January 29, 2007

Idaho Parents

RE: Career Information System (CIS)

Dear Idaho Parent:

     As the school year progresses, college-bound students are turning their attention to financing a college education. Please be cautious in your scholarship search.
     If you have to pay money to get money for college, it could be a scam. Offers for free scholarship services via the Internet are often an attempt to collect a great deal of personal information about your student. This information is often sold to other organizations, including telemarketers. Students need to be very cautious when providing personal information in order to avoid identity theft.
     Be wary of scholarship-matching services that guarantee success, require advance fees, or offer sales pitches disguised as financial aid seminars. Typically, commercial scholarship search companies offer a computerized database search to match students with scholarships on the basis of grades, hobbies, career interests, and other categories. Fees for these services range anywhere from a few dollars to hundreds of dollars. Not all scholarship search companies engage in deceptive business practices. However, much of this information may be obtained elsewhere without charge.
     There is a tremendous FREE scholarship and career information resource available right here in Idaho. I am referring to the Idaho Career Information System (CIS).
     CIS is a publicly-funded, computerized information system that is available in most high schools in Idaho. It is also available in other locations throughout the state, including colleges, Idaho Commerce and Labor offices and Vocational Rehabilitation offices. CIS contains a large number of scholarship sources, financial aid information, and a searching capability. In addition, CIS provides information on colleges and universities throughout the United States, as well as information on careers, self-employment, the military and much more.
     If you or a student in your family would like more information on CIS, you may access the CIS website at www.idahocis.org. Students will need to ask their school counselor for the user name and password to access the scholarship information from the CIS website. You may also contact CIS by telephone at (208) 334-3705. For information on commercial scholarship search companies, please contact my office’s Consumer Protection Unit, in-state toll-free, 1-800-432-3545 or (208)-334-2424.
     I encourage you to look into the benefits of CIS. Education is truly the key to our future and access to good information is essential. I wish your student success in preparing for educational and career opportunities.

Sincerely,

LAWRENCE G. WASDEN
Attorney General