Scholarship Scam Warning Checklist | Fake Financial Aid & FAFSA Scam Protection | Student Safety Guide | Printable PDF | Digital Download

Scholarship Scam Warning Checklist: Real Scholarships Never Charge You

Too Good to Be True? It Usually Is.

• An email says you've won a "guaranteed" scholarship you never applied for.
• You're asked to pay a small fee to "process" or "hold" your award.
• Someone wants your bank account number so they can "deposit" the money.
• You're asked for your full Social Security number before you've seen an award letter.
• You're told to pay today or lose the money.
• A paid service promises to find you financial aid.

Scholarship and financial-aid scams target students and parents every year, especially when they're stressed about paying for school. The promise is free money. The real cost is your fee, your bank account or your identity.

The Scholarship Scam Warning Checklist is a quick reality check to run before you pay a fee or share your SSN or bank details. It also lists the real, free places to find money for school.

What's inside:

✅ Red Flags: "guaranteed" awards, application or processing fees, surprise awards you never applied for, and pressure to act now.

✅ What They Ask For: bank and routing numbers, your full SSN before any verified award, and a credit card for a "refundable" fee.

✅ Verify First: search the scholarship name plus "scam", type the sponsor's web address yourself, and ask your school's financial-aid office.

✅ Legitimate Sources: the FAFSA at studentaid.gov, your school's financial-aid office, and free scholarship databases.

✅ Pro Tip: the one rule that settles almost every case. Real scholarship money comes to you, not the other way around.

Who it's for:

• High school seniors
• College and graduate students
• Parents of college-bound teens
• Adult learners returning to school
• School counselors and college advisors

Why it works: It's one page and takes minutes to review. Print it, post it in a counseling office, or tuck it into a college folder.

📄 1-page printable PDF (US Letter) · Instant download · Unlimited personal printing

A Making Sense Of Security guide: free guides and tools at MakingSenseOfSecurity.com

Great Companion Guides

Pair this checklist with:

• Student ID & SSN Protection Card
• Phishing Email Detection Cheat Sheet
• Payment App Safety Checklist
• Safe Online Shopping Checklist
• Online Banking Safety Checklist
• Wire Transfer Safety Card

All Sales Final. Please reference this page for details.