College prep company Edifi gets poor grades from BBB

Now that school is back in session, many consumer advocacy groups have been warning students and parents to avoid falling for scams or signing up for deals that sound too good to be true. The Better Business Bureau's latest alert is about the company Edifi, which hosts free seminars to market services aimed at helping families prepare for college.

According to its web site, Edifi has been in business more than 20 years. But the BBB reports that the company has a history of complaints from consumers over misleading sales practices and dissatisfaction with its services. During its seminars, the company informs potential college students about financial aid options such as grants, scholarships and other types of assistance. Those who sign up and pay for its services can get help with preparing for the SAT, filling out financial aid forms or appealing the amount of financial aid assistance that's been offered.