“When I graduated from Midlands State University in 2010, I was determined to study abroad. I did not waste time and decided to enlist the help of a scholarship agent who was advertised in local newspapers,” said 26-year old Tariro.
The young student was told to fork out $300 by some individuals purporting to be scholarship agents. She was told that the money was meant to process her application and secure a place at an Australian university.
Despite having met all the requirements, Tariro is presently nowhere near her dream of studying abroad.
“I submitted all the documents they required and paid the fee but that was two years ago and I am still waiting,” she explained.
Such has become the fate of many youngsters being swindled by unscrupulous agents.
The Education advisor at the United States of America embassy, Rebecca Zeigler Mano said pupils should contact embassies for free educational advice.
Most embassies in Zimbabwe offer free educational advice and assistance. The British, Netherlands and USA embassies offer extensive information about application procedures to their universities online.
“ We offer educational advice for free, we interact with pupils and tell them the best way to further their studies depending on their qualifications,” said Mano.
She said pupils should verify the credibility of an agent before paying a fee to avoid being stuck with certificates that will not help them to secure jobs.
“Try and find out if the agent you want to deal with is credible before using them. There is no fee for getting a scholarship so if they ask for money, you should be worried,” she explained.
Zimbabwe Republic Police Harare provincial spokesperson, Tadius Chibanda, said tales of bogus scholarship agents were common.
“I cannot give you the figures off hand but we have dealt with a number of cases involving these bogus scholarship agents. Pupils should be cautious.”
Post published in: News