Liberty University Online

Re: Revdex.com ID – [redacted] The complaint submitted on 8/12/has been received and the following is in response to the concerns raisedBased on the information provided by the complainant any information regarding their interactions, purchases, or outbound communication with them was not able to be locatedIn addition the complainant raises concerns with “sweepstakes” that the University is offering without any of the communication if in writing or dates and details of conversationsIf the complainant is able to provide this information their concerns can be further investigatedTo more generally address the concerns of “sweepstakes” that involve enrollment as a prerequisite this could be possibleThe University does offer promotions and discounts for students where in terms of what must completed in order to be eligibleAny time this is offered to students the terms of the promotion or discount are included in the email and referenced in the conversation if discussed via phone callAlso the University does not offer special promotions that involve grants as those are government controlledUniversity promotions offer tuition discounts and fee waivers which are resources that are University controlled and we are able to offer if students meet the terms of the promotionI hope this brings clarity and again if the complainant can provide any information that shows these practices have not been followed, we will be glad to further investigate into the situation on their behalf and respond

I have reviewed the response offer made by the business in reference to complaint ID [redacted] , and have determined that this proposed action would not resolve my complaint For your reference, details of the offer I reviewed appear below I registered and attended Liberty UniversityI was informed that they needed my transcriptsThe admissions office never told me that I couldn't send in my transcripts myselfI sent in official transcripts that I purchasedthey have the school seal, stamp, registrar signature and watermark and on watermarked school paperNow that I owe a balance to my schoolI cant get another copy without paying $first and I can not register for the next term at Liberty until I send in another transcripton top of that, I asked for them to send me back the documentation I sent because I paid for it and they told me they couldn'tI asked why not because they couldn't use it so why would they keep it? So now that they cant use the transcript, I can not attend and had no other choice but to withdrawal from LU because I am trying to finish my degree asap.I would like the copy of my transcripts that I sent in sent back to me so that I can keep for my records and or potential employment verification to show completion of my degree

We are in receipt of your notice dated November 20, 2014, regarding the complaint ID referred to abovePer our records, the complainant did not find the University’s previous response (dated November 7, 2014) satisfactory, and we are responding in compliance with your request for an additional statement to be issued in the case of this complaintThe complainant for this case is a current Liberty student who has served and is serving in the [redacted] City Police Department and has applied for an Emergency Response Personnel (ERP) discount that saves eligible students percent of each semester’s tuitionThe complainant has requested to receive refunds for percent of the tuition for each of their previous semesters of enrollment While Liberty did not have confirmation that the complainant had been previously approved for the ERP discount—as the complainant claimed—after a lengthy review and consideration by management, the University has decided to award the complainant the amount they would have saved in tuition if the discount had been applied to all previous semestersThis amount cannot be applied retroactively to be refunded for each previous semester, but it will be awarded to the complainant for the Spring semester once they register Liberty will shortly be contacting the complainant to inform them of this information, and will be glad to answer any questions or further concerns the student may have on this matter Sincerely, [redacted] Liaison/Compliance Analyst Financial Aid Office

Re: Revdex.com ID – [redacted] Liberty is in receipt of your notice dated August 12, 2016, regarding the complaint ID referred to aboveThe complainant has expressed frustration in reference to an overlapping loan review which resulted in return of Federal Direct Subsidized and Unsubsidized loans to the loan servicerThis return of funds to the lender resulted in a balance on the complainant’s accountThe complainant indicated that they should not be held responsible for the balance as the complainant believes the balance resulted from University errorThe return of Federal direct loans, due to an overlapping loan with another institution created an account balance for the summer semester of $3, Liberty records show the complainant was accepted to Liberty’s online program on June 21, in pursuit of a Bachelor’s of Science in Psychology with a focus on Crisis CounselingThe complainant is currently enrolled in twelve credit hours in the summer D sub-term (7/4-8/26)Originally financial aid was projected in the amount of $4,in direct subsidized and $3,in unsubsidized loansThe Financial Aid Office provided the student with an Award Notification on June 22, which indicated the amount of projected aid and also states awards are estimates and subject to change Regarding the complainants concern related to the change of loan eligibility in the middle of the semesterFederal regulations issued by the U.SDepartment of Education state the school is responsible for certifying a loan amount that ensures a borrower does not receive a loan in excess of the direct annual or aggregate loan limitsThe amount of federal direct loans a student can borrow each academic year (annual loan limit) is based on the type of enrollment and grade level; undergraduate or graduate The account was reviewed for overlapping loans on August 04, and it was noted that the complainant had already received $4,in subsidized loans and $2,in unsubsidized loans, at [redacted] , for the 2015-school yearDependent undergraduate students at the senior level are able to receive a maximum of $7,in direct loans, ($5,in subsidized loans and $2,unsubsidized loans) for a single school year, regardless of whether those loans were received at one institution or multipleThus, the complainant is only eligible for $1,in additional subsidized loans before reaching the annual limitAs a result, the majority of the $4,(net) and $3,(net) subsidized and unsubsidized disbursement received at Liberty was actually aid the complainant is not eligible to receiveTherefore, to prevent an overpayment, the original loan amounts previously referenced were removed from the account and returned to the loan servicerLiberty then certified the remaining $1,in subsidized loan eligibility which has been disbursed to the accountThis created the summer balance due of $3, Following further review of the communication between the Financial Aid Office representative and the complainant, Liberty submits that the complainant was given the impression that her balance resulted from Liberty errorUnfortunately that information was incorrect and will be addressed with that particular representativeLiberty maintains the conclusion that no error was made by the UniversitySince the Financial Aid Office was not made aware of the overlapping loans with other schools until the time of disbursement, there was no way to notify you prior to the start of classesIt is also important to note that the University can also be hindered because of data from other institutions not being reported to agencies within a timely fashion As a courtesy to the complainant, due to receiving inaccurate information from the aforementioned Financial Aid Office representative, a payment was made by Liberty University of the balance of $3,which resolves the summer balance I trust this addresses your concerns Sincerely, [redacted] Compliance AnalystFinancial Aid OfficeLiberty University

I have reviewed the response offer made by the business in reference to complaint ID [redacted] , and have determined that this proposed action would not resolve my complaint For your reference, details of the offer I reviewed appear below Regards, [redacted] ***

Re: Revdex.com ID – [redacted] We are in receipt of your notice dated May 8, 2015, regarding the complaint ID referred to aboveIn the complaint, a former Liberty student indicated that they received a letter from the University stating that they were a fraud and that they were using online courses for their own financial purposesIn addition, the complainant indicates that they recently received a “threatening” letter from the University reminding them of a balance on their account and possible interest that may be addedThe complainant claims that Liberty dropped the student’s classesThey also claim that they (the complainant) did not receive any financial aid from Liberty and have proof of suchThe complainant also asks that Liberty clear the account balance under their name and stop sending them “threatening” letters Liberty records show that the complainant was accepted to Liberty’s online program on January 24, 2013, in pursuit of an Associates of Arts degree in PsychologyThe complainant filled out and submitted a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) for the 2012-school year, which allowed them to be packaged with federal financial aidThe complainant also registered for two courses in the Spring semester, [redacted] , and [redacted] Both these courses were part of the Spring semester’s C sub-term, which spanned from February 11, 2013-April 5, The account shows on February 12, 2013, financial aid was disbursed to the complainant, including $1,in subsidized loans, $2,in unsubsidized loans, and $1,in Pell Grant On February 19, 2013, the complainant was selected by Liberty’s Financial Aid Office’s Program Integrity Team for a Fraud Prevention reviewThis action was not a declaration that the complainant was guilty of fraud, but a University action based on federal regulations (see CFR 668.16(g)) stipulating that the University will review any potentially conflicting information on the account of a student who is receiving federal financial aid, to determine whether that student may be guilty of potential fraud and abuse of federal aidThe complainant was informed by e-mail of the review, a list of documents they would be required to provide for the review, and of the fact that, if all provided information was not turned in or deemed satisfactory to resolve potential conflicts within four weeks, the federal financial aid on the student’s account would be returned to the lenderThe complainant provided all the requested documentation; however, the information was not sufficient to clear the conflicting information that may have been potential fraudThus, per federal guidelines, financial aid was pulled from the account and returned to the lender on March 21, Per direction from the U.SDepartment of Education’s Office of Inspector General (OIG), Liberty is not required to divulge the exact nature of the conflicting information on the account that led to a review for potential fraudThis direction may be to avoid alerting those who wish to commit fraud and abuse of federal funds on the ways in which institutions like Liberty detect fraudulent activityWhile the complainant indicates in the complaint text that Liberty claimed the complainant was “a fraud; I’m not the person I say I am”, conflicting information, per federal guidelines and university policies, is not necessarily a falsification of identity, but could include a number of factorsIn addition, while Liberty does not accuse students of any specific fraudulent behavior, students in a Fraud Prevention review are required to fill out documentation stating that their reasons for enrolling in classes at the University are legitimate, and not merely an attempt to receive federal funds before withdrawing, having only interacted with the school to obtain fundsThis is one of the ways Liberty has noted students commit fraud and abuse of federal funds; the student being required to fill out and provide such documentation is not indicative of the University accusing them of such an activity The complainant’s complaint text also indicated that Liberty dropped the student from their courses after selecting them for the Fraud Prevention reviewPer the complainant’s account, not long after all federal financial aid was returned to the federal government, the complainant stopped attending their coursesUniversity policy defines attendance in an online course as any online submission of an assignment or any communication with a course professor regarding the content of the courseLiberty’s policy also states that a student who does not participate in an active course for days or more is unofficially withdrawn from the course and the course is given a grade of FN (Failure for Non-Attendance)Liberty records show that, despite an e-mail sent to the complainant on March 14, warning them of the policy and the potential to be withdrawn from the course, the student did not attend either course after March 12, As a result, the student was unofficially withdrawn from both courses as of April 4, 2013, and an FN was evaluated for each course It is noted that while the complainant was selected for a Fraud Prevention review, such a review does not include the University automatically dropping students from courses or recommending the student drop or withdraw from the coursesIt was not until after more than days had passed that the University unofficially withdraws the student from the courses in adherence to the standing attendance policy In the complaint, the complainant asks that Liberty University clear the account, setting their balance to $The University is not able to comply with this requestWhile the complainant was eventually unofficially withdrawn from the courses for lack of participation, they had participated previously, and had thus assumed financial responsibility for the coursesBeing unofficially withdrawn from the courses does not remove the student from responsibility for the portion of the courses they in which they were active and did participateThe $2,balance on the complainant’s account—of which they were recently reminded in a letter from the University’s Student Accounts Office—includes partial tuition for attendance in the courses as well as an online attendance fee and a withdrawal feeWhile the complainant is not responsible to pay back the federal government for the loans that were taken out in their name for the Spring semester since they were returned, the student is still responsible for the balance incurred by their utilizing University services and participating in parts of two online courses The complainant’s account reflects that they did receive federal financial aid including federal student loans and grantsIn their complaint, however, the complainant made mention of a “prepaid Debit card” sent to them in that shows “nothing loaded onto or taken off the card”The card the complainant describes is likely the Higher One Card, the card onto which student account refunds are processed after federal aid disburses Federal aid, such as loans and grants, disburses to the University from the U.SDepartment of Education; refunds sent to Higher One (an online third-party banking institution with which Liberty is affiliated) come from any credit amount leftover after federal aid is applied to a student’s costs at Liberty Typically, federal aid disburses and covers a student’s costs, and, within a matter of days, if a student has a leftover credit from their financial aid that can be used as a refund, it is sent to Higher One; however, the action of financial aid paying from the U.SDepartment of Education to Liberty is not reflected on the Higher One cardLiberty records do not show a refund being issued to the complainant’s Higher One Card; thus, no activity regarding federal aid received at Liberty University is reflected on the student’s Higher One cardThis does not free the student from responsibility for the balance on their Liberty University account Liberty University records show that the complainant has not been contacted frequently since ceasing attendance at the schoolHowever, it is University practice to remind current and former students periodically if a balance exists at the University under their nameThis explains the letter the student claims to have received on April 21, 2015, in the complaintWhile Liberty regrets that the complainant felt threatened or upset as a result of the communication, as explained above, the student is responsible for that balance for utilizing Liberty University courses and other servicesIt is noted that the letter also informed the student of a potential amount of interest they could owe on top of the balanceIt is University policy that, if a student has been informed several times of a balance and does not take action to settle their account, the balance is forwarded to an outside collection agencySuch agencies typically charge an additional collection fee for taking over the process of receiving payments from students, typically a significant percentage that notably increases the overall amount the student has to pay Thus, the complainant was not being threatened by being shown a potential amount they would have to pay, they were simply being warned it would be more beneficial to discuss payment arrangements for the balance with Liberty University rather than taking no action and eventually working with a collection agency which would likely charge interest The complainant is encouraged to contact Liberty’s Student Accounts Office as soon as possible to discuss payment arrangementsThat office can be reached at ###-###-####If the student contacts Student Accounts and makes arrangements to pay their balance, the complainant can avoid having to pay a larger amount—including interest—to a collection agency outside the University While the information the University can give the complainant regarding the Fraud Prevention review is limited per federal regulations, any additional questions can be addressed to the Financial Aid Office at [redacted]

I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID [redacted] , and find that this resolution would be satisfactory to me I will wait for the business to perform this action and, if it does, will consider this complaint resolved Regards, [redacted] ***

Re: Revdex.com ID – [redacted] Liberty is in receipt of your notice dated February 10, 2017, regarding the complaint ID referred to aboveIn the complaint, a Liberty student indicated they were advised to submit a copy of their driver’s license, despite it being expired, only to later be advised this was not satisfactory for the reviewThe student also states when they called to see if the documents they overnighted had been added to their account, they were advised the documents had not been receivedFollowing this conversation, the complainant states they dropped their D sub-term courses but were advised C sub-term could not be droppedThe student also expressed they did not wish to receive further communication from the University however the student continued to receive telephone callsLastly, the complaints states upon logging onto their [redacted] email account noticed this was linked to their Liberty email accountThe complainant is asking that we return all documents submitted to the University, back to them and have their account closed out with the University Records reflect the complainant was accepted to Liberty’s online program on December 29, 2016, in pursuit of a Bachelor of Science in Interdisiplinary StudiesThe student initially enrolled in four courses for the spring semester, including two in the C sub-term (2/13/17-4/07/17) and two in the D sub-term (3/20/17-5/12/17)However, those courses were inevitably dropped when the student decided they did not wish to attend Liberty UniversityThe student currently does not have any outstanding balance at the University On November 4, the University received the student’s FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid)At that time the University noted the student was selected for verification by the U.SDepartment of EducationNearly one-third of all students’ FAFSAs are selected for verification each year, whether by the U.SDepartment of Education or by the institutionThe institution must follow the U.SDepartment of Education’s guidelines in confirming the information on a student’s FAFSAOnce a student is selected for verification, they are required to provide all documentation requested and complete the review in order to receive federal and institutional financial aid Following notice of the student’s selection for the FAFSA verification the University requested items which included; an official high school transcript, an electronic verification worksheet, a notarized Statement of Educational Purpose form and a color copy of the student’s driver’s license or state issued ID On December 30, 2016, the complainant called the University’s Financial Aid OfficeOn the call the complainant discussed the outstanding documents that were requiredIn the conversation the student said they would be sending a color copy of their expired learners permit for the verification reviewThe representative proceeded to tell the student that the permit could be turned in for reviewAlthough, it should be noted that the representative did not make any guarantees on if the permit would be approved, Liberty acknowledges that the representative could have provided the student with a more complete picture of what was needed for that particular requirementRecords reflect the following day, on December 31, the student called in to the Financial Aid Office again and spoke to another representative who correctly advised the student that the expired learner’s permit would not satisfy the requirement on the student’s account On December 30, 2016, the student e-mailed a copy of their learner’s permit to the Financial Aid inboxThe student’s learner’s permit was reviewed and satisfied on January 3, However, the learner’s permit was satisfied in errorWhen the University learned of this error, in order to remain complaint with federal regulations, the previously satisfied requirement was marked as “incomplete.” The University regrets if this caused the student confusion regarding their next stepsAt this time the student still has not provided the University with an unexpired, color copy of their driver’s license or state issued IDIn the complaint the student expressed there was confusion surrounding the mailed documents they sent to the UniversitySpecifically, the student mailed a copy of their High School Transcript and the Statement of Educational Purpose form to the University but when the complainant called the University to see if their documents had been received, the student was advised the documents had not been receivedTo address this area of the students concern, it is important to point out that the University has a Post Office that is a central location where all University mail is receivedOnce received at the University Post Office it is delivered to the appropriate department to which it was addressedThis can add length to the timeframe it takes to have a document uploaded to a student’s accountIt is important to understand that representatives outside of the Post Office would not be able to provide any information on the location of a package mailed to the University, even when provided a tracking numberFollowing review of the student’s account it was found the students documents were received by the Post Office on January 30, 2017, provided to the Financial Aid Office on February 1, and uploaded to the students account on February 3, This falls within the standard 1-business day timeframe the Financial Aid Office has for uploading documents once they have been received in officeRegarding the students concern related to being told they could not drop the spring semester, C sub-termOn February 9, 2017, the student contacted the Undergraduate Office of Admissions requesting to drop their coursesAt that time, per their request the student was dropped from their courses and their admissions application withdrawnThe student was advised this process takes approximately hours to reflect on the student’s accountThere is no record that the student was ever advised that their C sub-term courses could not be droppedTo address the students complaint about being communicated with by the University after asking for communication to be ceasedRecords reflect the student spoke with a Financial Aid Office Supervisor on Saturday, February 4, 2017, and requested to be placed on the Do Not Call listAt that time the Supervisor sent a request for the student to be added to the Do Not Call list to be processed in the next business weekThe student’s request was processed on February 8, Finally, the student claims that when they logged into their [redacted] University account it was linked to their Liberty email accountUnfortunately, the University is unable to speak as to what would have taken place as there is not enough detail in the student’s complaint narrativeIn conclusion, following an in-depth review of the student’s complaint it was determined that the student was initially given incomplete information about the driver’s license requirement needed to satisfy verification but the information was corrected the following dayThe University also acknowledges the student’s learner’s permit was satisfied in error but later correctedThe University regrets if this caused the student confusion or frustrationMoving forward the student has been placed on a Do Not Call list and the students address and phone number have been made inactive on their Liberty accountThe student can speak to the University’s Information Technology (IT) Help Desk if their desire is to deactivate their Liberty WebmailThe student can reach the IT Help Desk by phone at ( [redacted] Regarding the students desire to have all documents that were sent to the Financial Aid Office returnedDocuments sent to the Financial Aid Office are scanned onto the students account and destroyed a week following receiptThis is done as a security measure to protect students’ informationUnfortunately, this means that the student’s documentation is no longer available to be sent back to the studentI trust this addresses the complainant’s concernsPlease do not hesitate to contact me if there are any other questions or inquiries Sincerely,Liberty University Online Student Advocate Office

Unfortunately upon further review of the notes on the students account no mention of the certificate upgrade was found prior to 6/17/The situation is unchanged since this time that our EdS/EdD programs are approved by the Virginia Department of Education for the New Field Upgrade Virginia does not offer an equivalent for the In-Field UpgradeIf the student is wanting to pursue this further the best course of action would be to refer to the Georgia Professional Standards Commission (GAPSC) for a list of qualifying in and out of state programsCurrently Liberty does not qualify unless this is changed by the GPSC

I have reviewed the response offer made by the business in reference to complaint ID [redacted] , and have determined that this proposed action would not resolve my complaint For your reference, details of the offer I reviewed appear below Due to my being defrauded by *** [redacted] , [redacted] , and [redacted] ***, as well as had my civil rights violated and have been illegally criminally harassed out of Liberty University by the three aforementioned individuals, then this complaint is being handled by the Office for Civil Rights and the respective Police Departments in two different states Regards, [redacted] [redacted]

We are in receipt of your notice dated October 8, 2014 regarding the complaint ID referred to above. In the complaint, the student states they were told their finances for the Fall 2011 semester would be ensured by the University since aid was not available for the Spring 2011 and... Summer 2011 semesters. The complainant has also asserted that they were not informed that beginning attendance in an online course would make them responsible for “an entire semester’s fees”. The student has thus disputed the balance incurred on their account after they ceased attendance in the middle of the Fall 2011 semester. Liberty records show the student was first accepted to the University’s online program on March 30, 2011, in pursuit of a Bachelor of Science in Marketing. The student’s Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) for the 2010-2011 school year was received the same day. That FAFSA was selected for verification by the Department of Education. The student did not complete verification and later dropped their summer courses. The complainant then enrolled in the Fall 2011 semester and submitted a FAFSA for the 2011-2012 school year. The 2011-2012 FAFSA, received June 14, 2011, was also selected for verification by the Department of Education. There is no record of the complainant being told the University would “ensure” they would have finances available for the Fall semester as a result of not having them in the Spring or Summer of 2011. It should be noted that the University does not have the authority to overrule or disregard the selection of the student for verification by the Department of Education. The student was selected, and thereby required to provide certain documentation to the University in order to be eligible to receive financial aid (see [redacted] . Records show the student called the University several times and was informed of the documentation required to complete verification on multiple occasions. However, the student did not provide all the necessary documentation—thus, the student did not complete verification and was not eligible for financial aid for the 2010-2011 school year per federal regulations. According to Liberty records, the student did complete verification for the 2011-2012 school year. Thus, the student had financial aid available for the Fall 2011 semester, in which they enrolled in four classes. Of those four, two started on August 22, 2011— [redacted] *** and [redacted] ***. However, University records show the student stopped attending the two courses mid-semester, [redacted] on August 28, 2011, and [redacted] on September 6, 2011. Since the student did not resume attendance in the courses at any point, the student was later assessed a grade of FN (Failure for Non-Attendance) in both courses, and, in accordance with Liberty policy, two courses set to start later in the same semester were dropped. As a result of this drop, the student ceased attendance, and the student’s account was reviewed to determine how much of the financial aid received for the semester they were eligible to keep. Since the student attended less than half the semester, more than $3,300 was returned to the federal government by the University in accordance with federal regulations. This has left the student with a balance, which the University attempted to collect before transferring to a collection agency. In the student’s complaint—as well as in prior conversations with Liberty staff that took place after the student had incurred the balance—the student disputed the balance, implying that “e-mailing a professor” and “completing a survey” had been the extent of their participation in the courses. The student has also stated they were informed the University does not have a “withdrawal program”. Contrary to the student’s claims, records show the student completed online discussion board posts on August 22, August 25, August 28, and August 29, 2011, for the [redacted] course, in addition to a report submitted September 6, 2011. In addition, for the [redacted] course, the student completed a discussion board post on August 22 and a quiz on August 28, 2011. Liberty University defines attendance as “any submission to Blackboard within the enrollment dates of the course (such as examinations, written papers or projects, any discussion board posts, etc.) or initiating any communication with the professor regarding the academic subject.” This information and more can be found in Liberty’s Withdrawal policy, which can be viewed here: [redacted] . This policy, which is similar to the one that was in affect for the 2011-2012 school year, also states that “students who attend their courses but eventually cease making submissions to their online courses or cease communicating with their professors regarding the courses for a period of 21 consecutive days or longer, and do not request a withdrawal, will be assigned a grade of FN for the course.” As previously mentioned, the student ceased attending the [redacted] course on August 28, 2011 and [redacted] on September 6, 2011, and received FNs for both courses when no further attendance was noted for either course. As a result, two courses set to start later in the semester were also dropped, completing the cease of attendance. Regarding the balance the student incurred as a result of this cease of attendance, the policy states “when students cease attendance in all classes in a given semester, they will be subject to a proration of all federal, state and institutional aid. This proration takes into account the number of days that the student was enrolled.” The complainant’s account was reviewed and the amount of time in which they were enrolled was taken into account. A balance was left on the complainant’s account because “all remaining aid is unearned, and unearned portions of federal funds are required by law to be sent back to the federal government ( [redacted] .” This policy and others are available online to all students, but students are sent reminders to take heed of policies that may affect their aid. A copy of Liberty’s attendance policy is sent to all students each semester before the start of class. Students are reminded during Financial Check-In (which the student completed for the Fall 2011 on August 10, 2011) to check Liberty policies for consequences of dropping, withdrawing from, or not attending courses, and are provided links to follow to find any questions on those topics. Liberty records also show that the student received a warning e-mail during the Fall 2011 semester noting the lack of recent activity in their courses, and a reminder that a continued lack of activity could lead to an FN and financial consequences. In regard to the complainant’s claim that they were told Liberty does not have a withdrawal program, as mentioned, Liberty has a detailed policy regarding withdrawals. Liberty records contain no attempt by the student to withdraw, nor do records reflect a conversation between the complainant and a Liberty employee about a desire to withdraw. The student must satisfy the balance on their account. However, per Liberty policy, the balance has been transferred to a collection agency at this time due to a lack of activity from the student. The student has been provided with contact information for the collection agency. If required, the student can contact Liberty’s Financial Aid Office to receive this contact information again. The complainant is welcome to contact Liberty’s Financial Aid Office with any other questions about their cease of attendance and the balance on the account. Sincerely, [redacted] Liaison/Compliance Analyst Financial Aid Office

I have reviewed the response offer made by the business in reference to complaint ID [redacted] , and have determined that this proposed action would not resolve my complaint For your reference, details of the offer I reviewed appear below Liberty University has asserted that the first mention of a certificate upgrade was 6/17/and that I did not discuss this with any staff members prior to that date This is not true As stated in my complaint, I did my due diligence in asking Liberty University staff members prior to beginning the program if it would lead to a Georgia certificate upgrade and even provided the pertinent information from the Georgia Professional Standards Commission for Liberty University to verify It is completely unreasonable to think that before I sacrificed precious time away from my family and invested our money to earn this degree that I would not carefully check and verify with the University that the program of study would qualify for an upgrade and thus a pay raise to better support my family I relied on what I was told by Liberty University and it was not until June that I was informed that the program would not lead to an upgrade I had advisors throughout the program and it was evident that I was a Georgia educator earning this degree for the purpose of an upgrade in GeorgiaI was never informed or advised that this was not the case during my enrollment I am sure that if this happened to me that this has happened to other Georgia educators It is my hope that no other person will have to go through this tragedy I am very disappointed that a christian organization has responded in such a worldly way- denial and to blame the victim due to liability Liberty University has not sought to take responsibility for the faulty information I was given and acted upon nor for personal turmoil they have caused my family What further recourse can the Revdex.com assist in this matter? Regards, [redacted] ***

I have reviewed the response offer made by the business in reference to complaint ID [redacted] , and have determined that this proposed action would not resolve my complaint Regards, [redacted]

Below is the response to Complaint# [redacted] .The student claims that emails were sent to their professors for the respective classes in Spring detailing the reasoning for being absent from the courses for a length of time, as well as attempting to call them The Academic Progress department, responsible for confirming the days needed to earn a grade of FN, confirmed that they do not have any record of the emails claimed by the student The student claims that a relative of theirs logged onto their courses via Blackboard to submit a discussion board asking for assistance from the professors A submission of this kind would have reset the internal timer, counting the days inactive in the course, removing the possibility for FN in the courses in question The student claims that they were not alerted of the FN’s or the removal of their future courses As a University we inform students of this policy by requiring them to read and accept the terms of each course’s Syllabus, which details the FN policy The completion of the Course Requirements Checklist is an affirmation that they understand this policy, among others Beyond this the Military Affairs office also emailed the student regarding the change in his military benefits the day after the FN’s were placed on their accountThe student claims that they were not notified on how to appeal this policy The student was called and notified of the formal Student Complaint form process through the Student Advocate Office, and was emailed directly after the call concluded with the link to the processHowever no complaint was submitted through this process for review by the Student Advocate teamThe desired outcome of having the grades changed from FN to an F is not an outcome that will be approvedIf the student would like to pursue alternate resolutions they should proceed with submission of a formal complaint through our website with documentation to support the personal issues they experiencedThis can be done by going to [redacted] and filling out the digital complaint form there

Re: Revdex.com ID – [redacted] Liberty is in receipt of your notice dated July 31, 2016, regarding the complaint ID referred to aboveIn the complaint, a Liberty student indicated they received notice from a federal loan servicer that a loan in their name had been paid to Liberty UniversityThe student was upset by this, as they claimed they did not give the University permission to request a loan on their behalfThe student has acknowledged that they completed a FAFSA and Entrance Counseling for loans but claimed they did not consider this permission for the University to pay out loansThe complainant also claimed they were advised that completion of the Entrance Counseling was required for admission to the UniversityThe student feels that taking this loan out on their behalf is fraudulent behavior by the University and has requested that the University return the loan money to the loan servicerLiberty records show that the complainant was accepted to the University’s online program on March 25, 2015, in pursuit of a Master of Business Administration: International BusinessOn March 27, Liberty received a FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) the complainant had submitted for the 2015-school yearAs a graduate student, the only type of financial aid the student was eligible for via FAFSA submission was a federal direct unsubsidized loanOn March 30, 2015, an Award Letter was sent to the student via mail indicating they were eligible to receive up to $20,in unsubsidized loans at Liberty for the 2015-school yearOn February 3, 2016, the student contacted Liberty University’s Admissions Office in preparation for attending their first semester at Liberty, in the spring of At that time, the student recognized they were going to receive Military Tuition Assistance to cover the majority of their tuition for their courses at LibertyHowever, the student inquired how to receive the loans their online account showed they were eligible forAs a result, the agent advised the student to complete an Entrance Counseling via the website [redacted] Records show the student completed the Entrance Counseling on the same dayIn their complaint, the student claims they were told the Entrance Counseling was “a requirement for attendance.” The University does not have have record of the student being advised the Entrance Counseling was anything other than a requirement for receiving student loansFrom May 1, to January 18, the student received ten e-mails from the University about completing Entrance CounselingIn those emails it was exclusively referenced as a means to receive loans and nothing moreIn those letters the student was also told how to decline loans if the student was awarded with loans but uninterested in using themWhile University representatives are trained to inform students regularly of the requirement to fill out the Entrance Counseling, it is only mentioned as a requirement for students wishing to receive student loans at the University, which is the context in which the counseling was described and recommended to the studentCompletion of a FAFSA along with Entrance Counseling and an active Master Promissory Note, is considered a student’s agreement to have student loans pay out in their name unless the student specifically directs the University otherwiseThe student’s loans were not projected to their account until they registered credit hours, on their degree completion plan, in the summer semesterThe loans were projected on the student’s account as of April 4, 2014, at the time the student completed Financial Check-InFinancial Cheis an electronic contract by which the student agrees to pay for the charges associated with a specific semester of enrollmentStudents can pay for their charges through use of financial aid, a payment plan or a combination of the twoWhen the student completed Financial Chethe student’s loans were listed as one of the payments being made towards the tuition costsOn June 20, 2016, the student completed Financial Cheagain with the loans still reflected on their accountIn the complaint, the complainant wrote: “if there is an owed balance of $or even $150, then why did the school request the max for the student loan.” For the summer semester, the portion of the student’s tuition that was not covered by their Military Tuition Assistance payment was $However, because loans were projected on the student account even though Military TA did not cover the student’s full costs the loan eligibility covered the remainderThe University is required to award a student with their maximum federal financial aid eligibility up to their budgetThe budget is comprised of components related to a student’s education including tuition, fees, books and supplies, travel, room and board and miscellaneous expenses also referred to as cost of attendance (COA)Because the student’s budget for the term allowed a maximum of $in unsubsidized loans that amount of aid was placed and projected, and was only subject to change if the student requested changesLiberty has no record of the student requesting the loan be removed or decreasedThe complainant also asked why the University did not contact them about a balance owedThe complainant feels as though the University should have asked whether they wanted to pay any such balance out of pocket or through a loanAs previously noted the student had their loan projected on their account for the summer semester as of April 4, Between the loan and the Military Tuition Assistance payment, their entire balance was covered by financial aid for the summer semesterThus, though the student had $in tuition that was not covered by the Military Tuition Assistance, it was not reflected as an outstanding balance because the loan was on the account covering itAs a result, the student was not contacted about needing to pay a balance because their account did not show a balance that needed to be paidStudents at Liberty can decrease or even cancel student loans if they desire by filling out an online form called a Federal Direct Student Loan Change FormStudents who contact the University expressing disinterest in using their loans are specifically referred to that formSince the complainant did not contact the University at any point expressing concern over their loan or a desire not to use it, there was no indication the complainant did not wish to use the loan and receive the resulting refundAs a result, the loan disbursed on July 25, 2016, and the amount left over after all the student’s costs were covered was refunded to their [redacted] Account on July 28, Liberty University regrets that the complainant did not wish to receive this loan and that they consider it a fraudulent actionIt should be noted that this loan was not the result of fraudulent action by the University as it was processed onto the students account as a result of the student completing the FAFSA, the Entrance Counseling and having an active Master Promissory Note on fileIf the complainant wants a portion of the loan cancelled from their account, there is a course of action they can takeThe complainant is advised to fill out a Federal Direct Student Loan Change Form via their online ASIST accountOn this form they should specify that they want to decline their unsubsidized loan for the summer semesterThe University’s Financial Aid Office cannot cancel the full loan as a large portion has already been refunded to the studentHowever the University can cancel the amount of the loan that was not refunded and is still on the student’s accountThe student should be mindful that canceling any portion of their loan for the summer--now that the loans have disbursed and the excess has been refunded to the student--will result in a balance that the student will be responsible to payFor the remainder of the loan, the complainant is encouraged to find their loan’s lender information via the National Student Loan Database System ( [redacted] ) and contact their lender about returning to them the credit refund they receivedIn addition, the student requested in their complaint that the school never request a loan in their name againThe complainant is advised that submitting a FAFSA in the future will automatically be reviewed for student loan eligibilityAs a graduate student all the complainant qualifies for through the FAFSA is unsubsidized loansIf the complainant is not interested in receiving loans, they are encouraged to not submit a FAFSA for any future aid yearsIf the complainant has any additional questions they are encouraged to contact the University’s Financial Aid Office at ( [redacted] Sincerely,

When the student withdrew from her two courses in Summer 2015, the resulting balance was $1, This same total was communicated to the student on July 1, 2015, when she initially inquired about withdrawing During the phone call on July 1, 2015, the consequences of withdrawing were correctly explained and the Advisor also directed the student to submit an appeal When discussing the appeal, the student was informed that the appeal would most likely not result in the balance being removed The student did file an appeal and she was approved for a tuition credit of $($for each course) which she could utilize toward repeating the two courses in question This amount is equal to what the student is being charged for in tuition, following her withdraw This tuition credit was awarded as a courtesy, due to the extenuating circumstances that the student was experiencingThere are additional charges beyond tuition (fees and text books), which have not been credited In reference to the current balance, the student was charged correctly and in accordance with published university policy Per the Withdrawal Policy, if a student withdraws after submitting their first assignment (first assignment includes Course Requirements Checklist), they are responsible for 25% of the tuition for said course(s) The Withdrawal Policy is included on the university’s website, in Financial Check-In, as well as in the course itself as a part of the first assignment (Course Requirements Checklist) When completing Financial Check In and the Course Requirements Checklist, all students are required to confirm that they have read the policies and procedures contained therein In both instances, the student did confirm that they had read the policy Taking into consideration the fact that we have approved this exception as a courtesy to the student, we are only able to apply the credit toward repeating the two withdrawn coursesPer the original approval, this credit will remain valid through the Fall semester of

The student has been in contact with their academic advisor as of 2/18/and been informed of the proper method of appeal in regards to course gradingThe student is encouraged to continue to progress in the course and complete their coursework in accordance with the stated instructions and rubricsShould the student feel that the grading of their assignments is done so in a way that does not align with the published rubrics in the course, the student may submit a formal grade appeal for the course after the final grade of the course is postedInformation regarding the grade appeal policy can be found on the following web [redacted] and includes the following information regarding the policy and processLiberty University Online Grade AppealsLiberty encourages students to have open and respectful communication with their professor to resolve any concerns regarding individual course assignment grades and/or the final grade for the course.Please click here to access the grade appeal form.(To access the form, you will need to login using your Liberty username and password)Criteria for appeal:Only final posted grades may be appealed beyond the professorAppeals are accepted only when the grade assigned conflicts with: The published grading rubrics for the course assignments Written communication (i.e., email, announcements, etc.) Calculation error on an assignment (resulting in a change to the final grade)Appeals, other than those mentioned above, will not be reviewed.The student must provide written documentation that demonstrates the occurrence of one or more of the above grounds for appealDocumentation may be in the form of email correspondence, graded assignments, proof of timely submission, etc.Appeal process:A student wishing to appeal a final grade must submit the appeal to their professor and seek to resolve the situation with themIf the student wishes to appeal further they must follow the process outlined below: Within calendar days of the end of the term, the student may submit a written appeal to the Online Chair/Chair, but should do so through Liberty University Online AdvisingThe student must include the information required aboveThe Online Chair will consult with the instructor and review the student's written appealThe Online Chair will then notify Liberty University Online Advising, the instructor and the student of his/her decision If the student has additional support for their appeal, the student may submit a written appeal to the Online Associate Dean, through Liberty University Online Advising after receiving the decision by the Online ChairThis written appeal must be received by Liberty University Online Advising within business days of the Online Chair’s emailThe Online Associate Dean will review the student's appeal, as well as any information provided by faculty memberWhen a decision has been reached, the Online Associate Dean will notify Liberty University Online Advising, the Online Chair, the faculty member and the student If the student has additional support for their appeal, after receiving the decision by the Online Associate Dean, the student may submit a written appeal to the Online Academic Dean through Liberty University Online AdvisingThis written appeal must be received by Liberty University Online Advising within business days of the Online Associate Dean’s emailThe Associate Dean will review the student's appeal, as well as any information provided by faculty memberWhen a decision has been reached, the Online Academic Dean will notify Liberty University Online Advising, the Online Associate Dean, the Online Chair, the faculty member, and the studentThe Online Academic Dean’s decision is final

I have reviewed the response offer made by the business in reference to complaint ID [redacted] , and have determined that this proposed action would not resolve my complaint For your reference, details of the offer I reviewed appear below.ThI'm not pleased with LUO taking their time granting me access to review [redacted] I would like for this issue to be taken care of by the end of this monthWhat is so hard about granting me access to [redacted] to verify that the instructor accurate input the correct dateAfter speaking with tech support from [redacted] I was told to verify dates I would have to have access for the class and it would have to be granted by the instructorI was also advise that the instructor can delete submission but I would be able to view these changesThis is a simple fix for everybody, grant me access to the [redacted] and the account would be resolved if I'm responsible Regards, [redacted]

The student has been granted access to her work in ***No submissions were deleted by the professorThe fact remains that the student failed to maintain attendance in the course and thus rightfully earned a grade of FN in accordance with university policy

I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ***, and find that this resolution would be satisfactory to mePrior to the complaint, the graduate student had called Liberty University Online, as well as personally consulted with residential student accounts in order to make these adjustmentsHowever, neither department had provided assistanceThe purpose was to precisely provide updated information within hours of the tentative transactionNevertheless, I am currently in the process of attempts towards resolving the matter with the institutionThe appeal option is reservedly noted
Cordially,
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