Scholarship Tips & How to Avoid Scams

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Start Local: Better Odds, Bigger Impact: Begin your search close to home! Local scholarships typically have fewer applicants, increasing your chances of being selected.

Community Organizations: Lions Club, Rotary, Elks, Kiwanis, Jaycees, Scouts, and other civic groups.

Religious Groups: Ask your church, parish, or diocese about scholarships they may offer.

Volunteer Organizations: If you've served at a food bank, hospital, or nonprofit, they may offer scholarships as recognition.

Chamber of Commerce: Local chambers often offer small grants or can point you to member businesses that do.

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Ask Your Employer (Or Your Parents'): Many companies offer scholarships, tuition reimbursement, or financial aid to employees and their dependents.

Parents’ Workplace: Have them check with their HR or benefits office.

Your Employer: Ask if there are programs available for part-time or student employees.

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Check with Schools & Colleges: Don't overlook resources directly tied to your education.

High School Guidance Office: Ask counselors and teachers about scholarships sent to the school.

College Departments: Once enrolled, check with your major department for field-specific awards.

Financial Aid Office: Your school’s aid team can guide you to trusted scholarship platforms and alerts.

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Explore Unions & National Organizations: Belonging to or being connected with professional and social organizations can open new doors.

Labor Unions: Major unions (e.g., AFL-CIO, Teamsters) offer scholarships to members and dependents.

Fraternities, Sororities, Clubs: Many national and local chapters support scholarships aligned with their missions.

Professional Associations: Search for scholarships tied to your future field of study.

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Use the Library & Local Media: Your local library and newspaper archives are rich with scholarship listings.

Public Libraries: Ask a librarian to help you search state and private funding options.

Newspapers: Look for stories about local scholarship recipients or announcements from community organizations.

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Search Smart Online: The internet is full of scholarship opportunities—but be smart about where you search.

Use trusted platforms like Fastweb, Scholarships.com, and your college’s official site.

NEVER pay to apply for a scholarship. If there’s a fee, it’s probably a scam.

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Red Flags to Watch For: Be alert when a scholarship opportunity shows any of these warning signs:

• “Guaranteed” money or “you’ve been selected” when you never applied
• Requests for credit card or bank account numbers
• Claims you “can’t find this info anywhere else”
• Charging an application or processing fee
• Promises to “do all the work” for you
• Pressure to act immediately or attend “exclusive seminars”

Reminder: Legitimate scholarships require effort—applications, essays, transcripts—not upfront payments or shady promises.

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If You Suspect a Scam... Report It: Protect yourself and others by reporting suspicious offers:

• Federal Trade Commission (FTC): 1-877-FTC-HELP or reportfraud.ftc.gov
• National Fraud Information Center: 1-800-876-7060
• Finaid.org: scams@finaid.org
• Other Resources: Your state attorney general, Better Business Bureau, local postal inspector, or school counselor

One of the most common and harmful scholarship scams involves asking students or parents to pay a fee in exchange for access to "exclusive" scholarships or guaranteed financial aid. These offers often come through mailers, emails, social media ads, or at so-called “free financial aid seminars.”

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What These Scams Look Like:

• Promises of “guaranteed” scholarships or “pre-approval” without applying
• Requests for application fees, processing fees, or upfront costs
• Invitations to attend free seminars that push costly “college planning services”
• Claims that they have insider access to awards no one else can find
• Offers that require you to buy a product or service to qualify for aid

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Why This is a Red Flag:

• Paying to apply for a scholarship or to gain access to a database goes against how legitimate financial aid systems work. In fact, many of these operations are not only misleading—they’re illegal.
• According to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), any organization implying you must purchase a product or service to be eligible for federal financial aid is violating federal and state laws.

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What You Can Do Instead:

• You don’t have to spend money to find real scholarships. Thousands of credible, no-cost opportunities are available through:
  • Your school's financial aid office
  • Local community organizations
  • Verified platforms like Fastweb, Scholarships.com, and CareerOneStop
  • Professional and educational associations in your intended field

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✅ Bottom Line:

If someone asks you to pay money to get money, it’s almost certainly a scam.
Real scholarships never charge a fee—they’re here to help, not to profit off you.

Always research the source, read the fine print, and trust your instincts. If something feels off, it probably is.

Lyle Hall, 2nd Floor, Room 241

Office Hours:
Standard: Mon.-Fri. 8:00 am to 4:30 pm (mid-August to mid-May)                                                                Summer: Mon.-Fri. 8:00 am to 4:00 pm (mid-May to mid-August)

Call Center Hours:
Available by Phone: Mon.-Fri. 8:00am to 6:00pm 

Phone: 717-871-5100                           
Fax:  717-871-7980 
Email: fa.mail@millersville.edu

USPS Mailing Address:
Office of Financial Aid
Millersville University
P.O. Box 1002
Millersville, PA 17551-0302

Address for UPS/FedEx:
Office of Financial Aid
Lyle Hall, 2nd Floor
40 Dilworth Rd
Millersville, PA 17551-0302