What the hell exactly is the Educational Assistance Council???

[Massacure]

I got a letter from them saying that I may be elegiable for financial aid for college if I go to a four year university starting the term for fall of 2006. I'm going to be a high school senior next year.

It has a questionare and at the end it ask for a nearly $40 processing fee. I think there is something fishy about this as it is asking for money in order for me to be eligable, and I have no idea how they got my name. I'm also worried that it has to be postmarked by the end of August, before the school year starts again. I am not sure if my high school councilers are available over the summer.

What are you opinions???

[shraby]

1. Google the Education Assistance Council

and see what you find. Be sure to read the literature they sent you to determine there isn't a small difference in what you find through google and what is in the literature.
Also try to contact someone at your school to verify what you received in the mail.

[mzteris]

2. don't let the name fool you - they are a

private, for-profit California corporation.


*********

From their website:

About The Council

The Educational Assistance Council was formed in 1979 and has assisted more than one million families in their college planning. The Council has office in Los Angeles, California and Washington, DC.

The Council is a research entity charged with the indentification, compilation and dissemination of post-secondary planning data the most comprehensive information resource of educational assistance in the nation.

The Council guarantees 100% customer satisfaction.

The Council offers several services to assist college-bound students and their families including college selection, career guidance, college aid and strategic planning .

If you’d like more information about the Educational Assistance Council please don’t hesitate to contact us:

Educational Assistance Council, National Research & Processing Center, 3580 Wilshire Boulevard, Fourth Floor, Los Angeles, CA 90010, Tel: [phone]; Fax: [phone]

Educational Assistance Council, National Policy Center, 701 Pennsylvania Avenue, Twelvth Floor, Washington, DC 20004, Tel: [phone]; Fax: [phone].

[Massacure]

4. So should I ignore them?

[MichiganVote]

7. Yes. You can get all the scholarship or otehr finan. aid info. from

your HS guidance counselor.

[snacker]

3. If they want money up front, I would forget about it. nt

[Chan790]

5. Toss it.

Contact the FA office of any college you're interested in directly, they'll send you the information you want and for free. Fill out a FAFSA form for federal financial aid, that (along with your HS transcript) is pretty much the only things that FA counselors look at when determining aid.(My brother was a FA counselor.)

Anytime anybody asks for money to apply of FA consider it a scam. That's the direct advice of the US Dept. of Education.

[Massacure]

6. Cool. I'll toss the thing now. Thanks for the advice. =)

[Chan790]

8. Also...

Schedule an apointment with your guidance counselor as most HS guidance offices have binders and books full of scholarships that are distributed by private foundations, large numbers of which go unclaimed because nobody knows they exist. Many states also offer grants for college bound seniors...same thing, they go unclaimed because nobody applies.

Good Luck. I did this 3 times (myself and 2 younger brothers) because my parents wouldn't so I learned the process in and out.