Avoiding Student Aid Scams 
Avoid student aid scams and protect your identity while searching for scholarships, filling out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid FAFSA form, managing your loans, and giving information to schools and lenders. FREE help is available. Save Your Money Protect Your Identity Beware of Student Loan Debt Relief Companies Report Fraud and Identity Theft 

You Don t Have to Pay for Help Finding Money for College or Career School 
Commercial financial aid advice services can cost well over $1,000. Of course , simply charging for help or information that s available for free elsewhere is not fraudulent. However , if a company doesn t deliver what it promises , it s scamming you. If you re unsure whether to pay a company for help finding financial aid , stop and think for a minute : What s being offered? Is the service going to be worth your money? Do the claims seem too good to be true? You might have heard or seen these claims at seminars, over the phone from telemarketers, or online : Buy now or miss this opportunity. Don t give in to pressure tactics. Remember , the opportunity is a chance to pay for information you could find yourself for free. We guarantee you ll get aid. A company could claim it fulfilled its promise if you were offered student loans or a $200 scholarship. Is that worth a fee of $1,000 or more? I ve got aid for you ; give me your credit card or bank account number. Never give out a credit card or bank account number unless you know the organization you are giving it to is legitimate. You could be putting yourself at risk of identity theft. Here is some free information about ways to pay for college. 

You Don t Have to Pay for Help With the FAFSA Form 
Several websites offer help filling out the FAFSA form for a fee. These sites are not affiliated with or endorsed by the U.S. Department of Education ED. We urge you not to pay these sites for assistance that you can get for free elsewhere. The official FAFSA form 

user: I've heard that Student Aid has been hit by scams recently. I'd like to know more please.

assistant: Help is freely available to avoid student aid scams and protect your identity while searching for scholarships, filling out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid FAFSA form, managing your loans, and giving information to schools and lenders.

user: What specifically should I be looking out for?

assistant: One thing to beware of is Student Loan Debt Relief Companies. We have a section on that.

user: How do they try to scam you?

assistant: Do you think you've been the victim of a Student Loan Scam?

user: Yes I might have been. I would like to know what it resembles.

assistant: Borrowers have reported receiving phone calls, emails, letters , and/or texts offering them relief from their federal student loans or warning them that student loan forgiveness programs would end soon.

user: Oh no ! How can I tell if my personal student information has been stolen?

assistant: In that case, it is important to act quickly.  Click here for a list of offices that will help you determine what steps to take depending on your situation.

user: Can you give me an example?

assistant: You can contact Equifax Credit Bureau to report a possible fraud.