You do need to be aware of scholarship scams. Generally speaking, if a scholarship requires a fee to apply you should be very leery of that scholarship. Also, be leery of "guaranteed results" for paid services. Also, watch out for financial aid seminars put on by private companies.   All financial aid information and scholarship information is available for free. You do not need to pay anyone to help you find scholarship or financial aid resources.  If you are suspicious or uncertain about a scholarship or service, you can check on www.finaid.org/finaid/scams.html for more information.