Want a scholarship? Watch what you post online

College applicants should check their Facebook privacy settings.

Students, beware: Scholarship providers aren’t just going by your application to learn about you. They’re also checking you out on Google and social media sites, according to a recent survey. And what they uncover—the good or the bad—could be the tie-breaker when it comes to deciding between you and another candidate.

“Students need to recognize that the colleges and scholarship providers are increasingly looking at this,” said Mark Kantrowitz, the publisher of Fastweb.com, a scholarship site that conducted the survey.

For years, teens have been warned to be careful about what they post online for safety reasons. Now, they have a financial incentive to do so. With scarce scholarship dollars at stake and online privacy settings not foolproof, students will have to make sure they put their best foot forward online.…Read More

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