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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE |
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State
Rep. Joe Petrarca
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Petrarca urges families to be wary of financial aid scams
HARRISBURG, Feb. 1 – State Rep. Joe Petrarca, D-Westmoreland/Armstrong, today warned Pennsylvania families that now is the time of year when they may receive offers of assistance in securing money for their college-bound student's education. He urged families to be cautious when selecting these resources, as some can turn out to be scams.
"There are so many free resources out there that provide the best assistance in locating available scholarships and grants and in completing the FAFSA and other financial aid forms," Petrarca said. "However, there are some organizations that charge fees for these services or guarantee scholarship money, and parents should be suspicious of these."
Petrarca said the Federal Trade Commission outlined some of the most common financial aid scams to watch for:
· Fees charged for lists of scholarship opportunities;
· Companies that "promise" or "guarantee" scholarships for students; and
· Organizations that claim students are finalists in a "scholarship contest." Scholarships are not like sweepstakes – if students haven’t applied for an award, they are not likely to be a finalist for it.
College planning resources and free scholarship databases are available through the Pennsylvania Higher Education Assistance Agency's planning Web site at www.educationplanner.org.
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