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Financial Aid
Financial Aid Appeal and Complaint Policies
The following policies guide students who wish to appeal their financial aid awards. These policies are identical for residential and online students.
A. Financial Aid Satisfactory Academic Progress Appeal Process
A student who is placed on financial aid suspension may appeal this decision. To appeal the financial aid suspension, a student must submit to the Financial Aid Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) Appeals Committee a signed and dated letter of appeal explaining why s/he should not be suspended, along with the Satisfactory Academic Progress Appeal Form and any supporting documentation. The Committee consists of the Assistant Director of Financial Aid for Advising, one Financial Aid Advisor and one Compliance Analyst.
After the Financial Aid Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) Appeals Committee reviews the submitted appeal, the student will be notified of the decision in writing. All financial aid awards remain cancelled until the student follows these appeal procedures and receives a written notification of reinstatement. If a reinstatement is approved, the reinstatement will last from the date of the appeal approval until the next annual measurement event. In cases where a student receives financial aid in the form of subsidized employment, the students’ worksite supervisor/s will be notified of the reinstatement.
Students on financial aid warning or probation status are not required to submit a letter of appeal since their financial aid eligibility will continue during the warning and probation status.
Students who submit an appeal to the Financial Aid Office very late in a Term or after the Term has ended may result in the loss of financial aid eligibility because regulations may limit the time within which aid may be re-awarded and/or disbursed.
Appeals may be submitted to:
Financial Aid SAP Appeal Committee
Liberty University - Financial Aid Office
1971 University Blvd.
Lynchburg, VA 24502
Fax: 434-582-2053
B. Institutional Scholarship Appeal Process
The student may appeal the decision to cancel eligibility for a scholarship by sending a detailed, signed letter stating any mitigating circumstances to be considered. Additional documentation related to the mitigating circumstances must also be submitted. The Financial Aid Scholarship Appeals Committee reviews the submitted appeal and supporting documentation. Within 30 days, the students will be notified of the decision in writing.
Appeals may be submitted to:
Financial Aid Scholarship Appeals Committee
Liberty University - Financial Aid Office
1971 University Blvd.
Lynchburg, VA 24502
Fax: 434-582-2053
C. Financial Aid General Appeal for Assistance
The Resident and LU Online Student Advocate Offices assist students who have gone through all the customary operating procedures but have not been able to resolve particular challenges related to financial aid. The primary function of these offices is to be a location where students can get questions answered, receive advice on how to handle situations, and resolve problems. The staff of the Student Advocate Office works with administrative offices and acts as the student advocate until the problem is resolved.
For LU Online students, appeals and General Complaint forms may be submitted to:
Online Advocate’s Office
Liberty University
1971 University Blvd
Lynchburg, VA 24502
Fax: 1-800-628-7977
Student Complaint form
For Resident students, appeals may be submitted to:
Resident Advocate’s Office
Liberty University
1971 University Blvd
Lynchburg, VA 24502
434-582-7200
studentadvocate@liberty.edu
www.liberty.edu/SAO
D. Virginia State Grant Appeal Process
A formal appeal concerning the decision to deny approval for state grant eligibility may be filed if the student does not agree with the decision. The student must begin the appeal process by contacting the State Grants Coordinator in the Liberty University Financial Aid Office. If the school denies the student’s appeal by not changing the decision, the State Grants Coordinator will notify the student within 30 days.
State Grant Appeals to the State Grants Coordinator may be submitted to:
State Grants Coordinator – Appeal
Liberty University – Financial Aid Office
1971 University Blvd.
Lynchburg, VA 24502
Fax: 434-582-2053
If the student disputes the decision made by the State Grants Coordinator, the student may appeal t the State Council of Higher Education (SCHEV). The student must submit a copy of the appeal and supporting documentation.
State Grant Appeals to the State Council of Higher Education may be submitted to:
State Council of Higher Education for Virginia
Office of Student Financial Aid
2008-09 TAGP Appeals Committee
James Monroe Building
101 N 14th Street
Richmond, VA 23219
The state office will then tell the student what additional information they may need. In addition, the state office contacts the school and asks for any documentation that the school may have received and an explanation of denial. They ask for the school to fax the following:
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Copy of the VTAG application
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Apply date to school
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Date the student started school
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Date the student moved to Virginia
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Dates of enrollment - # of attempted hours for each semester
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Copy of denial letter
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Any other documentation that pertains to decision- emails, documents, etc.
The student may also submit a second appeal if they are denied by the first SCHEV Council at the state level. The state may also ask student for copy of:
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Letter explaining case for approval
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Driver’s license
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Voter-motor registration
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Letter from employer, missionary agency, social workers, school officials, etc.
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Copy of VA resident income taxes for parents, spouse, or student
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Copy of Federal taxes- to see how they filed
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Legal guardian documents
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Ward of court documents
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Custody documents
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Copy of DD 214, LES, or Home of Record
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Any other supporting documentation
E. Federal Student Loan Appeal Process
Students who dispute how a federal student loan was processed or a decision regarding eligibility may contact the Federal Student Aid (FSA) Ombudsman. The FSA Ombudsman resolves disputes from a neutral, independent viewpoint. The Federal Student Aid (FSA) Ombudsman will informally conduct impartial fact-finding about student complaints. The Ombudsman will recommend solutions, but does not have the authority to reverse decisions. The Ombudsman will also work to bring about changes that will help prevent future problems for other student loan borrowers. This free service is provided by the U.S. Department of Education.
The Ombudsman will research the problem and determine whether the student has been treated fairly. If the student loan complaint is justified, the Ombudsman will work with the student and the office, agency, or company involved in the problem. On the student’s behalf, the Ombudsman will contact other offices within the U.S. Department of Education, his or her private lender, his or her loan guaranty agency, and the servicing agency or firm collecting the loan.
If the student’s complaint is not justified, the Ombudsman will take the time to explain how the U.S. Department of Education reached this conclusion. The Ombudsman may be contacted as follows:
U.S. Department of Education
FSA Ombudsman
830 First Street, NE
Fourth Floor
Washington, DC 20202-5144
Phone: 1-877-557-2575
Fax: 202-275-0549
F. Appeal Process to the Office of Inspector General
Anyone suspecting fraud, waste or abuse involving Department of Education funds or programs should call or write the Inspector General's Hotline (choose the method of contact which best suits you):
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Send an email message to oig.hotline@ed.gov
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Call the OIG Hotline's toll free number 1-800-MIS-USED. The Hotline's operating hours are Monday, Wednesday and Friday 9:00 AM until 11:00 AM, Eastern Time; Tuesday and Thursday, 1:00 PM until 3:00 PM, Eastern Time except for holidays.
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To ensure complete anonymity, download a hardcopy of the special complaint form, complete, and mail to:
Inspector General's Hotline
Office of Inspector General
U.S. Department of Education
400 Maryland Avenue, SW
Washington, DC 20202-1500
Your report may be made anonymously or in confidence. To report suspected fraud, waste or abuse involving other Inspector General agencies, click this link for a directory: http://www.ignet.gov/igs/homepage1.html
G. Continuing Education Appeal
Employees who are not eligible to receive a portion of their Continuing Education benefits due to simultaneous coursework crossing the enrollment beginning or ending dates of a sub-term or due to the desire to take additional coursework that exceeds the 18 credit hour maximum per academic year requirement may appeal the denial of their eligibility.
To appeal the denial of Continuing Education benefits due to simultaneous enrollment, the employee must submit the Continuing Education Application Form with an explanation of mitigating circumstances and additional pertinent documentation to:
Liberty University
Office of Human Resources
1971 University Blvd.
Lynchburg, VA 24502
If the student is preparing to enroll in the last term of academic study for their degree program, they may submit an appeal if their coursework exceeds the 18 credit hour maximum for the academic year. To appeal the denial of Continuing Education benefits due to coursework exceeding the 18 credit hour maximum per academic year, the employee must submit an explanation of mitigating circumstances and additional pertinent documentation to:
Executive Director of Financial Aid
Liberty University - Financial Aid Office
1971 University Blvd.
Lynchburg, VA 24502
Fax: 434-582-2053
H. Athletic Scholarship Appeal
If a student-athlete wishes to appeal a scholarship decision and remain enrolled at Liberty, he or she has the right to a hearing by a body outside of athletics in accordance with NCAA bylaw 15.3.2.4. Upon written notification of the intent to remove the scholarship the student-athlete must request a hearing in writing to the Athletics Financial Aid Liaison within 14 calendar of receiving the notification.
Liberty University
Financial Aid Office
Athletics Financial Aid Liaison – Appeal
1971 University Blvd.
Lynchburg, VA 24502
If a hearing is requested, the Athletics Financial Aid Liaison will organize a hearing at the earliest availability of the appellate committee. The committee shall consist of the Vice President for Student-Affairs, the Vice-President for Enrollment Management/Registrar, the Faculty Athletics Representative, the Executive Director of Financial Aid, and Assistant Director of Financial Aid – Student Services. If a committee member is unavailable to attend a replacement will be selected by the Faculty Athletics Representative.
