Some people get so excited about winning scholarships as part of their debt-free college journey that they apply for just about every scholarship they find. However, are there some scholarships that you shouldn’t apply for? Absolutely!

Every scholarship application will require sharing at least some personal information. Obviously, every scholarship will need to know your name, and have a way to contact you (email, phone, etc.) if you are selected as the winner. However, there is one bit of personal information that you should never be asked to provide on a scholarship application: Your social security number. There is absolutely no reason to give out your social security number on a scholarship application. Yes, for tax purposes, the scholarship may need your social security number if you are selected as the winner. However, they definitely do not need this information at the time of application. If a scholarship application is asking for your SSN, don’t apply.

Similarly, any scholarship application that doesn’t keep your personal information secure is one you should avoid. If your web browser notifies you that a connection to a scholarship application isn’t secure, you should seriously think twice before applying. Keeping your personal data secure is incredibly important. Identity theft is a serious problem today, and you don’t want to make things any easier on ID thieves by giving out your personal data in a way that it won’t be kept safe.

Another type of scholarship for which you should not apply is one that is offered by an organization whose mission conflicts with your values. When you win a scholarship, you and your name becomes affiliated with that organization. If you don’t want a future employer to associate you with an organization, don’t bother applying for that organization’s scholarship.

Likewise, be honest about whether you meet the scholarship’s requirements. This goes beyond basic things like GPA or residency requirements. For example, if a scholarship is offered to students that want to go into the medical field, and you know that you have no interest in medicine, don’t apply for this scholarship. Firstly, if you aren’t interested in the scholarship’s focus, you probably wont win anyway, as you likely wont have a profile that matches what the scholarship committee is seeking. Secondly, if you did happen to win, you would be taking money away from someone else that is more deserving.

I’m a big believer in applying for as many scholarships as possible. However, when considering scholarships ask yourself these four questions:

1. Does the scholarship really need this information?
2. Is my data going to be kept secure?
3. Do I want my name associated with this organization?
4. Am I honestly a good fit for this scholarship?

If you answer “no” to any of these questions, move on to another scholarship. There are far too many scholarship opportunities out there for you to take risks with your personal information, or for you to give up your personal integrity.