No legitimate scholarship sponsor guarantees that you will win an award. Understand that scholarship search services do not award scholarships. These companies charge a fee to compare your profile with a database of scholarship opportunities and provide a list of awards for which you may qualify. They do not provide awards directly to applicants, nor do they help you apply for the awards. The information provided by scholarship search services is available at no cost in your local public library or school financial aid office.
Crooks charge high fees and provide little scholarship information.
The scholarship lists they send students often contain outdated or inapplicable information. A reputable search service or book will usually yield over 50 possible scholarships, not fewer than 20. Beware of search services that guarantee you will win a scholarship or a certain amount of financial aid. No search service can control the decisions of the scholarship sponsors. Make sure you fully understand the refund policy.