Did you know that countless students fall prey to scholarship scams each year?

Estimates show that families lose millions of dollars to scholarship fraud. The College Scholarship Fraud Prevention Act protects against fraud. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) cautions students to look for these telltale lines.

- The scholarship is guaranteed or your money back

- You can’t get this information anywhere else

- I just need your credit card or banks account number to hold this scholarship

- You’ve been selected by a national foundation to receive a scholarship

- You’re a finalist (in a contest you never entered)

To file a complaint with the FTC, or for free information you can call 1-877-FTC-HELP.

Of course you may enter the big 10K giveaway at Scholarshippoints.com without any fear of fraudulent activity.

Teens are feeling the economic pinch just like the rest of us, which makes scholarships a necessity and not just a luxury for many looking to go to school. Summer jobs, seasonal retail help, after school employment, and temp work are near impossible to find these days. No one seems to be hiring.

Since June alone the unemployment rate has jumped from 5.6% to 7.6% leaving millions of Americans out of work. You need to go back nearly seventeen years to September of 1992 before you can find comparable unemployment numbers.

One of the main problems facing teens in getting a job is the competition. They are no longer going head to head with their peers. Teens are competing for the same jobs as workers in their late 20′s, which generally have more work experience and offer more value to an organization. It is tough times for all, and no age group is exempt from the impact. A rising tide may raise all ships, but a tidal wave can leave you shipwrecked.

Until that tide rises again I suggest entering every free scholarship drawing you can find. Divide and conquer. Two big giveaways are on the horizon. Freecollegescholarships.net is offering a 10K giveaway on 3/25 and scholarshippoints.com is holding their first big 10K drawing of 2009 on 3/31.

For those of you who are already scholarshippoints.com members here is a special 10-point code for you, ILOVE10K.

What do you guys think? Do you agree about the job market? Have you been let go from a job, or know the seasonal employment you are accustomed to will not be available this year?

I find the older I get the more cynical I become. Perhaps that’s because I’ve been burned so many times before. I now tend to look at opportunities with a skeptical eye. When someone tells me something is FREE I immediately think they are full of crap. I guess I’ve been conditioned to believe if you pay nothing in life that’s exactly what you get in return. Well, it takes a big man to admit when he’s wrong, but….I was wrong, at least about one opportunity.

Scholarshippoints.com is giving away $10,000 at the end of March, NO STRINGS ATTACHED; unless you consider signing up so they know who you are and where to send the money a string.

Laura Mack and Victoria Fiorentino were the big 2008 10K winners. They were not jaded by the world like me, and that literally paid off for them.

Are you more a Laura & Victoria optimist or David pessimist? The fact is someone will be walking away with 10K next month whether you choose to sign up or not. But if you don’t sign up your chances of winning are exactly 0.00%. Really, what do you have to lose? Sign up today.

They say March comes in like a lion and goes out like a lamb, but that’s not true at all! One lucky winner will be roaring on March 31 after winning 10K!

Who remembers the $10,000 Pyramid? Anyone? It was the original game show hosted by Dick Clark in 1973 before it later became the $25,000 Pyramid in 1982. I’ve seen the reruns on the Game Show network and it looks challenging. You go head to head against an opponent (with your celebrity counterpart) before you step into the Winners Circle and have 60 seconds to get six clues right to earn your 10K. It’s a brain strain for me. Personally I’d prefer something a little less pressure packed. And on that note, what if I told you that scholarshippoints.com offers students a chance to win 10K with little brain strain at all? Would you be interested? Of course you would!

On March 31 the Student Loan Network will be awarding one lucky student 10K! That’s right, $10,000 big ones for college. You don’t need to hold a certain major, have a certain income, or be able to solve clues in a pyramid. You just sign up for free and enter. That’s it! To sign up (click here).

A scholarship is defined as a sum of money or aid granted to a student, because of merit, need, or other, to pursue his or her studies. That seems pretty straight forth, with the exception of the “other” category. It is this category I would like to discuss further.

When I was going to school in the early 90′s I filled out paperwork, wrote essays, and hoped my poverty line upbringing would entitle me to some free money. And while I did get some Benjamin’s it wasn’t near enough. Now fast forward to 2009. I work for a great company that is GIVING AWAY thousands of dollars each month for FREE! That’s right, no essay, no interview, no FAFSA form, just you. We don’t care if Mom and Dad make $20,000 or $200,000 per year – you’re in the running!

We’re an equal opportunity giver awayer, well kinda. You can accrue daily points simply by logging in, reading a blog to get a code, or by taking a survey. The more points you collect the better your chances of winning. You then enter your points into the monthly drawings. We give away between $3,500 and $10,000 per month! We’ve come a long way since our $250 per month pledge a few years ago.

Get on board. Win some cash. We’re way cooler than the Red Hot Chili Peppers who like to give it away, give it away, give it away now.

To register to become a scholarshippoints.com member (click here).

People often think about scholarships, perhaps even talk about them, but the majority of people don’t extend the effort needed in order to obtain a scholarship. Not everyone is smart enough to receive merit scholarships…but those are not the only ones out there. It is also pretty easy to win scholarships…if you know where to look for them.

Scholarshippoints.com is a website that gives away scholarships to members of the site who perform fun, simple activities. Joining is free and fast, and the more “points” you earn, the more entries you get for each scholarship giveway.

StudentScholarshipSearch.com is a site where you can search for all different kinds of scholarships that you think might pertain to you for FREE.

These are just 2 examples of easy ways to win and find scholarships. It definitely pays to take initiative with funding your education…sitting back and waiting for things to come, results in a huge amount of debt that you will most likely regret in the not so distant future.

I want to make sure you are all aware of the scholarship programs we are involved in.  For a partial list, please see below:

Student Loan Network will be holding a $10,000 scholarship drawing on October 31, 2008. There are no GPA or essay requirements, and the registration form is very quick, and easy. Make sure you’re registered at: StudentLoanNetwork.com/10K

Have you registered for Scholarship Points, our free college scholarship awards site? Scholarship Points gives away $1,000 scholarships each month along with other awards. For more details visit: ScholarshipPoints.com

StudentScholarshipSearch.com features over $9 billion worth of scholarships and grants for undergrad and graduate students. New listings are added everyday, so make sure you visit often.

Our most interesting opportunity to date: Scholarship Idol Video Contest – Submit a YouTube video for a chance to win $1,000 – but there are some rules so read the directions and Good Luck!

Win a $1,000 Scholarship or one of 9 hand held (“flip”) Video Cameras plus get 125 Scholarship Points!

We’re looking for the Scholarship Points Idol YouTube Video Contest, the member with the most talent and the most votes. Submit your original video entry between 7/4/2008 and 9/5/2008 to earn points and win great prizes! Get details below.

Learn more at:

http://www.scholarshippoints.com/scholarshipidol

HELP WANTED!

Are you a struggling student trying to make ends meet? Do you need money for school? Would you like the opportunity to win a $1,000 scholarship per month and a $10,000 scholarship in October no strings attached??? If you meet this needy criteria you’re search is over. We are the perfect fit for you.

The perfect candidate will also enjoy sleeping late, going to parties, playing video games, exercising their mind, and most importantly receiving free money!

Guaranteed: Someone is going to walk away with $1,000 per month and $10,000 in October just for signing up. Sign up takes all of thirty seconds. I wish I knew about this site when I was going to school.

How to register: go to www.scholarshippoints.com click on Login/Register. That’s it.

Now here is the coolest part. You can accrue points like a lottery to increase your chances of winning the monthly scholarship awards! You can take surveys, post blogs, do a scavenger hunt on the website; the list goes on and on. You can also elect to do none of the above and just register once and be done with it. It’s completely up to you.

We all want something for nothing, and some of us will get it.  Will you be one of them?

The more you know the farther you’ll go!

Here’s a look at earnings by educational attainment of the population 25 years and over according to the U.S. Census Bureau, Current Population Survey, Annual Social and Economic Supplement.

Over a lifetime a person with a B.A. will earn nearly double that of someone who is a High School graduate.

Of course it is expensive to go to school. If it was free I think most of us would go. Here are some suggestions on helping to reduce the cost of education.

Lower-cost schools: If you are looking to obtain your B.A. than you may want to consider a two-year community college before transferring. Community colleges tend to a lot less expensive.

State Higher Education Agency: Contact your state Higher Education Agency about any aid program or scholarships sponsored by the state.

Tax Breaks: The interest accrued on your school loans is tax deductible. The maximum credit is up to $2,500. You may also qualify for the Hope or Lifetime tax credit.

Scholarships: Pay with someone else’s money. We have a great scholarship search engine you should browse and we even give out monthly scholarships here with nothing more than signing up required. No essays, no merit, just signing up!

Federal Loans: It is always best to obtain federal loans over private student loans as the benefits and interest rates tend to be more favorable to students and parents.

Go exercise that mind of yours; you’ll be making more benjamins in the long run!