Outside Scholarships

Be sure to review the Federal Trade Commission's Scholarship and Financial Aid Scams consumer information article before you begin.

Tips to help you avoid scams:

• Avoid search tools that require you to provide an email address or physical address unless it is clear that they do not provide that information to third parties (opt out of third party sharing if possible).
• Make an email address that is dedicated only to the scholarship search engine profiles to avoid getting overwhelmed with spam in your personal account.
• Keep your own notes with information on the scholarships you are interested in, their deadlines, the application components, award amounts, and eligibility criteria. It is important to have all this info consolidated, especially if you are using multiple search tools.
• Beware of sweepstake scholarships where you have to sign up for different sites (and subject yourself to spam) in order to apply. 

Legitimate Scholarships Typically..

1. Require essays or at least a few short-answer responses
2. Require additional support such as transcripts, SAT/ACT scores and recommendation letters
3. Have minimum GPA requirements-though there are some exceptions to this
4. Are rewarded once or twice per year

Scholarships that are most likely a scam usually..

1. 100 characters or less for your essay
2. Commonly use the term sweepstakes, drawing, or random selection
3. Have zero requirements aside from entering your basic information
4. Asks for your social security number (the FAFSA is the only legitimate site that should ask for this)
5. Asks for personal financial information (credit card or bank account info)
6. Are rewarded weekly or monthly
7. Have an application fee
8. Do not list their contact information (email address, phone number, mailing address (Not a PO Box))
9. No proof of past winners
10. They will do the work for you
11. Scholarship awarded for attending a seminar
12. List a mail drop for return address
13. You were selected but never entered
14. “Everybody is eligible”
15. Unclaimed scholarship awards

16. Typing and spelling errors

Despite your best efforts, you may still encounter a scholarship scam in your search for college aid. If you do run into a scam, or what you suspect to be a scam, there are several agencies to which you can report the company:

• Federal Trade Commission
• Your state attorney general’s office: Find my State Attorney Generals Office
• Better Business Bureau
• File a complaint with the US Department of Education's Office of Inspector General here. This filing may help in an investigation, but will not solve your individual problem.
• Your state bureau of consumer protection: Find my State Consumer Protection Office
• National Fraud Information Center

If the scholarship you are applying for needs to verify your financial aid awards or enrollment information or you need to know where the outside scholarship source needs to mail your payment you can find that information here:

If financial aid verification is requested from NSU, please contact:

Office of Student Financial Services
715 North Grand Ave
Tahlequah, OK 74464
Phone: 918-444-3456
Toll Free: (800) 722-9614
Email: financialaid@nsuok.edu
Hours: Monday-Friday 8 am-5 pm

If enrollment verification is requested, you can request this form on your goNSU:

Click on the Student tab, in the Academic & Registration box on the right, click Enrollment Verification Request.

If you have any issues with the online request contact:
Office of the Registrar
Phone: (918) 444-2208
Toll Free: (800) 722-9614
Email: registrar@nsuok.edu
Hours: Monday-Friday 8 am-5 pm

Please send all outside scholarship payments to:

Office of the Bursar
601 North Grand Avenue
Tahlequah, OK 74464
Phone: (918) 444-2160
Email: nsuoba@nsuok.edu
Hours: Monday-Friday 8 am-5 pm

General College Information Sites:

Goodcall
SallieMae

Scholarship Mobile Apps to Download:

Scholly
Scholarship Owl
RaiseMe
PLEXUSS
Scholarships.com
Fastweb
College Hunch
Niche