Scholarship Scams: 6 Red Flags To Keep An Eye Out For

Just like with any other scams out there, the biggest red flag that shouldn’t go unnoticed is when the deal is too good to be true. 

Did the company guarantee a full or partial scholarship in exchange for a not-so-minimal fee? A “limited-time offer” that promises a comprehensive financial aid package to cover the university fees? Or perhaps exclusive access to a scholarship program? 

The truth is there is no such thing. Every student goes through the same process; there’s no easy way out. 

Make sure to use common sense whenever you’re presented with dubious information.

The only thing that scholarships should cost you is the time you spent gathering the paperwork and the costs involved in running those errands. Nothing else. 

Legitimate scholarships offered by universities around the world do not and should not charge application fees at all. Why would schools be charging students a fee when they’d be covering the cost of their studies in the first place? 

The moment a company requests advance fees, processing payments, or your credit card or bank account information, that’s a clear sign to close the browser tab.

Raise your hand if you’ve ever received one of those pop-up messages that claimed you’ve won a grand prize in the lottery or lucky draw. 

Unfortunately, the same thing happens with scholarship applications as well. 

Phishing sites would mention that you’ve won a spot as a scholarship award finalist, or perhaps been paired on a scholarship matching service. This can come in the form of an email, a text message, a call, or as simple as a pop-up message that appears on their website. 

In exchange for a spot, they’d typically ask for your personal information or credit card details. But what they’ll do is simply pocket the money and vanish. 

With such stiff competition in scholarship admissions, this is one of the easiest ways they fool their targets. 

It’s standard practice for applicants to contact the respective school or scholarship provider should they need any assistance during the application process; not the other way around. 

While university websites are filled with contact information for your perusal, scammers would create fake websites requesting your details, claiming that they will be in touch with you instead. 

On other occasions, they would also contact applicants directly via phone call, asking for confidential information required for the “application process”. 

Only follow the instructions given on the school’s website carefully and never give out your personal information to anyone suspicious. 

Dealing with urgent deadlines is extremely rare during the admission period. Application season tends to be rather flexible in the majority of universities worldwide, with certain scholarships spread out evenly across a few months to all year round. 

However, many scammers would use this as an opportunity to take advantage of students and their sense of urgency. 

They often do this by contacting students directly a few days or hours before the application deadline and tricking them into complying with whatever they’re asking for. 

Perform your due diligence as a student by taking note of important dates and deadlines, and being wary of scammers and these tricks. 

It’s completely normal for scholarships to have their eligibility criterion. But what isn’t normal is for providers to have open-ended eligibility requirements for applicants. 

This essentially means that the criteria for admission are non-existent, allowing literally anyone to get through. 

Universities are strict when it comes to who they pick as their scholars; it’s unlikely for them to be lenient and flexible in this area. 

In addition to open-ended requirements, keep an eye out for possible red flags on their website such as previous “scholarship winners” and sceptical testimonials that are too good to be true. 

With our qualified team of education counsellors, students no longer have to worry about scholarship scams and anything of the sort. 

From learning how to stay vigilant from scams like these, finding the right university course for you, or getting started on your application, we are here to help you at every step in your overseas study journey. 

Book a free virtual counselling session with us today and we’ll take care of the rest. 

With our qualified team of education counsellors, students no longer have to worry about scholarship scams and anything of the sort. 

From learning how to stay vigilant from scams like these, finding the right university course for you, or getting started on your application, we are here to help you at every step in your overseas study journey. 

Book a free virtual counselling session with us today and we’ll take care of the rest.