Are you looking to complete your education and trying to find a way to pay for it?

Before you jump at an offer that seems too good to be true, watch out.

A number of people have been scammed by bogus education, scholarship, and grant scams.

September marks a time of year when many people are focused on completing their education and finding ways to pay for it.

Unfortunately, it is also a time of year when scam artists target people with phone calls,

Bogus websites, or and e-mails promising degrees and grants that are too good to be true.

Some of the more common scams include:

• Granting bogus degrees online.

• Government grant scams that guarantee a grant if you pay a fee and release personal information.

• Scholarship scams that convince you to pay large fees in exchange for being guaranteed scholarships that may never materialize.

If you are looking to complete your education, think twice before responding to e-mails or websites that promise a low cost degree with little to no effort.

Although there are legitimate programs that offer online and correspondence type courses, it is important that you check things out before you enroll.

A high school guidance department or college admissions office can provide further information about alternative programs.

If you are looking for ways to fund your education:

• Think twice before paying a fee to get a scholarship or a grant.

• Never release any personal information until you know why it is needed and that the request is being made by a legitimate source.

Don't assume that the caller, e-mail, or website is legitimate.

Check things out with another source.

For more information about obtaining a degree and finding ways to pay for it:
• US Department of Education
• Grants.gov
• Federal Student Aid