Frequently Asked Questions

When do I become eligible to enroll in my benefits?
All employees will be able to make benefit elections within the first 45 days of employment. Employees hired into a benefited staff position have a 60 day waiting period before most benefits become effective. New Faculty is the only class of employees without a waiting period and is eligible upon the date of hire. Employees who do not enroll in insurance when they become eligible must wait until the next open enrollment to add new coverage.

Can the waiting period be waived?
No. The waiting period is for all new employees with this employment classification.

If I leave Liberty, what happens with my insurance and benefits?
When an employee terminates his/her employment with Liberty, Human Resources will cancel all of the individual’s insurance and benefits and notify vendors of termination. Any formal notices of cancellation will be sent directly to the individual from the vendor. Health insurance will be canceled effective the last day of the month in which the employee terminates. A COBRA notice will be sent by ADP to the employee to provide the option of continuing health insurance at the full cost.

When can I make changes to my health insurance?
When a qualifying event such as a dependent losing other coverage, marriage, turning age 26 and losing coverage, or the birth of a child occurs, employees may make changes to their existing health insurance coverage. Employees not currently enrolled in Liberty’s group health insurance may elect to enroll if the employee themselves loses other coverage. Without a qualifying event, you must wait until annual enrollment which takes place each June and is effective on July 1.

When am I eligible to take vacation and sick/personal time?
Benefited employees are eligible to take sick/personal time after 60 days and vacation time after 6 months of being hired or becoming benefited if the benefited date is later than the hire date.

What is the process for taking a planned medical leave of absence including maternity?
If an employee will be out of work for medical reasons for a period of time greater than 7 days, their department needs to submit a P-1 for a medical or maternity leave of absence. The employee must contact Human Resources so that a determination can be made about Family and Medical Leave (FML). If the employee has disability insurance with The Hartford, the claim needs to be reported to The Hartford. When the employee returns to work, the department needs to submit another P-1 to end their leave along with a doctor’s note releasing them to work. If maternity leave is going to extend beyond the time that the doctor has released the employee to work, the department and HR needs to be notified to determine whether this falls under FML protected leave.

When am I eligible to start using the education benefits?
There is a 6 month waiting period from the date of hire before you are eligible to use the education benefit for yourself or your dependents.

Where can I find the education policy and forms?
The education policy and forms can be found on the Human Resource site in the Forms Library; you will then scroll down to the "Benefits: Forms and Links" section and then the drop-down arrow for "Education Benefits Forms."

What is the deadline to submit a Continuing Education (CE) form or a Dependent Grant-In-Aid (DGIA) form?
The Dependent Grant-In-Aid (DGIA) should be submitted by April 30th each year. The form is submitted to the DGIA Portal, which is located in the Forms Library, under Benefits.

Continuing Education (CE) forms are submitted for each course you take. These forms must be submitted to HR three weeks prior to your financial check-in deadline. Since your form requires your supervisors signature and the Registrar’s signature before coming to HR, you should submit your forms at least 2 weeks prior to the HR deadline to assure it will reach us in time. No late forms will be accepted. The forms and deadlines can be found in the Forms Library, under the Benefits section.

How many courses can I take as an employee using my education benefit?
You are allowed to take 18 credit hours per academic year, see CE policy for specific information.

How do I know if my education form got processed?
Once your supervisor and the Registrar have signed your form, it will be sent to Human Resources. After it is processed and approved in Human Resources it will be sent to Financial Aid (FA) for further processing. Once FA has posted your aid, it will reflect on your ASIST account.

What if the aid is not showing on my ASIST?
Your aid can only be posted if all of your requirements have been met. If you are in an undergraduate program, you must have completed the FAFSA and the VTAG. If you were selected for verification, you must provide specific documentation before your aid can be posted. You must also be registered for courses in order for your aid to post. If all of these things have been done, you may contact Financial Aid at (434) 582-2270.

What about grad students?
Graduate students are not required to submit FAFSA or VTAG applications. If you are under a qualifying graduate degree, Financial Aid will contact you to submit VTAG upon receipt of your CE form. You must be registered for courses in order for your aid to post. If your aid is not showing on your ASIST account, you may contact Financial Aid at (434) 582-2270.

Will the CE or DGIA affect my taxes?
The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) requires schools offering Continuing Education benefits to report as income CE benefits awarded to employees for graduate-level courses of a value over $5,250 in a calendar year. The IRS also requires any DGIA awarded for graduate-level courses in a calendar year to be reported as income. Please see the CE and DGIA policies for more specific information.

Can an International student work more than 18 hours per week?
No. An international student enrolled in a full-time educational program is only allowed to work up to 18 hours per week.

Can an International student work more than 18 hours per week during vacation?
According to US Citizenship and Immigration Services regulations, an International student is allowed to work 40 hours per week during any school-sponsored vacation.

Would an international student be allowed to work more than 18 per week during the last week of school or day or class?
No. The semester end date will be on the last day of the week and not when the student completes his/her final exams.

Can an international student work during any holiday?
An international student will be able to work up to 40 hours per week during spring break, summer break, Thanksgiving Break and Christmas Break. Because Easter holiday falls on a Monday and is only one day, the 18 hours per week will apply in this situation.

Where do I find the application for student employment?
In order to apply for a student position, visit the employment webpage: www.liberty.edu/jobs. Select the “Student Work” link in the left-hand column, then Student Job Openings. You will first need to create an application by clicking on the “Create Application” link, located on the left-hand side of the screen. After completing your application, you may return to the home screen to view and apply for student positions.

Once I have submitted my student application, what’s next?
If a supervisor is searching for a student who has the skills and schedule desired for the open position, the student is contacted for an interview. If the department is interested, the supervisor will retrieve the application from the database for review and set up the interview.

Where are the jobs posted?
The student job openings are posted at www.liberty.edu/jobs. Click on “Student Work” in the left-hand column, then click Student Job Openings in the middle of the page.

How do I know if I am eligible for Work Study?
Work Study is determined by the FAFSA, which every student is required to complete. The eligibility is determined by the estimated family contribution. If you are eligible for work study, you should have received an award letter stating such. If you are eligible for work study, the award and the amount is posted on your ASIST account.

May I work in more than one position?
Students may work in only one student position at a time.

Will I be contacted for a job?
Hiring decisions are left to the discretion of the individual, University departments. Our student employment positions are highly competitive. If chosen for an interview, a hiring manager would reach out to the applicant using the information provided on the employment application.

If I am hired, what is the next step?
Once you are hired, your supervisor will give you instructions for the Student New Hire Process. This information is also located on our website. Each student must have an approved student application, hiring paperwork submitted to Human Resources, and Human Resources approval on your Student New Hire Checklist before starting employment. Please note that I-9 verification requires us to review original, government-issued documentation. Please review these required documents to ensure you are prepared to provide them for examination by a Human Resources representative, at the time of submitting your tax documentation. No student worker will be permitted to start to work until the I-9 verification is completed.