Can a university contact me and ask for a fee to confirm or secure my enrolment offer?
Legitimate universities collect enrolment deposits through verified official portals after an offer is formally issued. Unsolicited calls or emails requesting a fee to secure your place are a student scam tactic.
Last reviewed: 10 June 2026
Explanation
University admissions processes are transparent and conducted through official channels. Where enrolment deposits are required, they are described clearly in the official offer letter, collected through the institution's secure payment portal, and receipted to your student account. You never pay a deposit in response to an unsolicited outreach.
Student admissions scams impersonate universities, scholarship programmes, or student loan administrators. They target prospective students with offers that appear to be from real institutions, then charge a fee to secure the place, process the scholarship, or expedite the loan application. Once paid, the scammer disappears or invents further fees.
International students are disproportionately targeted because they are navigating unfamiliar systems, fees, and processes. Fraudulent offers for popular courses at well-known universities exploit the aspiration to study abroad.
Always verify admissions correspondence by logging into the official university application portal. Never transfer money in response to an emailed or texted instruction without confirming the payment details match those published on the institution's official website.
Common red flags
- Unsolicited offer or confirmation requesting an immediate fee
- Payment required by wire transfer, gift card, or cryptocurrency
- Offer cannot be verified through the official university application portal
- Email domain does not exactly match the university's official domain
- Very short deadline to pay or the place will be withdrawn
- Offer is for a popular course with no reference to your application history
What to do now
- Log in to the official application portal to verify the offer
- Contact the university admissions office through the official website contact page
- Never make payments through links in emails — use the official payment portal
- Report suspicious offers to the institution's admissions fraud team
- Report to your national education authority or fraud reporting service
- Alert other applicants in online communities about the specific scam
Frequently asked questions
Is an enrolment deposit at a university ever legitimate?
Yes. Many universities require a deposit after accepting an offer, stated clearly in the offer letter and paid through the official student portal. The key is that you initiate payment through the verified portal, not in response to an inbound request.
What if the email address looks like the official university domain?
Scammers use spoofed or very similar domains (e.g., adding a hyphen or changing a single letter). Always navigate directly to the university website and log in to your account to verify any fee request.