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COLLEGE SCAMS

Students and parents are targets of some companies who are taking advantage of the rising cost of education. And they need to know. These companies offer financial assistance to students and parents attempting to navigate the rising cost of tuition and living. While other companies may claim to provide you with a degree for that job you would you like. They may even offer a validation service for an additional fee.

Unscrupulous companies have created “seminars” where students and parents are given the opportunity to receive a scholarship. There is a catch. The student and/or parent must provide either a credit card number or bank account information. Although the offer of a money back guarantee is appealing it is a scam. Some may require a monthly fee for an undetermined length of time.

The difference between these companies and credible scholarship service organizations is the guarantee. Legitimate companies offer service which compare a student profile with a database of scholarships, others offer lists of available scholarships for an advance fee. Earning the scholarship is still up to the student. No legitimate company will ever promise or guarantee the receipt of a scholarship or grant.

Identity theft on the rise and college students are finding themselves a victim more and more.

There is enough information in a single piece of mail to assume someone’s identity. The thief will use that information to order computers, gain access to bank accounts or even create false accounts is not uncommon for an identity thief. This is an easy crime to prevent, however, it requires them to be cautious of how they dispose of documents like ATM receipts, bank statements and anything from a credit card company. These are among the easiest ways for a thief to gain the necessary information to assume their identity.

This is an unfortunate challenge added to the college experience that students must navigate successfully. It is going to be a reality for them or someone they know before graduation. The good news is that there are easy steps that can be taken to prevent these events from happening to them while pursuing their educational goals.

Tips to Pass On

• Can you find it listed in a legitimate listing of colleges? Many libraries titled The Higher Education Directory. If a United States-based institution does not appear in that book, this can be a bad sign. However, when looking it up make sure that you have found the correct name. Fake colleges often adopt names that are a slight variation of a legitimate institution.

• Is there anything odd on their website or in their promotional materials? A post office box rather than a street address? Does their list of courses seem small? If they have one.

• Are they unwilling to answer simple questions? A legitimate institution answers questions about student enrollments, graduates, or policies without much hesitation.

• What is the tuition reimbursement policy? Legitimate institutions allow some portion of the tuition to be refunded several weeks into a course. If the tuition refund deadline is quite short, this is a very bad sign. It indicates that the institution is more interested in your money than in your education.

• What organization accredits the institution? An "accrediting agency" reviews the institution's operations and gives its "seal of approval." The U.S. Department of Education maintains a list of accrediting agencies that they recognize. Fake institutions will list the name of an impressive sounding accrediting agency, but if it does not appear on the Education Department's list, this is a bad sign.

COLLEGE SCAMS

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