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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE |
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State
Rep. Harry Readshaw |
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Readshaw cautions about college aid scams
HARRISBURG, April 27 – With students and parents scrambling to come up with financing in time for the fall semester of college, state Rep. Harry Readshaw, D-Allegheny, is warning that there are active scams targeting college students looking for financial aid.
Readshaw said scammers sometimes contact families and students to offer assistance with submitting the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, or FAFSA. These scammers charge a fee -- sometimes hundreds of dollars -- for information and assistance that parents and students can easily acquire themselves for free.
"Students and parents should see as a 'red flag' any offer from an organization that wants money up front for help with the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, scholarship guarantees or other forms of assistance," said Readshaw. "They're a waste of money. The Pennsylvania Higher Education Assistance Agency will help you get the information you need and apply for free."
Instead, Readshaw recommended visiting PHEAA's career and college planning Web site -- www.EducationPlanner.org -- for free access to scholarship databases.
Students can visit the Pennsylvania Higher Education Assistance Agency's Web site for information about the FAFSA at www.PHEAA.org/fafsa. PHEAA financial aid administrators are also available to provide free advice and assistance at 1-800-233-0557. PHEAA's Web site also offers answers to frequently asked questions, as well as a free help students filling out the FAFSA.
For most Pennsylvania students seeking financial aid, the deadline to submit the FAFSA is May 1.
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