6 Scams That Target College Students

Reader Comments
Back to blog

Possible Scam: America's Got Funding.Com being watched for virus threat. College 4 you.... Grants......................

xxxxxxxx of OR 1:03AM December 08, 2011

ALERT: I have a virus threat that is being monitored and I have fraud alert on all of my accounts that will be watching these scammers, Cash for College Grants, is where my virus detector says that there is an issue and I paid them online. Justice will be served by the law to put these people if they try to steal any information from me! THIS IS THE LAW! JUSTICE WILL BE SERVED!

xxxx xxxxx of MN 12:58AM December 08, 2011

No, Jim, college is not a "scam." Many for-profit institutions are, though. See how far your HS diploma will get you. It got me to an assistant manager making $28K a year. At 31, I went back to an accredited universitu, eventually got a scholarship to study for my post-BA studies (some "scam," huh?), and make a comfortable six-figure salary fifteen years later. So, Jim, I would love fries with my burger. Can you handle that?

Andrew of NJ 3:30PM September 12, 2011

04/20/10
I enrolled into a college in Colorado that offered me classes in teaching Special Education. The first week, I posted my introduction to the class explaining my goals - teaching. The class was given readings about why a Special Education portfolio would be advantageous to a teacher. In the first week, I emailed the teacher and he did not respond to a question I asked about an essay I began to write. I was told by the college staff to wait until the second week for the teacher to respond. I did not receive a response from the teacher. I emailed the teacher at the end of the second week and I told him and the staff that I did not want to be in his class or in a school that ignores students. Remarkably, I am being charged for 3 classes that I never attended. I realize that I was told to wait the second week by college staff members so that officially I would be locked into paying for the first class and so that they could probably receive a commission for my enrollment. If I received education, and interacted with my teacher and piers, then, I could understand being charged by the college. It was like being out in an ocean treading water while waiting for someone to rescue me and no one came. This college expects to get paid for service never rendered. How do I get justice and my money back for classes I never attended? How can a college student fight a college? How can I stop this robbery from happening to other students?
Thank you

VALERIE of GA 1:01AM April 21, 2010

Young people are starting to wake up to the fact college is a scam. Take a look at http://www.thegreatcollegehoax.com

Jim of MI 9:40AM February 16, 2010

I haven't yet had to take out student loans, but soon I'll be off to a university that is quite a bit more expensive than Community College.
I'll have to be careful about signing for loans and never getting the money otherwise I may end up like you were saying, especially since it looks like Democrats are going to be in charge for a while.

John of TX 12:20AM December 20, 2009

Sad,Sad,Sad...

Bill of WI 3:00PM December 10, 2009

i have some doubts in my mind regarding the authenticity of this collections agency that sent out letters to Bucknell students. Whether who granted them the authority to demand money to students' against the alleged illegal downloads.
Please reply

NCLEX pn of CA 11:45AM November 12, 2009

Over the years, publishers have burdened the student budget by placing exorbitant prices on academic textbooks. Students thus look for alternative means such as buying used textbooks to save money. However, students are often indirectly discouraged from buying used books by professors who request the latest editions of textbooks to go with their course. Every year publishers make nominal changes to their books and call them new editions; although the information is practically the same as the previous edition, small changes in format and wording make it the latest and "better" edition. In any case, many students are deceived into buying newer editions at high prices than older editions at modest prices. They educational system is flawed and the board of education (whomever they may be) do not seem to be protecting students against publisher scams.

Jaime Rivers of FL 11:19PM October 21, 2009

Dodgy student loans should include Federally guaranteed loans signed for but never received by the student. Please beware, signers of notes have been confronted decades later and payment demanded on the basis of signed notes only.
This has only come to the attention of the alleged debtors after last years stimulus payments were intercepted, and to their surprise notified for payment due on these decades old notes. These alleged debtors now have the burden of proof of proving their innocence. This is highly unlikely because in many cases these notes are over thirty years old and the players receiving the proceeds on the notes are long gone along with their records. These criminals are protected by the statute of limitations, but not the innocent students. The bright minds in Washington retroactively eliminated any statute of limitations against the students. These students will forever be in debt with no chance of escape because the politically motivated legislators are more concerned with enriching their friends at Sally Mae. Who is going to believe the student? The amounts in penalties and interest are unlimited because the IRS has the power to enforce it. It makes you wonder how an IRS enforced health care plan will play out for students that can't afford to buy the required plan.

rick go of CA 3:00AM October 21, 2009