Montana Students Warned of 'Fishy' Financial Aid Letters

Financial aid officials at the University of Montana and Montana Tech are warning students of letters offering financial aid opportunities—especially ones that require a fee to apply, the Montana Kaimin reports.

The Montana Tech's financial aid director, Mike Richardson, says he knows of at least 24 Tech students who have received letters from a company offering "free financial aid money." The application asks for personal information including address, date of birth, parents' occupation, work experience, and school enrollment, as well as a $49 application fee. In general, officials say, students should be wary of any offers that require a fee. "It might be a little bit on the fishy side," Richardson said.