Muhlenberg College

Muhlenberg College
2400 Chew Street
Allentown PA 18104
484-664-3175
FAX: 484-664-3234
finaid@muhlenberg.edu
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Financial Aid Alert:

Caution About Scholarship Search Offers

The Office of Financial Aid has received a recent report of direct mail marketing aimed at Muhlenberg College students, which mentions Muhlenberg College without permission.

A student brought us a copy of a letter that was sent home, addressed to the parents of Muhlenberg College student from "College Financial Advisor," 825 College Boulevard, San Diego, CA.  The letter has pre-printed "Muhlenberg College" at the bottom and lists a "Student Profile Number" assigned to the student.  The number is configured in the same format as a social security number, xxx-xx-xxxx.  The College Financial Advisory encourages the family to send in a "Student Aid Profile Form" along with $48 to be considered for additional aid.

The Office of Financial Aid urges students and parents to be cautious about sending personal information to "College Financial Advisory" or any other organization that sends you unsolicited direct mail marketing materials.  Muhlenberg College has never given any information to this organization, nor do we endorse their services.

The Office of Financial Aid warns to students to be cautious of scholarship search firms that have any of these elements:

* You have to a pay a fee

* Money-back guarantee

* Credit Card/Bank Account Information Required

* Offers Exclusive Information

* Promises Cash if you pay a Registration Fee

* Pay a fee and they guarantee you will win awards

* Pay a fee and received a low interest rate education loan

* Promises to replace loans with grant if you pay a processing fee

Report your concerns to:

Federal Trade Commission 1-877-FTC-HELP (1-877-382-4357; hearing impaired 1-866-653-4261)

Federal Trade Commission
CRC 240
600 Pennsylvania Ave., NW
Washington, DC 20580

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State Attorney General's Office
File your complaint with the consumer protection division.

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US Postal Inspection Service
Call the crime hotline 1-800-654-8896 or write
US Postal Service
Office of the Inspection General
Attention: Hotline
1735 N. Lynn Street
Arlington, VA 22209-2020

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The US Department of Education also reports that someone claiming to work there is offering students grants or scholarships, asking for bank account numbers so a processing fee can be charged.  Sometimes the caller tells the student he or she understands the student has federal student loans and offers to replace the loans with an $8000 grant.  The caller explains that a processing fee must be charged and asks for the student's checking account information.

There is no DOE program to replace loans with grants.  There is no processing  fee to obtain grants from the DOE.

The DOE offers this advice to students who think they might be victims of fraud:

Call the  DOE Office of Inspector General hotline at 1-800-MIS-USED (1-800-647-8733) or

oig.hotline@ed.gov

Special agents investigate fraud involving federal education dollars.  For more information go to:

http://studentaid.ed.gov/PORTALSWebApp/students/english/scam.jsp

 

 

 
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