Promotional materials to help college-bound students and their families avoid scholarship scams and organizations that charge a fee to help complete the FAFSA have been updated for the upcoming academic year.

NASFAA teamed with higher education associations, the Department of Education and the Federal Trade Commission to develop the materials last year.

The organizations collaborated to produce a flyer, pamphlet, poster, and Power Point presentation with the theme, Don't Get Hooked. The unified look and message of the materials will make it recognizable by students and families who are searching for financial aid resources.

Some businesses take advantage of students and families trying to find the best ways to pay for college by charging fees for scholarship applications and FAFSA completion. The messages in the Don't Get Hooked materials let families know that these services are free and their money could be better spent paying higher education expenses. All materials are in print-ready format and are able to be customized to include the name, logo, and contact information of any school or higher education program.

The following organizations helped develop of the Don't Get Hooked materials: North Carolina State Education Assistance Authority, National Association for College Admission Counseling, National College Access Network, Education Finance Council, National Council of Higher Education Loan Programs, Federal Trade Commission, U.S. Department of Education, and the National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators.

Please contact Marcia Weston, Director of College Goal Sunday Operations to request the Don't Get Hooked materials.

Posted 10/28/08 to www.NASFAA.org. Redistribution to non-NASFAA institutions is prohibited. Please submit Web Site questions or comments to Web@NASFAA.org.