company. Such personal identification information could be used to commit identity theft. If you鈥檝e been contacted by someone claiming to be from the U.S. Department of Education and asking for your SSN or bank account information, do not provide it and immediately contact the agencies listed below. Neither the Department of Education nor Odessa College will ever call and ask for such information over the phone.
To find out how to prevent or report a financial aid scam, visit or call:
| Federal Trade Commission 1-877-FTC-HELP (1-877-382-4357) (TTY for the hearing impaired: 1-866-653-4261) oig.hotline@ed.gov |
U.S. Department of Education Office of Inspector General Fraud Hotline 1-800-MIS-USED (1-800-647-8733) |
To find free information on student aid and scams visit .