Account Appeals and Complaints

A student who is placed on Financial Aid Suspension may appeal this decision by submitting a Financial Aid Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) Appeal Form with third party supporting documentation, if required, to be reviewed by the SAP Appeal Committee. The appeal statement should explain why the student did not meet the SAP requirements.

After the Financial Aid SAP Appeals Committee reviews the submitted appeal, the student will be notified of the decision in writing through email communication to the student’s Liberty email account. All financial aid awards remain canceled 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 measurement event. In cases where a student receives financial aid in the form of subsidized employment, the student’s worksite supervisor(s) will be notified of the reinstatement.

Financial aid eligibility will continue for students on financial aid warning or probation status.  A Financial Aid SAP Appeal is not required for financial aid warning or probation statuses.

Students who submit an appeal to the Financial Aid Office very late in a term or after the term has ended may lose financial aid eligibility because regulations may limit the time when aid may be re-awarded and/or disbursed.

Students should complete the electronic SAP Appeal form available under “Financial Aid Forms” in ASIST. If requested, third-party supporting documentation for appeals must be uploaded while completing the form in ASIST.

A student may appeal the decision to cancel eligibility for a scholarship by sending a detailed, written, and signed letter stating any mitigating circumstances to be considered.  The Financial Aid Scholarship Appeals Committee reviews the submitted appeal and supporting documentation.

To submit an appeal, go to liberty.edu/beacon, select “New” and “Scholarship Appeal”. Proceed with each prompt and submit the form.

If you have previously declined institutional scholarship funding and want to inquire about future eligibility, please send your request in writing to finaid@liberty.edu.

The College of Applied Studies and Academic Success and Liberty University 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 answer students’ questions and resolve problems.

For Liberty University Online students, appeals and General Complaint forms may be submitted to:

Online Advocate Office
Liberty University
1971 University Blvd
Lynchburg, VA  24515
Fax: (800) 628-7977
https://beacon.os.liberty.edu/beacon/#/new/student-complaint
Student Complaint form

For Resident students, appeals may be submitted to:

College of Applied Studies and Academic Success

Liberty University
1971 University Blvd
Lynchburg, VA  24515
434-582-7200
advising@liberty.edu
https://www.liberty.edu/casas/official-complaints/

https://beacon.os.liberty.edu/beacon/#/new/student-complaint
Student Complaint form

A formal appeal concerning the decision to deny approval for state grant eligibility may be filed by contacting the State Grants Supervisor in the Liberty University Financial Aid Office.  If the appeal is denied, the State Grants Supervisor will notify the student.

State Grant Appeals to the State Grants Supervisor may be submitted to:

State Grants Supervisor, Appeal
Liberty University Financial Aid Office MSC Box 710282
1971 University Blvd.
Lynchburg, VA  24515
Fax: (434) 582-2053

If the student disputes the decision made by the State Grants Supervisor, the student may appeal to 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 (SCHEV) may be submitted to:

State Council of Higher Education for Virginia
Office of Student Financial Aid
2023-24 TAGP Appeals Committee
James Monroe Building
101 North Fourteenth Street
Richmond, VA  23219

The state office will then request any additional information that is needed.  The office will also contact the school and request any documentation the school may have received and an explanation of the denial.  They will ask for the school to fax the following:

• Copy of the VTAG application
• Date student’s application was received
• Date the student started school
• Date the student moved to Virginia
• Dates of enrollment and number of attempted hours for each semester
• Copy of denial letter
• Any other documentation that pertains to decision

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 the student for copies of:

• Letter explaining case for approval
• Driver’s license, car registration, voter registration
• Letter from employer, missionary agency, social workers, school officials, etc.
• Copy of Virginia resident income taxes for parents, spouse, or student
• Copy of federal taxes
• Legal guardian documents
• Ward of court documents
• Custody documents
• Copy of DD-214, LES, or Home of Record
• Any other supporting documentation

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 Group
P.O. Box 1843
Monticello, KY 42633
Phone: (877) 557-2575
Fax: (606) 396-4821

Direct Link: https://studentaid.gov/feedback-ombudsman/disputes/prepare

You can also complete the secure and confidential Ombudsman Assistance Request Form. Remember, the Ombudsman Group can help resolve disputes about federal student loans. If you have a dispute about your private student loan, contact the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.

Anyone suspecting fraud, waste, or abuse involving U.S. Department of Education funds or programs should contact the Inspector General’s Office by:

Submitting your online complaint information

Calling the OIG Hotline’s toll-free number 1-800-MIS-USED. Hotline Operators take calls during the hours of Monday and Wednesday 9:00 a.m. until 11:00 a.m., Eastern Time; Tuesday and Thursday, 1:00 p.m. until 3:00 p.m., Eastern Time except for federal holidays.

Downloading 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, S.W.
Washington, D.C. 20202-1500

Your report may be made anonymously or in confidence. You may submit a report of suspected fraud, waste or abuse involving other Inspector General agencies.

Fax: (202) 245-7047

Employees who are not eligible to receive a portion of their CE benefits due to an unusual credit hour count, such as 5 hours, may appeal the denial of their eligibility to allow them to use CE for up to the 18 credit hours limit. If eligible for partial CE coverage you would be financially responsible for the remaining credit hours. The employee must submit an explanation of mitigating circumstances and additional pertinent documentation to HR@liberty.edu.

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 15.3.2.3. Upon written notification of the intent to remove the scholarship, the student-athlete must request a hearing in writing to the Senior Supervisor of Financial Aid NCAA Compliance within 10 calendar days of receiving the notification.

Liberty University
Financial Aid Office MSC Box 710282
Senior Supervisor of Financial Aid NCAA Compliance – Appeal
1971 University Blvd.
Lynchburg, VA 24515

If a hearing is requested, the Senior Supervisor of Financial Aid NCAA Compliance will organize a hearing at the earliest availability of the appellate committee. The committee shall consist of the Senior Vice President for Student Affairs, University Ombudsman, Faculty Athletics representative, Vice President of Student Financial Services, and Associate Director of Financial Aid-Compliance. If a committee member is unavailable to attend, a replacement will be selected by the Faculty Athletics representative.

The complete University Complaint Policy can be accessed at this link.

Official written complaints should be directed to the College of Applied Studies and Academic Success (CASAS) by completing the Student Complaint Form. When a student has exhausted all normal channels and appeal processes and still desires to file an official written complaint they can file an official written complaint through the Student Written Complaint Form. The student’s Professional Advisor may be contacted in cases where a student is uncertain on how to proceed with a written complaint, or if a written complaint remains unresolved after a reasonable amount of time (advising@liberty.edu). Professional Advising within the College of Applied Studies & Academic Success will assess the written complaint and identify the appropriate person(s) to assist the student, and/or facilitate contact with the student with the appropriate office(s) to ensure resolution of the written complaint.

Procedure for residential undergraduate and graduate student official written complaints:

1. Students are encouraged to first express concerns to their assigned Professional Advisor within CASAS or to the department with which the complaint is rooted, as appropriate..
2. Students may submit an official written complaint about an issue occurring during their current or previous term of enrollment.
3. Student expresses grievance in writing via the official written complaint form. Only written complaints submitted via the official written complaint form will be considered official written complaints. Written complaints submitted via other forums will not be considered official written complaints.
4. The Senior Director for Advising Success reviews the official written complaint and accompanying documentation.
5. The Senior Director for Advising Success contacts (or assigns the complaint to) other university office(s) for research/decision-making purposes.
6. The official written complaint decision is rendered based on research findings.
7. The decision-making party will rule on the written complaint and update the official written complaint form.
8. The student will be notified via email of the decision.
9. If the student is not satisfied with the outcome of their initial official written complaint, they may appeal within seven business days of the rendered decision by providing additional support/documentation for review.
10. A second review of the official written complaint will be completed by a higher authority within Liberty University.

Student Official Written Complaint Form: https://www.liberty.edu/beacon

The complete University Complaint Policy can be accessed at this link.

Procedure for Online Undergraduate and Graduate Student Complaints:

1. Students are first encouraged to contact the department with which the complaint is rooted.
2. Students may submit a written complaint about an issue occurring during their current or previous term of enrollment.
3. The student expresses grievance in writing via the complaint form. Only complaints submitted via the complaint form will be considered official written complaints. Complaints submitted via other forums will not be considered official written complaints.
4. A Student Advocate reviews the complaint and accompanying documentation. Duplicate submissions may be withdrawn.
5. The Student Advocate contacts (or assigns the complaint to) other appropriate university offices for research/decision-making purposes.
6. The complaint decision is rendered based on research findings.
7. The decision-making party will rule on the complaint and update the online complaint form.
8. The student will be notified via email of the decision.
9. If the student is not satisfied with the outcome of their initial complaint, they may appeal within seven days of the rendered decision by providing additional support/documentation for review.
10. A second review of the complaint will be completed by a higher authority within Liberty University.

Student Official Written Complaint Form: https://www.liberty.edu/beacon

In accordance with requirements issued by the U.S. Department of Education, Liberty University is “providing its students or prospective students with contact information for filing complaints with its accreditor and with its state approval or licensing entity and any other relevant State official or agency that would appropriately handle a student’s complaint.”  This information is now part of the standard Consumer Information and annual disclosure procedure of Liberty University.  It is subject to revision.[34 CFR 668.43(b)]

Any student complaint should be filed first using Liberty University’s internal complaint policies. Once a student has exhausted all complaint/grievance resources at the unihttps://www.liberty.edu/student-financial-services/account-appeals-complaints/versity and the complaint remains unresolved, the student may file a formal complaint with SCHEV.  Liberty University accepts the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia (SCHEV)’s oversight in resolving student complaints from students taking distance education under the guidance of the State Authorization Reciprocity Agreement (SARA) and their published complaint process. Alternatively, students may submit a complaint about a Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges-accredited (SACSOC) institution using the SACSCOC complaint process.

Any student who wishes to make a complaint in their home state may consult the additional resources provided here.

Liberty University accepts the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia (SCHEV)’s oversight in resolving student complaints from students taking distance education under the aegis of the State Authorization Reciprocity Agreement (SARA).  Once a student has exhausted all complaint/grievance resources at the university and the complaint remains unresolved, the student may file a formal complaint with SCHEV.

The Virginia State Approving Agency (SAA) is the approving authority of education and training programs for Virginia. Our office investigates complaints of GI Bill® beneficiaries. While most complaints should initially follow the school grievance policy, if the situation cannot be resolved at the school, the beneficiary should contact our office via email at saa@dvs.virginia.gov.

For Washington State residents seeking information and resources about student loan repayment or seeking to submit a complaint relating to your student loans or student loan servicer, please visit www.wsac.wa.gov/loan-advocacy or contact the Student Loan Advocate at loanadvocate@wsac.wa.gov.