Scholarship Program

This company's principals of Luz Scholarships, a now defunct company in Long Beach. The method of operation for The Scholarship Program seems to be identical to Luz Scholarships. Luz complainants allege dissatisfaction with scholarship source lists provided. Some complainants said the list contained many duplicate entries, outdated addresses, or student profiles did not match the requirements of the scholarship sources listed. Other students allege the company fails to honor their money back guarantee. Students find they are unable to obtain rejection letters as required to prove refund eligibility. Those who are able to comply with refund requirements are sent a savings bond in lieu of the cash refund expected. Luz responded to some complaints by stating rejection letters are needed for cancellation and refunds are issued in the form of a $100 U.S. Savings Bond. A refund was provided in one case. Some complaints are closed as disputed, meaning the customers are not always satisfied with the company's response. Many other complaints remain unanswered. Luz went out of business in May 2001. A separate report is available on Luz. School counselors who have contacted our office have repeatedly indicated that most scholarships do not charge fees, and the few who do ask for only a few dollars. State law provides a cooling off period which you may cancel contracts. The contract must be accompanied by a cancellation form. Cancellations must be postmarked by midnight of the third day after the contract was signed. We suggest sending your cancellation by certified mail to obtain proof of receipt.