A writer in Oklahoma sent me an email last week asking me what is the most someone should pay for a scholarship workshop or "Boot Camp" similar to the ones I host for students and parents.  We agreed there is no clear answer.  We also sent emails back and forth discussing "free workshops" and how to tell the good from the bad.  Here’s a summary to help you make decisions about attending scholarship workshops.

FINDING SCHOLARSHIPS
For starters, I do not believe that ANY student should pay for a list of matching scholarships.  You can definitely get that information on the web, and if you add in the other tactics from my book you are well on your way to finding scholarships.  People who claim to have a matching scholarship service "designed just for you" are the types to avoid. 

I don't match students with scholarships - I teach students and their families multiple tactics to find scholarships and present themselves in the best possible way to win scholarships.  According to my students, I've taught them new things they hadn't heard before and I give them a process of how to do it.

HOW TO DECIDE
The things to ask when contemplating attending a workshop, whether it's free or not, are "Will this be worth my time?"  "What are the credentials of the presenter?"  "Can they provide credible references?"  "What will I get out of this?  Information?  Tools?  What will I learn?"

If the presenter says that you are "GUARANTEED" to win a scholarship - RUN!!!  Then, report them to the Federal Trade Commission.  No one can guarantee that you will win a scholarship.  I never promise my students that they will win a scholarship.  I tell them that right away.  After all my book is Scholarships 101:  The REAL-WORLD Guide to Getting Cash for College.  And, in the real world every one is NOT a winner. 

Instead I teach students about proposal/application writing, marketing, etiquette, essay-writing and other topics that can influence whether or not they win a scholarship.  I teach students that there are things they can control in the scholarship process and there are things they cannot.  We focus on factors within their control.  We focus on youth and family development as well as how to fill out the scholarship application. 

WORKSHOPS - FREE OR NOT FREE?
To me, it's quality over price on this one.  Have you ever attended a "free" workshop with dozens or hundreds of other people only to leave without your questions answered or you were bored silly?  Yes, many high schools will host a financial aid night or bring in a guest speaker, so that all of the parents can get the basic information.  Community centers, colleges, etc. all do this but the bottom line is:  If it's FREE AND GOOD, then it's 100% worth it.  If it's FREE AND BAD, then was it really free?  What was your time worth to sit there and suffer?   I conduct some of my workshops for free, as a volunteer in my community.  In other instances an organization will hire me to conduct a boot camp for a large group of students.  The students don't pay anything, but the organization does.  I also host boot camps where families pay to attend....

...so as you can see there really isn't a clear answer to my fellow writer in Oklahoma.  What is clear is this:  NO ONE CAN GUARANTEE THAT YOU WILL WIN A SCHOLARSHIP.  Don't believe it and don't fall for it.  Winning scholarships is not easy...it requires work (at least in the real world, which is where I prefer to live!)