Real Scholarship vs Scholarship Scam
How to tell a genuine educational scholarship from a fake award that charges fees, collects personal data, or promises guaranteed money.
Last reviewed: 1 June 2026
Scholarships are a legitimate way to fund education, but the prospect of free money attracts fraudsters who create fake awards to charge application fees, harvest personal data, or sell student contact details. The comparison below helps students and families pursue genuine funding safely.
Side-by-side comparison
| Genuine scholarship | Scholarship scam | |
|---|---|---|
| Application fee | No fee required to apply for a legitimate scholarship | Charges an application, processing, or administrative fee |
| Who contacts whom | You apply to scholarships you find through official sources; they do not cold-call you | 'You have been selected' out of the blue via phone, email, or social media |
| Guarantee | No scholarship can guarantee an award before judging applicants | Claims you are 'guaranteed' or 'pre-selected' to receive funding |
| Organisation verifiability | Offered by a university, government body, registered charity, or named company with a verifiable track record | Organisation cannot be found through independent searches; contact details are vague |
| Information requested | Asks for academic records, essays, and references appropriate to the award | Asks for SSN, bank details, or payment card numbers as part of the application |
Common red flags
- Application fee of any kind
- Unsolicited notification that you have been 'selected' or 'pre-qualified'
- Guarantee of an award
- Request for bank account or card details to 'deposit' winnings
- Organisation not findable on university, charity, or company registries
Verification steps
- Search for scholarships through your school's financial aid office or government student funding sites
- Verify the awarding organisation independently — do not rely on the contact details in the offer
- Check the scholarship on a trusted database such as your country's student finance authority
- Never pay to apply — legitimate scholarships are free to enter
What not to do
- Don't pay any fee to apply for or receive a scholarship
- Don't provide your bank account or card details to receive an award
- Don't respond to unsolicited scholarship offers without independent verification
A safe response
Discard the offer and search for verified scholarships through your educational institution or a government student finance portal. Report suspicious scholarship offers to your country's consumer protection body.
Frequently asked questions
Can I find out if a scholarship is legitimate before applying?
Yes. Search the scholarship name alongside 'scam' or 'complaint', verify the awarding body on a company or charity register, and check with your school's financial aid office. Legitimate scholarships are always free to apply for.