Liberty 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.
To Whom it may Concern;The above comments from Liberty University aren't true.  My daughter never contacted Liberty University.  I, myself requested the refund on January 28th, 2016 via email and I replied immediately to the email that was sent to me on February 2nd informing me that my refund went back on my credit card.  I instructed them to please issue a check since I closed out my account with that Bank on November 17th.  Emails and phone calls to Liberty University were correspondences that continued to suggest that I seek the $250 refund from the bank, which I did continuously since I had no idea where the money had gone.  I patiently waited for aides in the office from LU to return calls to me.  One of the calls were returned.  The others were all made by me.  I had called the bank several times and they do not have the refund.  I would like to get the $250 that is owed to me by Liberty University.  I have a letter from the bank stating that the refund with the tracking # that Liberty University supplied, was sent back to Liberty University on February 5th, 2016.  It is obviously lost somewhere in LU's system.  But I cannot get anyone to believe this. I have asked to speak with the head or manager of the department and I assume that there isn't one.  The girl (withholding her name on this document, but have it if you need it) that I spoke with requesting that I speak with the manager on February 16, 2016, was very sweet but could not give me a name of whom to contact.  Attached please find the letter from the bank.
Regards,
[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.  Spoke with a supervisor and this has been resolved.
Regards,
[redacted]

Re: Revdex.com ID – [redacted]   We are in receipt of your notice dated July 22, 2016, regarding the complaint ID referred to above. The complainant is dissatisfied with service provided to her by Liberty University’s Student Accounts Department on July 22, 2016. The complainant has requested a response...

concerning their service experience.    The complainant contacted Student Accounts via our live-chat feature in regards to their account balance. They inquired whether or not they would be receiving a refund for the summer 2016 semester, and if so, what date the refund would be available. A review of the complainant’s account indicates they were given correct information in accordance with Liberty University’s refund policy (found here: [redacted]). Though the complainant received correct information, more specific information addressing the complainant’s questions was available and could have been conveyed.   The complainant has also requested an explanation on why they were initially denied a supervisor callback request. With every customer call, it is the goal of Student Accounts to resolve the matter thoroughly without it needing to result in a supervisor callback. However, we understand that this is not always possible and our protocol outlines how to handle these instances in an orderly, professional, timely manner. The standard protocol is to submit a request into our supervisor callback system, at which point it will be assigned out to a supervisor with an expected fulfillment time of 1-2 business days. This was not completed during the complainant’s initial contact with Student Accounts and we apologize that their questions went unresolved at that time. The Student Accounts representative has been made aware of how they could have better assisted the complainant. A review of Student Accounts call logs confirmed that the complainant spoke with a different representative in Student Accounts later the same day (Friday, July 22) and received thorough answers to their questions. At that time, a supervisor callback request was submitted on their behalf as requested.   On Tuesday, July 26, a supervisor from Student Accounts called the complainant as requested, but was unable to reach them and left a voicemail. The same supervisor subsequently sent the complainant an email notifying them they had left a voicemail at their number on file. Therein the supervisor indicated they would like to resolve the concerns of the complainant, and detailed how and when they could be contacted directly. As of 10:00am today (July 28) the complainant had not yet contacted the supervisor from Student Accounts.   I trust this addresses your concerns.

In the complaint the complainant
is claiming that they were never told about their aggregate limit prior to
taking her doctorate level courses. On November 14th 2013 the
complainant was told they had exceeded undergraduates loans but was okay to
continue with graduate loans. The complainant was also told the same day where
she can see her total loan amounts and awards, something all students are
responsible for knowing themselves. On May 20th 2014 the complainant
called the Financial Aid Office to ask about their aggregate limit and they
were told they would have enough aid for the current semester (Summer) but may
not have enough for the Fall semester. On June 16th 2014 the
complainant emailed the Academic Advising department to withdraw from their
summer class and upon reply back to the complainant they were told a total
withdraw had been started and may take up to two weeks to completed. Also in
that same email were listed the penalties of withdrawing from that course. On
June 17th 2014 the Financial Aid Office ran a report and found that
the complainant was over awarded for that semester due to the fact that their
refund was sent June 13th 2014.
The balance on the complainants
account is from withdrawing from their summer classes and the over award that
occurred because of the withdraw, which is what they were told by the Student
Accounts Office on September 11th 2014. The complainant did indeed
attend their summer course which is why it was processed as a withdraw and not
simply a drop. There is also no record of the complainant being assured she
would have enough financial aid to complete her degree as confirmed by the
Financial Aid Office.

Review: Spoke with [redacted] on the chat and I asked two questions and would not answer the questions. When I asked for a supervisor she declined for a supervisor to call me and that they would give me the same answer. I then told her that she was no help and that I was going to call the Student Accounts and I spoke with a gentlemen and didn't catch his name and I asked to speak with a supervisor and he advised me to hold on while he tried to get a supervisor and next thing I know I was hung up on. I then called back and spoke with [redacted] who denied me the right to speak with a supervisor. I don't think it is appropriate that I can't speak with Student Accounts in regards to my account that I have at Liberty University. I have called every single semester leading up to the refund season and never had a problem until this time. I am not happen that I can not get the proper customer service I need to make sure my finances are straight for school. I never had an issue speaking with any supervisor at Liberty University until today I was denied the right to speak to one. When I spoke to [redacted] from Liberty that picked up my call and transferred he said that someone would be able to get me over to a supervisor before I was denied the right to speak to one.Desired Settlement: I need a serious explanation from the supervisor of Student Accounts in regards to this non-sense. There is nothing that says you have to send in a service request to speak to a supervisor or the right to deny a student to speak to a supervisor.

Business

Response:

Re: Revdex.com ID – [redacted] We are in receipt of your notice dated July 22, 2016, regarding the complaint ID referred to above. The complainant is dissatisfied with service provided to her by Liberty University’s Student Accounts Department on July 22, 2016. The complainant has requested a response concerning their service experience. The complainant contacted Student Accounts via our live-chat feature in regards to their account balance. They inquired whether or not they would be receiving a refund for the summer 2016 semester, and if so, what date the refund would be available. A review of the complainant’s account indicates they were given correct information in accordance with Liberty University’s refund policy (found here: [redacted]). Though the complainant received correct information, more specific information addressing the complainant’s questions was available and could have been conveyed. The complainant has also requested an explanation on why they were initially denied a supervisor callback request. With every customer call, it is the goal of Student Accounts to resolve the matter thoroughly without it needing to result in a supervisor callback. However, we understand that this is not always possible and our protocol outlines how to handle these instances in an orderly, professional, timely manner. The standard protocol is to submit a request into our supervisor callback system, at which point it will be assigned out to a supervisor with an expected fulfillment time of 1-2 business days. This was not completed during the complainant’s initial contact with Student Accounts and we apologize that their questions went unresolved at that time. The Student Accounts representative has been made aware of how they could have better assisted the complainant. A review of Student Accounts call logs confirmed that the complainant spoke with a different representative in Student Accounts later the same day (Friday, July 22) and received thorough answers to their questions. At that time, a supervisor callback request was submitted on their behalf as requested. On Tuesday, July 26, a supervisor from Student Accounts called the complainant as requested, but was unable to reach them and left a voicemail. The same supervisor subsequently sent the complainant an email notifying them they had left a voicemail at their number on file. Therein the supervisor indicated they would like to resolve the concerns of the complainant, and detailed how and when they could be contacted directly. As of 10:00am today (July 28) the complainant had not yet contacted the supervisor from Student Accounts. I trust this addresses your concerns.

Consumer

Response:

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. Spoke with a supervisor and this has been resolved.

Regards,

Review: I enrolled in an online Master's Program at Liberty University in January 2013 after graduating with my Bachelors Degree in 2012 to further my education and broaden my career field. I attended Liberty University for until May 2015 and was very pleased with the class curriculum's and the services received from instructors and student advisor's.

I chose not to attend graduation due to personal reasons and logged on to my email a few days after graduation to check if there was any conferment of degree information sent to my email. I found out on this day which was May 11, 2015 that my student loans was being returned to the sender and that I was accused of fraud. I do not randomly check my email but I found out that in April 2015 I started receiving emails almost 30 days prior to my graduation date, requesting information from me such as an copy of a valid id, high school transcript, purpose of education form, which I did send this documentation, but at this point it was too late because it was after the fact.

This email informed me that I "Obtained Loans By Fraudulent Means". I called the financial aid department to find out what this was about and I was informed that they could not speak to me about this matter and that I could not receive financial aid at Liberty University anymore. I was informed that I had to pay a $15,000 plus balance on my account in order to obtain my Master's Degree. I was also informed that I could only communicate through email and I sent an email requesting more detailed information as to why I was being accused of fraud, in which I only received an random email responses that seemed to me as an automatic email that is sent out to anyone seeking information related to the same matter.

Liberty University make courtesy calls and send out mail via [redacted] during time of enrolling for an new upcoming semester to remind students to register for class and to reapply for financial aid. Liberty University did not inform me of matter that involves a serious matter such as fraud during the same method, but instead by the method of email in which I do not check periodically because I've always communicated with them via phone.

I have not obtained loans by fraudulent means of any sort. I attended Liberty University for the purpose of furthering my education and making myself available for more options out in the career world. I've spent two years working towards a Master's Degree which I feel was a waste, because I'm now being charged $15,000 (and some odd dollars) for Fall 2014 and Spring 2015 semesters from Liberty on top of the student loan charges accumulated from the previous semesters. I would like more clarification as to why I am being accused of "Obtaining Loans by Fraudulent Means", which caused me not to obtain my Master's Degree or have my last semesters paid for with my student loans.Desired Settlement: I would like for Liberty University to provide me with detailed information as to why I am accused of fraud. I would like for Liberty University to provide copies of all of my student records with information leading up to the fraudulent information that I used or committed to obtain loans fraudulently.

Business

Response:

Re: Revdex.com ID – [redacted]

We are in receipt of your notice dated July 9, 2015,

regarding the complaint ID referred to above. In the complaint, a Masters-level

Liberty student indicates that, not long before their date of graduation, they

were selected for a Fraud Prevention Review. The complainant states that they

called the Financial Aid Department for more information but was told the

representatives there could not speak to the complainant and inferred that the

complainant could not receive any further financial aid at Liberty. The

complainant’s account has also incurred a balance because of the review. The

complainant has stated that they would like more clarification as to why they

are being accused of “Obtaining Loans by Fraudulent Means”. The complainant

also indicates they would like for Liberty University to provide copies of all

student records with information clarifying why they were accused of using

fraudulent information.

Liberty records show that the complainant was first admitted

to Liberty when they were accepted to the online program on October 30, 2012,

in pursuit of a Masters of Arts in Professional Counseling. As of October 29,

2013, the complainant had sought to receive a Masters of Arts in Human Services

Counseling—Marriage & Family. The complainant has completed 36 credit hours

at the Masters level and, as of May 27, 2015, earned their degree. In their

last semester of attendance, the Spring 2015 semester, the complainant was

enrolled in 6 credit hours, received a disbursement of $7,957 in unsubsidized

loans on April 6, 2015, and received a refund on April 9, 2015.

On April 20, 2015, the complainant was selected by Liberty’s

Financial Aid Office’s Program Integrity Team for a Fraud Prevention review.

This action was not a declaration that the complainant was guilty of fraud, but

a University action based on federal regulations (see 34 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.

On May 5, 2015, the complainant was

informed by e-mail of the review, provided a list of documents they would be

required to provide for the review, and advised that, if all requested

information was not turned in or deemed satisfactory to resolve potential

conflicts within a reasonable amount of time, the federal financial aid on the

student’s account would be returned to the lender. The complainant provided all

the requested documentation; however, the information was not sufficient to

clear the conflicting information that may have been potential fraud. Thus, per

federal guidelines, financial aid was pulled from the account and returned to

the lender on May 11, 2015. This action created the balance that is currently

listed as outstanding on the complainant’s account.

Per direction from the U.S. Department 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 fraud (As the ‘Fraud Prevention’ page on Liberty’s website states: “Conflicting information could include, but

is not limited to, the misrepresentation of a person’s identity by having

another person conduct business on ones behalf without the proper authorization

of a properly executed FERPA Pin number or a Power of Attorney that has

previously been approved and on file. Conducting business for an account

includes signing Federal or Liberty University documentation for another

individual, calling the school portraying to be another person or

emailing/chatting for another person. These actions, without the proper

authorization, are considered misrepresentation with the intent to deceive and

therefore potential fraud”.). This 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 activity. Also per federal

regulations, Liberty’s findings on the student’s account and information

directly related to this investigation have been sent to the Atlanta Office of

the OIG as of June 5, 2015. Any further developments, information or updates on

the investigation and the student’s account will heretofore come from the OIG

unless Liberty is directed otherwise. This includes obliging the complainant’s

request for detailed information explaining why they are accused of fraud and

copies of their student records.

It should be noted that it is not the University’s practice

to indicate that students are unquestionably guilty of engaging in fraudulent

activity. Liberty regrets any confusion on the complainant’s part regarding

this specification. While the complaint’s account has been reviewed for

potential fraud and has had information on their account sent to the OIG for

review of the same, Liberty has not labeled the student or their actions

fraudulent. As indicated above, Liberty is abiding by federal guidelines

regarding potential fraud and abuse of federal aid funds.

While the

complainant was thus not deemed guilty of any fraudulent activity, as the

complainant has experienced, representatives in the financial aid office

are advised against disclosing specific details to students whose accounts are

being reviewed for potential fraud. This is practiced in order to prevent

individuals who are actually guilty of committing fraud from obtaining too much

information, and to avoid miscommunication about the nature of the review and

Liberty’s investigation wherever possible—students in this review are advised

to keep all communication in writing so that all information provided to and

from the student are easily accessible to Liberty representatives and any other

investigative body that may, at some point, wish to review the information.

Additionally, all Liberty students are routinely encouraged to regularly check

their student e-mail accounts in the event of their receiving any new

information or communication from the Financial Aid Office, their professor, or

any other University areas.

As the complainant noted, there is now a large balance on

their account. The balance has resulted from the aforementioned return of their

2014-2015 federal financial aid to the government. Unless Liberty is otherwise

directed by the OIG, the complainant is considered responsible for this

balance. While the complainant could receive an unofficial transcript from the

University at this time, they will not be able to obtain an official copy of

the transcript unless the balance is paid in full. The complainant is thus

encouraged to contact the University’s Office of Student Accounts ([redacted])

to discuss potential payment arrangements for this balance. It should be noted

that, if payment arrangements are not made within a certain amount of time,

Student Accounts will refer the balance to an outside collection agency, which

may charge an additional fee to pursue settlement options with the complainant.

There is limited further information the University can

provide the complainant. If the complainant has further questions, they are

advised to contact the OIG. Liberty will not clear the student’s account

balance, provide the student with copies of their records, or remove the

potential fraud hold unless specifically advised by the OIG.

Sincerely,

Consumer

Response:

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 have email documentation stating that if

Liberty does not receive all requested items within four weeks from the date of

the email, which was April 20, 2015 in the first initial email, that Liberty is

required to cancel all current and future financial aid, and that I will no

longer be eligible to enroll for future terms at Liberty University.

Liberty University

returned my loans on May 11, 2015 which was approximately 3 weeks from the date

of the email dated April 20, 2015, and I therefore had an additional week to

provide all requested documentation to Liberty University, which were the items

that I had to provide to them by mail and the return of my loans before the 4

week time frame prevented me from doing so.

Liberty University states

that I am not deemed guilty of any fraudulent activity, but documentation pertaining

to the return of my student loans states loans were returned due to I, the student attempted to “Obtained Loans by

Fraudulent Means.

Liberty University states

that I am obligated to an unofficial transcript from the University but when I

have attempted to retrieve my unofficial transcript I receive a message stating

that my transcripts are not available due to holds. Liberty University have also scrambled

information pertaining to my account stating that I have only completed 33% of

the required courses.

Regards,

Review: I have one semester to complete my Associates degree, and, all of a sudden, I received an email yesterday from the Business office that I owe over $200.00 and a hold has been put on my account; I checked, and there is a message that this charge is from a previous semester. I receive financial aid to be able to attend this school, and obviously someone cannot adequately process student accounts; I asked for a detailed explanation of these charges, and have gotten no response.Desired Settlement: I should not have to throw away the two years worth of work I have put into enduring the haughty attitude and incompetence of this school, who seem intent on making getting a degree as difficult as possible. I would like a detailed explanation of how I owe this money when I rely on financial aid to even attend this school, and the hold should be removed. I should not be punished for the incompetence at handling student accounts this school has demonstrated.

Business

Response:

We are in receipt of your

notice dated June 27, 2014, regarding the complaint referred to above. The complainant mentions that they have

discovered a balance on their account and have not received an explanation

regarding the cause of the balance.

University records reflect

that the Student Accounts Office provided the student with a detailed billing

statement on June 26, 2014 at 7:23pm to which the complainant responded at

10:20pm requesting an explanation for the charges. Liberty offices were closed at that

time. Her complaint filed to the RevDex.com was filed on June 27, 2014 at 10:04 am (the following morning).

The Student Accounts Office researched the cause of the balance and responded

with an explanation to the complainant on July 8, 2014, which, in summary,

resulted from the graduation fee upon the student’s application for graduation (a

fee disclosed in the University’s catalog applicable upon confirmation of

meeting all degree requirements), and an aid adjustment resulting from the

complainant’s receipt of federal aid at another institution attended during the

2013-2014 aid year, at the same time she attended Liberty. The overpayment was

reported to Liberty on June 18, 2014.

The aid paid at the other institution, in conjunction with the aid paid

at Liberty, caused the student to be paid more than the maximum allowable

federal grant funds which the University was required to update by returning

the over-payment amount to its funding source. The complainant is not eligible

for more than the maximum annual amount per federal regulations.

Liberty rejects the complainant’s

statement that the University’s intent is to “make getting a degree as

difficult as possible.” Liberty’s

mission is to assist students to accomplish their educational goals, to which

it would be immensely unethical and counter-productive purposefully hinder a

student’s progress through their program.

As a matter of policy and

also disclosed in the student catalog and the Financial Check-in process, students

must pay any balance on their account prior to registering for a future

term. A balance will prevent a student

from enrolling in future coursework, incurring additional debt before paying

for the current charges.

Liberty University provides every

student with their own personal ASIST account which gives them access to the

detailed charges and payments on their student bill, among other things such as

class registration, degree completion plan, grades, transcript requests, etc...

Additionally, the University offers a

complaint process through the Student Advocate Office. The student is encouraged to follow this long

established and fully disclosed procedure for prompt assistance. It is noted that the student made no attempt

to follow institutional complaint procedures.

However, the requested explanation has been provided. Per our review, the hold on the student’s

account that hinders registration was correctly placed according to existing

policy and will not be removed until the balance is paid.

Should additional questions

arise, the student is encouraged to contact the Financial Aid Office or the

Student Accounts Office for assistance.

I trust this information is

sufficient to satisfy the complaint.

Sincerely,

Consumer

Response:

I received a response from this school on the 8th, and I finally understood what was going on.

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,

Review: The class BUSI 301 - Business Law - Fails to deliver the education as promised in the syllabus. The coursework only contains 40% business law. The syllabus says that all lessons will be delivered in light of biblical principals. The coursework however, focuses on biblical principals and ignores the subject promised. Students are not getting what they pay for in the class. On top of that, the staff which handles complaints is dismissive, and cannot even be bothered to reply to emails.Desired Settlement: Complete refund of Tuition and Books required for the course. In addition, changes to either the syllabus or the coursework to bring them in line with each other so that one is an accurate reflection of the other.

Business

Response:

April 6, 2016

Re: Revdex.com ID – [redacted]

Below is the response to the complaint listed above on

behalf of Liberty University. In addition the complainant has submitted these

same concerns with the University through our official complaint system, as

well as other outside higher education agencies where they have received the comparable

responses.

1.)

The class BUSI 301 - Business Law – Fails to

deliver the education as promised in the syllabus. The coursework only contains

40% business law.

A thorough review of the course

has been completed. The main textbook (Melvin. (2015). Legal environment of

business (2nd ed.). Boston, MA: McGraw Hill) has no religious basis and solely

covers the topic of business and law. There are three quizzes throughout the

course that requires each student to demonstrate that they have mastered the

information shared in the text. Additionally, there is a Case Study paper that

requires each student to choose a case study from the textbook. The Case Study

paper asks each student to address personal observations: identify and analyze

the relevant legal, social, business, ethical, and biblical issues involved.

For the second portion, they are to answer the questions at the end of the Case

Study. Therefore after review it has been determined that the coursework does

sufficiently cover business law.

2.)

The syllabus says that all lessons will be

delivered in light of biblical principals. The coursework however, focuses on

biblical principals and ignores the subject promised.

The syllabus for this course lists

seven learning outcomes, but the seventh outcome says the student will be able

to “Analyze all of the preceding in light of the teachings and principles taught

in the Holy Scriptures.” Please note, the key phrase here is “Analyze all of

the preceding,” which means that this last learning objectives will encompass

the other six learning objectives based on the teachings in scripture.

These are the Learning Outcomes as

listed on the syllabus:

Upon

successful completion of this course, the student will be able to:

A. Recognize

some of the ethical/legal dilemmas faced by businesses.

B. Compare

the basic elements of the American legal system, the federal and state court

systems, and the alternatives to litigation.

C. Differentiate

between the basic business legal entities and the advantages and disadvantages

of each.

D. Describe

the basic elements of a contract, identify possible contract defenses, and propose

contract remedies in hypothetical fact patterns.

E. Examine

major areas for litigation in the employment law field.

F. Recognize

some of the basic issues of international law facing a business operating

internationally in the global economy.

G. Analyze

all of the preceding in light of the teachings and principles taught in the

Holy Scriptures.

Consumer

Response:

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.

1) The quizzes and case study are the only substantive assignments on the topic of business law. That is only 40% of the grade. The second text required for the class presents absolutely nothing on business law. 2) The syllabus does say everything will be taught in light of Biblical principals. It is one line in a two page syllabus. However that is not what the class delivers. This reply can be seen as a the school conceding my original point. The class focuses on Biblical principals, and claims that a single line in the syllabus allows them to practice business in a deceptive manner. I paid for business law, and received a class on Biblical business practices. Instead of offering some sort of middle ground, the school stands with this deceptive marketing and downright wrong business philosophy. They offered no solution, and gave the same exact (FLAWED and ILLOGICAL) reply I have already received three times. They ripped me off with BUSI 301. I have been a student with the school for over a year, and I graduate in less than 6 weeks, and this is the first and only class that I felt is a blatant slap in the face and a complete rip off. I took the class off of my resume and career profile, as the little substantive learning that was offered in the class will only disappoint any future employer who might hire me. I feel violated not only by the deceit in the BUSI 301 syllabus, but also by the horrendously illogical and dismissively repetitive replies. They fail to even offer dialogue or a serious intellectual review. The replies verbatim, and simply tow the company line. At least I received a reply this time. Both the chair of the online business program ([redacted] and the director of financial aid ([redacted]) completely dismissed me and refused to reply to my emails. I will be taking this complaint further to the student body, prospective students, and even high schoolers. I have pending complaints with the OAG for Virginia, and the schools accrediting commission. I also reserve my right to counsel in the matter. I will not let this go.

Regards,

Review: I have been a student for 5 years got my associates, and bachelors through liberty. I was working on my masters and all of sudden I get flagged for something and my money got sent back to federal Aid. I was sent a email that was standard and till this day was not given a reason or a chance to defend my self. Now collection are calling me and threathing to but it on my credit. All this happen 3 days before I was about to start summary school. Not only did happen to me but my best and cuzzin also who had just gotton their degrees. I researched online and found liberty has a practice of doing this and are mainly targeting black people. Not sure if that true but im black so sounded real suspious. I belive someone has a class action suit against them for this same issue. I need help I need my account cleared and my family members so we can move to a new collegeDesired Settlement: I would like liberty to clear my account and those others that were affected and and allow me to great my transcript to move to a new school and my friend and cuzzin the same.

Business

Response:

We are in receipt of your notice dated June 21, 2015,

regarding the complaint ID referred to above. In the complaint, a Masters-level

Liberty student indicates after several years of attendance at the University,

they were “flagged for something” and their money was sent back to the lender.

The complainant states that they were notified of being flagged but were not

given the chance to defend themselves. The complainant also states their cousin

was similarly selected, and the complainant is inclined to think this is

because of their race. The complainant asked for their accounts to be cleared

so they can move to a new college.

Liberty records show that the complainant was first admitted

to Liberty when they were accepted to the online program on July 6, 2010, in

pursuit of an Associate’s of Arts degree in General Studies. On July 25, 2011,

the student began pursuit of a Bachelor’s of Science degree in

Interdisciplinary Studies; that degree was conferred by the University

Registrar’s Office on May 15, 2014. On October 25, 2013, the student was

accepted to a graduate program where it was indicated they intended to pursue a

Masters of Arts in Human Services Counseling-Christian Ministry. Thus far, the

complainant has earned 6 credit hours at the Master’s level, having completed

one semester (Fall 2014) of strictly Master’s-level courses. During the Fall

2014 semester, the student received a disbursement of $9,305 in Federal Direct

Unsubsidized loans. A portion of this aid--$4,330—was refunded to the

complainant’s Higher One account on September 11, 2014, per the complainant’s

refund preference. Most recently, the complainant registered for a pair of

courses for Liberty’s Summer 2015 semester that would have started on May 11,

2015.

On February 24, 2015, the complainant was selected by

Liberty’s Financial Aid Office’s Program Integrity Team for a Fraud Prevention

review. This action was not a declaration that the complainant was guilty of

fraud, but a University action based on federal regulations (see 34 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.

On March 16, 2015, the 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 lender. The complainant provided all

the requested documentation; however, the information was not sufficient to

clear the conflicting information that may have been potential fraud. Thus, per

federal guidelines, financial aid was pulled from the account and returned to

the lender on May 11, 2015.

Per direction from the U.S. Department 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 fraud. This 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 activity. Also per federal regulations, Liberty’s findings on

the student’s account and information directly related to this investigation

have been sent to the [redacted] Office of the OIG as of June 5, 2015. Any further

developments, information or updates on the investigation and the student’s

account will heretofore come from the OIG unless Liberty is directed otherwise.

Because the complainant had financial aid pulled from their

account and returned to the lender—the aforementioned Federal Direct

Unsubsidized loans as well as funds that had been procured for use as book

vouchers, to help the complainant obtain their textbooks—there is now a balance

of $9,564.62 on the complainant’s account at the University. Liberty records

show the complainant has been made aware of this balance by repeated e-mails

from the University’s Student Accounts Office. In addition, efforts have been

made to contact the complainant by phone in an attempt to assist the

complainant in making arrangements to pay the balance. The complainant would

not be required to pay the entire balance at one time. However, payment in full

of this balance is required in order for the complainant to register for any

future courses at Liberty or to obtain an official transcript from the

University.

It is University practice that, once reasonable efforts have

been made to contact a student about a balance, via e-mails, account messages,

and phone calls, if payment arrangements have not been made, the account is

referred to an outside collection agency to recover the balance. However,

Liberty records show the complainant’s balance has not yet been referred to a

collection agency. It is a possibility, however, if the complainant does not

contact the Office of Student Accounts and set up payment arrangements with

Liberty, the complainant will not be able to settle the balance with the

University directly at any point, but will have to work with the collection

agency. It should be noted collection agencies typically charge an additional

percentage for their efforts, and outside collection efforts typically include

a mark on an individual’s credit until the balance in question is paid in full.

As stated previously, Liberty will not cancel or remove the balance or the

Fraud Prevention hold on the student’s account unless directed by the OIG.

Both in the text of the complaint that is being responded to

here, as well as in e-mail correspondence with Liberty’s Program Integrity

Team, the complainant has insinuated that they must have been targeted by the

University for such a review because of their race. Liberty denies this

insinuation, as the University does not target students for Fraud Prevention

Reviews—or any other reviews or processes—on the basis of their race, gender,

religion, or any other characteristic protected under

applicable federal, state or local law background. This applies to the

complainant, the cousin the complainant mentioned who had a similar hold placed

on their account, and any other current or former Liberty students. As stated

previously, Liberty’s Fraud Prevention review process and related holds are in

line with federal regulations regarding the potential fraud and abuse of

federal financial aid funds. The ‘Fraud Prevention’ page on Liberty’s website

states: “Conflicting information

could include, but is not limited to, the misrepresentation of a person’s identity

by having another person conduct business on ones behalf without the proper

authorization of a properly executed FERPA Pi number or a Power of Attorney

that has previously been approved and on file. Conducting business for an

account includes signing Federal or Liberty University documentation for

another individual, calling the school portraying to be another person or

emailing/chatting for another person. These actions, without the proper

authorization, are considered misrepresentation with the intent to deceive and

therefore potential fraud.” Any student the University considers may be acting

in such a way is subject to the same review and may subject to the same holds

and consequences the complainant has experienced, regardless of race or other

factors.

As stated

previously, at this time, the complainant is encouraged to contact Liberty’s

Office of Student Accounts as soon as possible to discuss payment arrangements

to avoid having their balance referred to an outside collection agency. The

Office of Student Accounts can be reached at ###-###-####. The complainant is

also reminded that no further information about the review can be offered

without the direction of the U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Inspector

General.

Consumer

Response:

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,

This has not given a chance to clear up what conflicting information. And I was not told what I turned in was not sufficent.

Review: Liberty University is very unethical. They seem to be a christian university but all I got was lies. When I call in to inquire about my paperwork after registering with the university, they tell me all is completed and I am ready to start. I was still unable to register for classes for a third time and was wondering why after they said I was all clear, after chatting with someone online, they tell me that I was still missing documents. So I got two different answers now. They have been giving me the run around for a year now and I am very dissatisfied with their service. Their representatives and admission counselors do not even keep up with the students. Normally you would get an email or phone call keeping students informed on where they are in enrolling. They showed little to no compassion and I am displeased. Their customer service is horrible. And I will make sure to inform my friends and coworkers which I recommended this school to, I will inform them to look somewhere else.

Business

Response:

Just to confirm, [redacted] is currently accepted into Liberty University Online but has not yet been allowed to register for courses because of additional documentation needed to confirm the applicants identity. There have been inconsistencies with the file and communication, as well as commonalities with other student files, which has led the financial aid department fraud team to request additional documentation from the applicant before they will be able to pursue enrolling in courses with Liberty University. The required documentation has been communicated with the applicant as recent as 4/29. It may be possible for the student to enroll should they provide the required documentation and the documentation resolve the current fraud hold on the account.

Consumer

Response:

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.

As stated in my complaint all documents with the university has been satisfied as of April 1st. The last document which was requested was a copy of my Driver's license and after speaking with enrollment counselor, I was told all documents were satisfied, so anything new request which had been made was not stated in my student file and nor was I contacted regarding any new information which they may have needed. When I called numerous times to see what was the hold up, I was told that all documents were completed and accepted so anything further is new to me and I should have been contacted to complete further steps. I was told 4/29/14 that there was one last document which I needed to complete but they said for some reason it was not showing up on my student account, so once again this is an error from the school. I intended to start school May 12th and now I have to deal with another set back from the college. At this point I would like to be able to enroll in class as of May 12th or I would like to be dropped from the university altogether. Thank you

Regards,

Business

Response:

In order to inquire about the details of resolving the fraud hold on this student's file, she would need to contact the financial aid office at [redacted].

Review: Liberty University failed to process my phone request for withdrawal from classes. I was told when I called that the computers were temporarily down and the guy took my information and said he would process the request as soon as the computers were back up. He stated he would call if there was an issue. I received no call. The withdrawal was not processed, which resulted in my classes being automatically withdrawn from for failure to participate 3 weeks later. Due to being withdrawn as failure to participate (instead of withdrawn passing) my financial aid was sent back to my lender and my account was charged the cost of the classes. This charge was a result of them not processing the original withdrawal and I would not owe them if they had processed the withdrawal like I was told they would do. I have attempted for over a year to get this resolved with numerous people at Liberty telling me that I should not owe the money and that they see where I called in for the withdrawal, but that they did not have the authority to change the account. I was then told that their supervisor would call me back. I have yet to receive a call back from a supervisor. When I call back, I am told the supervisor is not available. When I have asked who else I can contact to get this resolved, I have been sent to 5 other departments, all of which have told me that they do not handle account and have refered me back to student accounts who tells me again that a supervisor will call me back. This week when I called again to try and get this resolved, I was told the supervisor refused to talk to me until I had paid off my account and then they would talk to me about why I did not owe them that money. When I asked for the Vice-President's office over their department, I was told "no" and hung up on. I have left 2 messages with the University President's office, but I have still not received a call back. Today I received an email from the Student Advocates Office which stated that there is now no record of when I called for the original withdrawal. I was also told today that there is no record of me contacting the University prior to this to try and get this resolved.Desired Settlement: I want the billing error corrected and my account made in good standing at the University.

Business

Response:

I am in receipt of your

notice dated August 1, 2014, regarding the complaint ID referred to above. The complaint states that the student

requested to withdraw from classes but was told “the computer was down” and the

request would be processed when they came back up. The complaint then states that the withdrawal

was not processed nor was the student called.

The student was later given a failure for non-attendance grade on the

courses and aid returned to his lender, thus leaving the account with a balance

for the cost of the courses. The desired

settlement demands that the “billing error be corrected and the account be made

in good standing at the University.”

The complainant attended

Liberty University Online in the Fall 2012 semester (10/22/12 – 12/14/12), the

Spring 2013 semester (1/14/13 – 3/08/13) and the Summer 2013 semester (5/13/13

– 7/05/13); however, ceased attending the summer courses as of June 2,

2013. Registration for summer classes

occurred on April 9, 2013. Attendance in online courses at Liberty consist of

participating in courses by submitting the Course Requirement Checklist,

participating in directed subject Discussion Boards, and submitting quizzes, written

papers or other assignments as directed by course professors.

Liberty’s Attendance Policy

is sent to every online student prior to the beginning of every class. The policy explains that when a student

ceases to participate in their courses that a notice will be sent to them after

7 days of non-attendance and again after 14 days of non-attendance. After 21 days of non-attendance, a grade of

FN (failure for non-attendance) is assigned to the course. Ceasing attendance in all courses in the

semester is cause for a student’s federal financial aid to be reevaluated and

prorated to determine the amount of aid the student earned versus the amount of

unearned aid that must be returned to the federal government. This is clearly explained in the University’s

Withdrawal Policy, a link to which is also provided in the Attendance Notice

sent to all students prior to beginning each class.

Liberty University rejects

the statement by the complainant that he called to request to be withdrawn from

the summer courses. Liberty has no record of any such communication from the

complainant, neither via phone or email, between the dates of April 9, 2013

(when he registered for classes) and the end of the summer enrollment period.

Liberty records all communications in each student’s file notes for every phone

call received and for actions or changes manually processed on the account. Additionally, in order to formally withdraw

from a course, the University requires the request to be in writing. If a student ceases attendance prior to

sending in a formal written notice, but called to request a withdrawal, then

the date of the notice to the University is used as the effective date of the

withdrawal. If no phone call is made to

the University, then the Last Date of Attendance in the course/s is used to

determine the “unofficial” withdrawal date.

June 2, 2013 is the last date on record of the complainant’s attendance in

the summer classes.

Additionally, after he quit participating in

the courses the University attempted to contact the complainant, via phone

calls and emails, on the following dates: 9/27/13, 10/17/13, 10/24/13,

10/28/13, 10/31/13, 11/14/13, and 11/20/13.

When the University received no response to these attempts to contact

the complainant, the account was turned over to a collection agency on December

6, 2013. Communication was reestablished

when the complainant’s spouse called the University on January 1, 2014,

following which an email was sent to the complainant with an explanation regarding

the debt and providing contact information to the collection agency. Liberty received subsequent calls from the

complainant on 4/08/14 and emails on 5/23/14 and 5/27/14. The Student Accounts Office spoke to the

student on several occasions and responded in writing to the email communications

received, explaining the debt and providing the collection agency contact

information for payment arrangements to be made. The complaint states the student contacted

the University on 8/1/13, 11/1/13 and 1/01/14.

Liberty has no record of calls from the student on the first two dates

mentioned; however, as stated previously, the complainant’s spouse did indeed contact

the University on his behalf on January 1, 2014.

Please note, had a formal

withdrawal be received from the complainant, the aid would still have been

prorated based on the date of withdrawal and a return of funds inevitable since

the student would have only attended a portion of the summer enrollment period

and would not have been eligible for the full amount of aid disbursed and

refunded to him. It seems that the

complainant is confused and under the impression that by formally withdrawing,

he would have no balance at the University. This is not the case.

Liberty encourages this

student to contact the agency information provided to him for payment

arrangements. I trust this explanation

addresses the concerns expressed in this complaint. Let us know if there are additional

questions.

Sincerely,

[redacted] MBA

Liaison/Compliance Analyst II

Office of Financial Aid

Liberty University

Consumer

Response:

When I first contacted Liberty University over a year ago, I was told by several of the people in Student Accounts that they saw where I had called in. Since filing the complaint with the Revdex.com, those records have since disappeared.

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,

Review: I put down $250 because in exchange for potential discounts on tuition, with the understanding that it was refundable. After the prospective student finalized their college selection, I called and requested the refund but was denied. Liberty cited a very recent deadline. Liberty University suffered no damage, especially since they had already been informed that the prospective student would not attend by another family member and especially since the cited deadline was quite recent.Desired Settlement: Refund of $250

Business

Response:

This customer will be refunded the $250 deposit according to the leaderships of the admissions office. If the customer has any other questions they are asked to contact residential admissions.

Consumer

Response:

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.I appreciate it and am grateful.I called my credit card company tonight, but they don't see the refund coming thru yet. I will check again in another week.Regards,[redacted]

Review: Liberty University accepted me in the Doctoral Program. When spe s kig to the financial aid officer, I was directed to a federal website to check my current loan amounts owed to see how much more I could borrow to complete the program. When I checked, I didn't think I could borrow enough to finish the degree so I declined registering at that time. I received multiple calls fromLiberty pressuring me to register the following semester and I declined again for financial aid limitations. Liberty then continued to call and pressure attendance. I told them I didn't have enough financial aid available especiallt after just finishing a second masters as a single mom on a teacher's salary. The financial aid officer laughed and ASSURED me that these were ony "guidelines" and I had enough financial aid left to complete the degree. I believed his guidance as he was the expert. By the second semester, I received a letter saying I had no more financial aid available. I incurred registration fees, book fees and spent money on required subscriptions. When I cacalled financial aid, they said I could take out personal loans e Etc to finish my degree but that is not what I was told originally. I am not eligible for personal loans given my income etc. When I found out the financial aid officer advised me incorrectly I withdrew from the semester after buying all of my required materials and subscriptions. Then the university said I owed them for a class I never completed. They were unethical in their high pressure sales tactics and refuse accountability when their employees advise students incorrectly in order to make a sale. I am a teacher and was looking for a Christian based curriculum but found great disappointment with Liberty's Unethical tactics. I have informed my colleagues not to consider a degree from this institution.Desired Settlement: Stop collection of money in the amount of $2403.38, erase the unwarranted debt and do not ever contact me in any way to solicit an advanced degree. My Liberty account is [redacted]. The collection account is [redacted] through [redacted].

Business

Response:

In review of the account there is no evidence that the student was given misleading information in regards to her financial aid eligibility in order to persuade her to enroll in courses. Liberty University is at fault

for her withdrawing from her course which resulted in her balance.

On 11/14/2013 the student was told

she reached her agg. loan limit for undergraduate loans, she was still approved

for graduate loans. She was also told the same day where online she could review her

total loan amounts and awards.

On 5/20/2014 Ms. [redacted] called the

Financial Aid Office to discuss her financial aid. She was told she would hit

her limit for fall, not summer. That is when she was told she would not have

enough aid for the next years’ worth of tuition- which excluded the semester

she was currently registered for.

6/16/2014 Ms. [redacted] then emailed in

to request a withdraw from [redacted] for personal reasons. She was sent an email

from the withdraw team letting her know she would be on automatic financial aid

suspension and a 75% charge would remain for the course. On 6/17/2014, once the

withdraw was processed it was shown that the student was over awarded for the

summer semester and that is where the balance on her account is stemming from,

not because she hit her aggregate loan limit. When the student ceased attendance for the term her aid needed to be recalculated to match her term period of enrollment, thus the overaward for the term.

From the information presented it does not appear that Liberty University is responsible for the issues Ms. [redacted] is

having with her current balance and are not related to information she feels was given during the recruitment phase of her student life at Liberty University. She was never encouraged to withdraw from her course by any department

and she was given all of the information necessary in regards to her loan

limits from the Financial Aid Office.

Consumer

Response:

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.

First and foremost, I was not given specific details about withdrawal. When I called regarding the withdrawal, I was told HOW to do it and the proper paperwork to file. After withdrawal, I was sent emails regarding POSSIBLE penalties. I called to ask why I wasn't told about this BEFORE the withdrawal and was not given an explanation. I called several times to get clarification and was advised wrong or told they did not know BUT IT HAS BEEN A PRIVILEGE TALKING WITH ME. The reason I withdrew was because of the notice I received from Liberty that I had reached my aggregate level and did not have enough to finish the Doctorate. I put off applying for the Doctorate program for two semesters after inquiring IN SPITE OF Liberty's constant phone calls to register me "at that very moment". Each time they called to register me, I informed them that I checked my limit on the website and I did not have enough, however, Liberty insisted that it was only a guideline and that I would be fine to finish my Doctorate. I do not know anyone who would go into debt just to take a few classes without commencement, especially at the Doctorate level. I have already completed a Bachelors and TWO Masters. I was not unfamiliar with the financial aid system. [redacted] and [redacted] NEVER advised me incorrectly nor were irresponsible with my money. Liberty even went so far as to advise me to take out personal loans when I hit my aggregate level so that I could finish my Doctorate since I had no financial aid left. On one occasion when I called regarding the aggregate limit letter, the person told me that I could register for next semester and use the "financial aid" for next semester to pay off the debt that Liberty imposed from the present semester....HOW? I reached my aggregate level according to the letter generated from their office. A subsequent time, when I called to question the letter regarding the aggregate limit being reached, they laughed and assured me that I could finish if I took out personal loans or charged the courses that were remaining. Personal loans and credit cards are not tax deductible and come with a much higher interest rate. I would have NEVER started the Doctorate program had I needed to seek out these types of loans to complete it. The letters I received from Liberty said that I had reached my aggregate level. In Liberty's response to this complaint, they said I did NOT reach my aggregate limit, however, the letter came from their office. My interactions with them have always been this confusing. And now they have put me in collection for their irresponsibility and miscommunication. As for financial aid saying that the amount was adjusted for summer, is news to me. When I called to SPEAK to someone, I was told that the amount I was being charged was for the class I withdrew from. I did not attend in the Summer so there should not be a bill for summer either. When I called to withdrawal, I was only told that I was within the deadline to withdrawal and what paperwork I needed to fill out. I received no service from Liberty, therefore, there is no payment due. The class I withdrew from, I did not receive credit for and I was within the timeline for withdrawal according to the person I spoke with on the phone. The bill is for a service, I never received. Unfortunately, given their aggressive solicitation and their bill for services I never received from them, it appears that their institution is more concerned with taking money from people instead of promoting a Christian based educational institution. Liberty did NOT advise me correctly and solicited my attendance aggressively without any regard for their truth in statements. The debt should be withdrawn.

Regards,

Business

Response:

In the complaint the complainant

is claiming that they were never told about their aggregate limit prior to

taking her doctorate level courses. On November 14th 2013 the

complainant was told they had exceeded undergraduates loans but was okay to

continue with graduate loans. The complainant was also told the same day where

she can see her total loan amounts and awards, something all students are

responsible for knowing themselves. On May 20th 2014 the complainant

called the Financial Aid Office to ask about their aggregate limit and they

were told they would have enough aid for the current semester (Summer) but may

not have enough for the Fall semester. On June 16th 2014 the

complainant emailed the Academic Advising department to withdraw from their

summer class and upon reply back to the complainant they were told a total

withdraw had been started and may take up to two weeks to completed. Also in

that same email were listed the penalties of withdrawing from that course. On

June 17th 2014 the Financial Aid Office ran a report and found that

the complainant was over awarded for that semester due to the fact that their

refund was sent June 13th 2014.

The balance on the complainants

account is from withdrawing from their summer classes and the over award that

occurred because of the withdraw, which is what they were told by the Student

Accounts Office on September 11th 2014. The complainant did indeed

attend their summer course which is why it was processed as a withdraw and not

simply a drop. There is also no record of the complainant being assured she

would have enough financial aid to complete her degree as confirmed by the

Financial Aid Office.

Consumer

Response:

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.Once again, I was told before registering by financial aid that I had enough aid to complete the Doctoral program. I remember talking to an agent several times. Once I put my information on LIberty's webpage showing interest in their program, I was called several times a week to extend registration services over the phone, not via email. I put off registering two semesters after my initial interest because I was unsure about my financial aid. Every time someone called from registrar, I told them, I did not think I had enough aid because I checked the website. They would then transfer me to financial aid and financial aid would ASSURE me that the aggregate limit was a "guideline" and I would be able to complete my program with Liberty. When I received the letter about the aggregate limit, financial aid then told me that I could apply for personal loans or charge the classes in order to finish the degree. This kind of credit holds very different terms than a student loan and was NOT advised to me originally. A financial aid officer even told me at this point, that I could apply for additional loans to pay the balance from the class I am being charged for AND pay for the next semester classes. I am not sure how that would happen, when I have reached my aggregate limit per the financial aid office. I would have dropped the course, had the office sent the letter of reaching my aggregate limit sooner. It is no coincidence that I received the aggregate limit letter after the drop date with no other alternative but to withdrawal. Liberty uses very aggressive tactics to get their student body with little regard for their best interest. Charging me $2,000 for a class I never took, only registered for then withdrew when I received the letter about reaching my aggregate level is not ethical business practice on Liberty's side. I am paying that $2,000 in student loans already. I am not sure why Liberty feels they can charge me also when it was their misinformation that created this situation to begin with.

Regards,

Review: I, [redacted] R. [redacted] who was once a proud alumni of Liberty University, today is very disappointed in the level of service that I have received from staff at Liberty University. My night mare began when I took the advice of an academic advisor by dropping a class during summer 2013 due to some personal issues that I encounter at home. However, I wish I had of just received the bad grade and GPA score and failed the course if I had of known this would cause me some financial difficulties with Liberty University. I had no idea my account would go into default with Liberty from bad advice.

Fall 2013, not only did one of my loans defaulted but I loss my job around Christmas. I have been trying to (1) look for new employment and (2) work on getting the default loan into deferred status so I can start attending classes again. However, now Liberty is stating that I owe approximately $400 for the class I withdrew from and referred me to a collection agency. So, I inquire about me obtaining official transcripts for a job offer and I was told No I could not have my transcripts unless I pay $400 to the collection agency.

My question today, how can a so call Christian organization be so out of touch? The education I received from this school almost feels like blasphemy. I am less than 30 days from being homeless with one child in the household, I don't have a job but yet my transcripts are being held hostage over $400 that I do not have. I am not writing this for someone to have pity on me but have some type of compassion with the situation or at least offer an olive branch for assistance due to my situation. How will I be able to pay such a fee without a job or better yet my $80,000 student loan that I now owe because of Liberty University. I help this school get rich and I feel like I am being slapped in the face over $400.

I called the Liberty online accounts department on Wednesday, March 19 and spoke with a [redacted] that evening who was very rude and talked all on top of me during the conversation. The level of customer service was very poor of that of a call center agent. I asked to speak to a supervisor and she told me there was no supervisor available and she could not transfer me to one. I would need to call the number 1-800 number to talk to someone. (Devil agent in the Christian agency) I called back, spoke to another agent who transferred me to [redacted]. I never spoke to a [redacted]. My information was taken over the phone, I was told the supervisor would look over my account and called me back. We will see....I don't think I will get a call back. I only hope this information gets into the right hand. At this time, I will be filing a complaint with Revdex.com, media outlets and anybody who is willing to listen to me.Desired Settlement: I would like to obtain my official transcripts so I can at least gain employment so I can not only pay my bills but start paying back my $80,000 student loan from Liberty.

Business

Response:

RE: Revdex.com ID – [redacted]

I am in receipt of your notice dated March

20, 2014 regarding the complaint number referred to above. The complaint mentions “dropping a class

during summer 2013”. In fact, the

student did not drop the course but withdrew from the course on June 28, 2013,

which when this occurred, the student dropped to a less-than-half-time status

for the semester. The student was a

recipient of the LUO Advantage discount for graduate students. As published on Liberty’s website, the

discount applies when the student enrolls for 6 credit hours (half-time) or

more. The discount is applied systemically, therefore if the student’s

enrollment is not maintained at that threshold for the semester, then the

discount is automatically removed. The

removal of the discount occurred on June 28, 2013 resulting in a balance of

$454.50 to the student’s bill.

However, upon researching the events on the student’s

account, it was determined that the student was misinformed regarding the

effect of the withdrawal from the course, when told that the balance on account

would not change as a result. Therefore,

due to this Liberty University will return the discount to the student’s bill

in the form of an adjustment, thus resolving the student balance issue. The student should allow 24 – 48 hours for

this adjustment to be processed and posted to the account.

I trust this response is sufficient to answer

the student’s concerns. Please let me know if you have any additional

questions.

Sincerely,

Review: Reading Liberty University Student Accounts Policy Reguarding Student Refund. After talking with [redacted] she informed me that they tell students it takes up to 1-3 business days for [redacted]) to refund our money that is due on the 25 day I believe to the students. When speaking to a supervisor he informed me that he would be going in the back to discuss why the refund had not been issued. He told be that Liberty University sent a notification to [redacted] stating that they would be sending over the wire transfer today. He also mentioned that they have not sent over the wire transfer they can not deposit something that they dont have. When I called student accounts the representative stated that they sent the wire transfer over yesterday and it takes 1-3 business days to refund the money. on the website that is not what it states. It states that [redacted] refunds the money in student accounts the same day it is recieved from Liberty University.Desired Settlement: Explanation to why the website is incorrect and why does someone have to go back and forth over something that is not even policy on the student accounts page. If Liberty University has contracted [redacted] then there is a disconnect in communication.

Business

Response:

We would like to begin by apologizing for any confusion or

frustration this situation may have caused. We appreciate you taking the time

to voice your complaint and would like to inform you that in an effort to

provide better clarity and continuity across our various communication

platforms, we will be updating our Student Accounts webpage in an effort to

streamline our information.

Our goal is and will always be to offer the best possible

customer service and it is our hope that the update will eliminate any further

frustrations.

Thank youLiberty UniversityStudent Accounts Office

Consumer

Response:

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,

Review: 03/10/2014

To Whom It May Concern:

I would like to dispute this debt for the following reasons:

1.) This debt has occurred due to misinformation provided by academic support during the fall term of 2013.

2.) I contacted the university via telephone wishing to withdrawal from my courses in a timely manner. This was due to medical complications. I was aware that I would suffer a monetary penalty at the time of withdrawal coupled with returning the financial aid refund to the university.

3.) At that time I was informed that withdrawing from my courses would have serious repercussions to my financial aid as well as placing me on academic suspension.

4.) I was instructed that due to my medical situation it would be better to try to complete the courses, but if that was not possible, to earn the grade of F/N (failure due to non-attendance).

5.) Once a grade of F/N was entered I was instructed to appeal my academic and financial aid suspension if and when my medical situation was remedied.

6.) At that point my course grades of F/N would be changed to a medical withdrawal and that I could repeat the courses once my appeal was approved. The academic support associate did not mention that I would have to re-pay for said courses.

7.) During the months of December and January I was subjected to several medical tests to pin-point the cause(s) of my symptoms. No cause had been determined and the vast majority of my symptoms are still occurring.

8.) The university contacted me via email and telephone with the intention of having me appeal my academic and financial aid suspension. I told them then that I could not medically continue my education at that time.

9.) After the above was stated the university, knowing I was not medically able to attend courses, showed complete indifference to this situation in order to attach my outstanding balance to a newly occurred balance. This solution was pressed upon me with the university knowing full well that I would be unable to complete the new courses and thus increasing both my debt and their cash flow.

10.) In Summary, I attempted to withdrawal from my courses in a timely manner, thus engaging in due diligence. I was misinformed about the withdrawal and was instructed to engage in a course of action that was extremely detrimental to me. The school was then forced to return my student loan amount in its entirety. In an attempt to recover their loses they (academic advising) yet again instructed me to appeal my suspension, register for courses, and roll over my current outstanding balance to a newly acquired balance from the new courses. The pattern here is clear, misinformation, negligence, followed by indifference to the well being, both medically and financially, to myself in order to place their academic advising mistake and financial burden upon me.

11.) For the above mentioned reasons I do not believe this debt to be valid as it was acquired via the universities misinformation at best or borderline, if not, fraudulent conduct at worst.Desired Settlement: The resolution I am now seeking is the removal of any outstanding balance, including, but not limited to, tuition, text book(s), and collection fee. I would also like my transcripts be made available to that I may continue my academic pursuits at another institution pending medical clearance from my physician.

Business

Response:

We are in receipt of your notice

dated May 2, 2014 regarding the complaint ID referred to above. In the student’s complaint, the student

states that he was given misinformation by Liberty’s Academic Support during

the Fall 2013 semester when he contacted them regarding withdrawing from two

classes. The student states that he was informed that a withdrawal would have

repercussions to his financial aid as well as placing him on academic

suspension and that he could appeal the suspension due to his medical situation. Up to this point the student’s statement is

correct and he was indeed given this information.

However, the statement that

his “course grades of FN would be changed to a medical withdrawal” is

incorrect. There is no such grade. The

FN remains, however, the treatment of the repeated courses changes. Under a granted appeal for medical withdrawal,

the student is allowed to retake a course as a free repeat. Students who do not appeal for a medical

withdrawal are charged the regular tuition rate for repeated courses. This information was discussed with the

student on September 18, 2013 at the time he contacted the University to notify

their intent to withdraw. To withdraw

from classes a student must submit in writing their desire to withdraw indicating

the specific class/es. Because of the

negative implications a withdrawal has on their financial aid eligibility,

students are encouraged to try to continue participating in their class if at

all possible. In this student’s case a

formal withdrawal was never received from the student, instead the student simply

ceased attending his classes after aid disbursed and a refund of excess aid

sent to him.

Liberty University has

communicated the attendance policy to the student on numerous occasions (the

week prior to beginning each class; at the time of the intent to withdraw; and

in the email containing the withdrawal form on 9/18/13). This policy is also disclosed as part of the

University’s official consumer information. Students who

attend Liberty University Online repeatedly receive communications regarding

the importance of class attendance, and additionally an email is sent if they

do not actively participate in the course each week, reminding them of the

effects of their inactivity. The student

can be contacted both by the professors and Liberty’s Academic Support Office

regarding the lack of attendance after 7 days, 14 days and 21 days. This is done for each course in which the

student ceases activity (i.e. turning in assignments, taking a quiz or exam or

participating in discussion boards). After 21 days of non-attendance, a grade

of FN is given for the class and no credits are earned as a result.

Additionally, Online students

are informed prior to the beginning of each course that completing the Course

Requirement Checklist and turning in assignments constitutes “attendance” as

they are actively participating in the course.

For students who cease actively participating in their classes, the

charges on account are prorated in accordance to the Withdrawal policy’s

Refund/Credit schedule, based on the last date of attendance in each course. This process typically results in a remaining

balance payable to the University for the time spent in classes. The University

attempted to contact the student via multiple calls and statements until the

account was turned over for collection (February 18, 2014).

The student states in the

complaint that he was contacted various times via email and telephone regarding

submitting appeals for both the academic and financial aid suspensions,

however, to date, these have not been received.

Appeals must be submitted with the appropriate professional third-party

documentation supporting the reason for appeal.

It is not clear what the student means when stating that the University

“showed complete indifference to this situation in order to attach my

outstanding balance to a newly occurred balance.” The student has a balance as a result of his

enrollment in courses during the Fall semester in question. Charges were

incurred at the time of registration for courses. The student was eligible for aid upon

registering for 6 credit hours, however as a result of a withdrawal evaluation

of aid eligibility, the student was determined eligible to keep a portion of

the aid but not all. A notice was sent

to the student (via email) of this fact on November 26, 2013 which requested that

the student respond within a specific timeframe to accept the amount of aid or

decline it. No response was received from the student, therefore the full

amount of the aid was returned to its original source as required by the U.S.

Department of Education in relation to withdrawals.

Liberty University rejects

the student’s statement that the University knew that the student could not

complete the new coursework, yet pressured the student to enroll in order to

increase their debt and increase the University’s cash flow. This statement is inflammatory and implies

that the University is purposefully causing the student to incur debt. Contrary to the student’s statement, Liberty

University attempted to assist the student with the balance (i.e. offering a roll-over

program and providing appropriate suspension appeal instructions), however

enrollment was a necessary component to offer any continued assistance. The

student did not continue to enroll.

Liberty University cares about student debt. The University’s student

loan default rate is only half of the national average and students who are

actively enrolled have access to a free financial literacy course that the

University has sponsored since October of 2013 to which this student had access

to.

The student stated for their desired

settlement, they seek the removal of the balance on account including tuition,

textbooks and collection fees in addition to a copy of their transcripts so as

to pursue their education at another institution. For reasons stated herein and in compliance

to federal guidelines and institutional policies, the University denies the

requested desired settlement.

I trust this information is

sufficient to address the student’s complaint.

Let me know if there are questions.

Sincerely,

[redacted], MBA

Consumer

Response:

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 would like to make my rebuttal pertaining to complaint number [redacted] as requested within the five business day time period allotted. I will agree in part and disagree in part in response to the statements of the university. I would first like to point out that I have never spoken to [redacted] to my knowledge; therefore, the vast majority of her response is heresy and any information obtained from conversation logs entered by academic advising would technically be hearsay on top of hearsay. With that stated I will respond to the facts of the situation as presented by Ms. [redacted].

It appears Ms. [redacted] and I are in agreement pertaining to the first paragraph, though she was not present at or a party to the conversation(s) stated. I will further point out that Ms. [redacted] has offered no foundation to support the fact(s) and information conveyed in said conversation. More simply put, she has no way to verify that the information entered by the academic advising call center is accurate, truthful or otherwise correct. This fact is what gives rise the disagreement between both parties.

Ms. [redacted]'s first point of contention is pertaining to a medical withdrawal and the letter grade of FN. She quotes and comments stating, "course grades of FN would be changed to a medical withdrawal” is incorrect. There is no such grade". This statement is nothing but speculation coupled with policy. What the university policy states is completely irrelevant in this situation as I am not making the argument in disagreement of policy; however, I am making the argument that the statement quoted above is indeed correct based on the information presented to me by academic advising. Stating policy over the information given to me is nothing but an act of subterfuge. The attempted purpose is to draw attention away from the fact that academic advising conveyed information in error or confusion of policy that was inaccurate and extremely detrimental to me both financially and academically.

Ms. [redacted] continues on in the same paragraph stating,

"To withdraw from classes a student must submit in writing their desire to withdraw indicating the specific class/es. Because of the negative implications a withdrawal has on their financial aid eligibility, students are encouraged to try to continue participating in their class if at all possible. In this student’s case a formal withdrawal was never received from the student, instead the student simply ceased attending his classes after aid disbursed and a refund of excess aid sent to him".

The above statement is a deception of the truth as well as the supporting argument. I have had the unfortunate experience of having to withdrawal from classes at the university prior to the current issue at hand. I have no recollection of ever writing and signing a formal written request to withdrawal as my requests were made via phone.

An example is as follows in part, only the body of text will be included with the vast majority of the school's policy being omitted for the sake of space. The email in its entirety is and will be available upon request:

"From: UG Religion Academic Advising [[redacted]]

Sent: Thursday, January 17, 2013 3:19 PM

To: [redacted]

Subject: [redacted] Drop Confirmation

Description: Description: Description: Description: Description: Description: Description: Description: Description:

Dear [redacted],

Based on our communication, I have submitted your request to be dropped from the course(s) listed below for processing. This drop will be considered official when the class is removed from your ASIST account.

DO NOT log into your class on Blackboard now that you have requested to be dropped. If you log into your class, we will need to process this request as a withdrawal which will have financial consequences.

To review the Drop and Withdrawal Policy, click here[redacted].

COURSES DROPPED:

BIBL 354-Subterm D12

BIBL 410-Subterm D12

BIBL 450-Subterm D14"

I will concede that the above email does state communications as opposed to phone call, but I can give assurances that the withdrawal "communication" was via phone call. If I am in error and there is a signed documented request coupled with the above email please supply the request so that I can see that I am, in fact, mistaken. If not this is nothing but an ex post facto policy change that I was not aware of nor made aware of. The last statement is again a further distortion. I contacted the school to withdrawal explaining my medical situation. I was advised that I would have a monetary and academic penalty if I did so and stated that I would return the financial aid refund as well as paying for the prorated portions of my classes and then tend to my medical situation. It was at that point that the advisor explained to me that I should not withdrawal, but to just take the FN grades and when I submit my appeal with medical records the grade would be changed to a medical withdrawal and then I could resume my courses when I "got better".

As I stated above, the fact that there is no grade for a medical withdrawal is irrelevant in this case. The academic advisor was working as an agent of the university and in a position of power and trust. Thus, any reasonable person would believe that the information received would be truthful and accurate.

If I might further draw your attention to the fact the department is named academic advising or of some form therein. Lastly, the last statement made by Ms. [redacted] in the paragraph strongly suggests a premeditated attempt to defraud the university and the federal government.

The third and fourth paragraphs are for the most part a regurgitation of university policy save for one important detail that was omitted. Ms. [redacted] states, "The University attempted to contact the student via multiple calls and statements until the account was turned over for collection (February 18, 2014)". The information omitted here is that I did return or answer a phone call to the university, if I recall I had just arrived home from the hospital after a surgical procedure was performed and completed. At that time I was told that the university had a deal for me. All I had to do was send in an academic appeal form, have it approved and then I could roll over my outstanding balance from the preceding fall term to the new spring term. A corresponding email is as follows in part and as with the above example only the pertinent information is being displayed. This email is also available in its entirety upon request:

From: Student Accounts [redacted]

Sent: Tuesday, January 7, 2014 11:39 AM

To: [redacted]

Subject: Student Account assistance

Having Trouble Paying

Your Account Balance?

Call the Student Accounts Office at Liberty University today

Dear [redacted]

The Student Accounts Office wants to help you resolve your outstanding balance at Liberty University. We offer the following resources to help address your outstanding balance and maintain registration:

1. Tailored payment plans without interest or fees

2. The option of using future financial aid to cover a current balance

3. Possible reduction of your outstanding balance, depending on circumstances and the ability to pay

DISCLAIMER: If arrangements are not made to resolve your balance of $[redacted] by Jan. 18, we will accept this as a default of our agreement. Your account will be assigned to an outside collection agency and your debt will be reported to all three major credit bureaus, severely damaging your credit score. In addition, you will be responsible for collection costs of up to 33 percent. You will also be responsible for attorney fees and court costs if it is necessary to take legal action to collect this debt. Please do not delay!

The above solutions are limited and expire on Jan. 18. They will be awarded on a first come, first served basis. Call Student Accounts at [redacted], Monday–Friday, 8 a.m.-10 p.m. and Saturday, 10 a.m.-9 p.m. Responding to this offer by email or letter may result in delays.

We are available to help you resolve this debt and avoid further action by a collection agency. Your prompt attention to this matter is greatly appreciated.

Sincerely,

Student Accounts Office

At that time, I relayed to the advisor that I was not medically able to continue classes at this time. That statement was ignored and I was told that I had to be transferred over to another department in order to set up a payment plan in order to continue. I told the advisor yet again that I could not medically take courses at this time, as the same results would occur as the preceding fall term.

I was then informed that I had to call back and make arrangements or that my account would be sent to collections. There was no mention of a "tailored repayment plan" as they had a very specific payment plan in mind. I will concede I do not recall the details of the plan other than they were unacceptable due to my financial situation. I can also readily assure you that there was no reduction of my balance remotely stated or even implied. In short, I was threatened with severe academic and monetary repercussions if I did not sign up for their program immediately. After that point I made no further contact with the university pertaining to this matter.

Ms. [redacted] states in paragraph five, "The student states in the complaint that he was contacted various times via email and telephone regarding submitting appeals for both the academic and financial aid suspensions, however, to date, these have not been received. Appeals must be submitted with the appropriate professional third-party documentation supporting the reason for appeal". A rebuttal to these claims has already been stated above.

"It is not clear what the student means when stating that the University “showed complete indifference to this situation in order to attach my outstanding balance to a newly occurred balance." To help clear the confusion of the above quoted statement, I have yet to be informed of what medical condition I have. I have had tens of thousands of dollars worth of medical tests completed in the months of December 2013 as well as January 2014. At the time of this writing no diagnose has been determined, thus I could not submit an appeal due to a condition that I cannot verify and based solely on tests results and symptoms. At this point I would be far more able to describe the condition(s) I do not have.

What is more is that this whole appeal process is moot as I am not eligible for an appeal at the university. I received an email from Financial Aid Depart, but more specifically, [redacted] that states,

"From: Financial Aid [redacted]

Sent: Thursday, February 7, 2013 2:15 PM

To: [redacted]

Subject: Financial Aid Probation

[redacted],

Your Financial Aid Appeal was reviewed and granted on 01/29/2013.

The Appeal Committee has granted the appeal for the Spring 2013 term you are currently enrolled in. You have had a prior Financial Aid Appeal that was granted on your behalf in the past. *This is your last chance to improve your GPA and quantitative hours.*(bold and italics added for emphasis)

Your requested appeal is granted at this time for the Spring 2013 term and you will be on Financial Aid Probation. During the period of the approved appeal, you must satisfactorily fulfill the requirements in the Financial Aid academic plan. This academic plan requires you to have a cumulative completion rate of 75% and a GPA requirement reflecting a half point above for that regular program for the term of the approved appeal. While on Financial Aid Probation if you do not maintain the requirements as laid out in the academic plan you will be immediately placed back on Financial Aid Suspension the following term of review, no matter the level of enrollment.

Liberty University’s Satisfactory Academic Progress Policy is available for your review at [redacted] under 'Policies'. We want you to succeed and if you have any questions feel free to contact me.

Financial Aid Advisor

Office of Financial Aid

Phone: [redacted]

Fax: [redacted]

I am of the opinion that the above email states in no uncertain terms that I am not eligible for an appeal.

This unfortunately gives rise to the credibility and motives of the university pertaining to this situation and more specifically, their claims. In short, the university is claiming that they are "bending over backwards" to assist me in this time of hardship. However, they were foiled at every turn by my culpable negligence in dealing with this situation in a timely manner as well as being non-responsive to the efforts of the Financial Aid Department as well as the university in general. To close on this point of contention the university is claiming that this situation occurred due to the fact that I made no effort to submit an appeal I am not eligible for, nor did I list the yet to be known condition I am suffering from coupled with my plan on assuring that said medical problem is cured and will no longer be a hindrance to my academic progression going forward. Though I do applaud the efforts of the manipulation of facts via omission and misinformation I ultimately find the assertions of the university to be patently without merit.

In her final paragraph Ms. [redacted] states,

"Liberty University rejects the student’s statement that the University knew that the student could not complete the new coursework, yet pressured the student to enroll in order to increase their debt and increase the University’s cash flow.

This last stage of argumentation contradicts an earlier argument. If I had not informed the university about my medical condition how would they know to suggest an appeal for my medical condition? The fact is they would not have known. Therefore it is far more reasonable to conclude that I had informed the school of my medical condition in which they prompted me to appeal than it is to agree with the claim(s) of the university that they were unaware of my medical condition as well as being unaware that I could not complete a new set of courses. With that stated, they had an academic and financial aid appeal part of their 'helpful" process, though they were unaware of any medical conditions or prohibitions. The claims and logic of the university on this point are ridicules at best. The only conclusion I can reach based on the universities claims to this point is that they are either incompetent, meaning the proverbial right hand does not know what the left is doing or downright fraudulent. By fraudulent I mean the university will intentionally circumvent their own policies and the best interest of their student(s) in order to recoup a loss that was for all intents and purposes created by the universities own negligence. If there is another logical conclusion I will very much like to hear it.

The logic of increasing my debt by increasing their cash flow occurs in the following order of occurrence. I became ill and was hardly able to complete my undergraduate course work. In doing so I started out behind in my graduate course work. After an honest attempt I felt that I could not complete my course work in a satisfactory manner consistent with the standards of both the university as well as the standards I have set for myself. I called in a timely manner to withdrawal from my course(s) with the knowledge that I would have to pay a prorated amount for the courses as well as to return my refund. I was denied that option and instead the academic advisor, again acting as an agent of the university instructed me to engage in an alternative course of action. I relied on his instruction and engaged in the course of action that I was instructed to follow. As it turns out, the advice given was inaccurate which has led us to the situation at hand. As stated by the university, they had to return all financial aid funds to the lender, thus leaving the university "holding the bag" on the prorated course balance as well as the financial aid refund.

It is apparent that the university will not take responsibly for their agents acting on their behalf that have brought us to the situation. Instead the interest of the university is to try to shift the burden to me.

It is quite apparent the university’s motivation is to recoup the funds lost by rolling said funds over to my outstanding student loan(s) as well as getting me back into courses to satisfy government regulation of satisfactory progression.

To tie this all together, an agent of the university gave me inaccurate information in which I relied on. Once this situation was brought to the attention of the university, their intentions were to recoup their money first and foremost. They attempted to do so in a very unethical manner of higher pressure tactics to get me re-enrolled again which was coupled with threats of what would happen if I did not abide by their requests. That attempt ultimately failed and they resorted to the next best option, sending my account to collections.

I do appreciate the university posting their student's positive student loan repayment statistics, but they too are irrelevant in the case at hand as this situation does not pertain to student loans at this point. This issue is still among myself, the university, and their collection agency of choice.

For the reasons and explanations given above I reject the universities explanation of events as misleading and as outright fabrication in parts, as shown in examples above, with a slight bit of truth sprinkled in as an attempt to give their extremely suspect defense an illusion of legitimacy.

Respectfully submitted,

Business

Response:

We are in receipt of your notice

dated June 2, 2014 regarding the complainant’s rebuttal to the prior response

for the complaint ID referred to above. The

rebuttal is lengthy yet centralizes on the withdrawal aspect of the initial

complaint.

In compliance to federal

regulations and Liberty policy, a student who ceases to attend a class or a

group of classes, without previously submitting a formal request to withdraw

from the class/es, will receive a grade of FN (Failure for

non-attendance). In order to formally

withdraw from a class, Liberty requires a student to submit the completed

withdrawal form which stipulates the specific class, or group of classes, and

the withdrawal will be effective the date the student signs the withdrawal

form. However, in the absence of a

signed withdrawal form, Liberty unofficially withdraws the student from the

courses after 21 days of non-attendance and utilizes the last date of

attendance in that courses as the withdrawal date. This is explained in the Attendance Policy

sent to every Online student before the beginning of every class.

As explained in Liberty’s

Withdrawal Policy, one of the three types of withdrawal that can apply to

students, the medical withdrawal requires the student to submit medical

documentation before a withdrawal for medical reasons can be processed. The

University never received medical documentation. The complainant states in the

rebuttal, “I have no recollection of ever writing and signing a formal written

request to withdrawal as my requests were made by phone.” The University can confirm that no written

request to withdraw was receive, however the student indeed called and informed

a Liberty representative of their intent to withdrawal from all of the classes

in the term due to a medical situation.

The student was sent (via email) the link to the electronic Withdrawal form

for his completion and submission. Additionally,

the Withdrawal policy also states that an email from the student to [redacted] would have also served as the formal request to

withdrawal in writing. However neither step was ever completed, therefore the

student received a grade of FN upon having ceased attendance in the

courses. In response to the question

regarding a policy change, there has been no “ex post facto policy change” in

Liberty’s Withdrawal or Attendance Policies.

Regarding the offer from the

Student Accounts Office to roll-over the balance from the Fall 2013 term into

the Spring 2014 term, this is only federally allowable during the same school

year, however, since the student was not able to enroll in the Spring 2014

term, due to remaining medical conditions, the offer expired in January 2014,

as evidenced in the complainant’s rebuttal.

The

student stated that he was “threatened with severe academic and monetary

repercussions if I did not sign up for their program immediately.” Liberty is obligated to inform students with

an unpaid balance the steps the University will take in the effort to collect a

debt, which can include the referral to a third-party collection agency. The

University offers interest-free payment plans and regularly works with students

who need special/extended payment plans.

Additionally, federal regulations require Liberty to monitor a student’s

Satisfactory Academic Progress. Students are informed in the previously

mentioned Withdrawal Policy and in Liberty’s Satisfactory Academic Progress

Policy (listed on the Financial Aid webpage under “Policies”), and distributed

in the annual Consumer Disclosure, the consequences of withdrawing from all of

their classes. The appeal process for any academic repercussions related to

withdrawals can be found at this link: [redacted]

Students

with balances from prior term of enrollment may apply for an alternative or

private loan to cover a balance. The

student can view lender information at [redacted], and click on the “Loans” hyperlink, then scroll down

to “Private Student Loan Listing.” Not all private lenders allow to borrow for

a prior term of enrollment, so the student is encouraged to contact the lender

to discuss this prior to making application for the loan. The Student Accounts Office is willing to

pull the account from the collection agency in the effort to assist the student

to reduce costs and return to his program of study after taking care of the

balance on account. The student may contact the Financial Aid Office at [redacted] with questions regarding future aid eligibility and the Student

Accounts Office at [redacted] regarding the account balance and setting up

reasonable and affordable payment arrangements or to notify of any pending

approved private student loan disbursement.

Sincerely,

[redacted], MBA

Consumer

Response:

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,

B.B.B. Complaint ID: [redacted]

I received the response from the university and will now address it; however, before doing so I would like to make a disclaimer since this dispute will be a matter of public record. I would like to state that this is a matter involving financial aid, academic support, as well as the business office. At no point should any information be construed as a complaint or dissatisfaction with the quality of education provided by the university.

The first two paragraphs rehash university policy yet again. I have previously stated that I have no complaints, nor do I dispute, any of the information pertaining to policy that the university is presenting. My complaint is against the academic advisor that proposed alternatives that were inconsistent with the policy of the university. I followed the academic advisor's alternative which has lead us here.

At this point I would, based on the information provided by the university, like to offer a settlement to this dispute. This offer is based on some contingencies, as it appears the university and I am both wishing the outcome of this dispute to culminate in the continuation of my educations. With that stated, the proposed settlement details are as follows:

1.) My collection account is to be pulled from collections as proposed by the university.

2.) The remaining balance is to be split between me and the university. This contingency is open to negotiation based on the following contingencies.

3.) If this summer term (2014) is counted towards the 2013 school year, have the remaining balance rolled over to the summer D term for courses. If this is not possible then alternative suggestions will gladly be entertained.

4.) Assurance that I am no longer barred from appealing academic and financial suspension.

5.) If I am allowed the appeal may I submit medical records that will show a large amount of activity, but offering no conclusion and/or diagnosis for what medical condition I am actually suffering from?

6.) Be allowed to retake the previous course at no cost if the financial aid and academic suspensions are approved via a medical withdrawal, or at full cost if not.

7.) Be allowed to retake the courses while having my current letter grades of FN be displayed as a repeat. This would allow me to earn a G.P.A. that falls within the standards of The Department of Education and the university. In short, allow the repeat policy to be applied to the four classes taken that resulted in the grade of FN.

Respectfully Submitted,

Review: On Nov 5th 2015 I submitted a fully refundable deposit of $250 to Liberty University as a registration fee. The deposit is refundable up until April1, 2016. On Jan. 28th, 2016 I submitted, in writing, a request for the refund, since my daughter had decided at this point that the scholarships promised were not what she had thought. On Feb. 2nd I received an email stating that the deposit was refunded to the check card that I used. My accounts with that bank have since been closed out. I no longer have that card and the bank has checked several times for me (even though I closed out my account the end of Nov) to try to "find" the deposit that LU claims they deposited. I have called and emailed LU many times as well as the bank, to try to rectify this and get my $250. The bank claims they have not received it and that it had to have kicked back to LU. LU doesn't know where it is. No one at LU can help me. No one contacted me originally to inquire how I would like my deposit refunded. It is LU's error and no one knows what to do. I have asked to speak with someone in charge and I get the run around. I am tired and sick about all this. It is now February 16th and I just got off the phone with LU again, and they still have not been able to rectify this. I have receipt of the transaction of when LU received my $250 on Nov. 5th.Desired Settlement: That LU will issue a check to me (not electronically) in the amount of $250.00

Business

Response:

Re: Revdex.com ID – [redacted]In response to the complaint referenced above the following details have been compiled as a response. A payment of $250.00 was made from the

student’s checking account on 11/5/2015 in order to confirm enrollment for the

Fall 2016 semester. The student decided not to continue with the

admissions process and a request was submitted on 1/28/2016 for a refund of the

$250.00 online confirmation deposit. The request was approved and

processed on 2/2/2016 and the refund was sent via the original payment

method. On 2/4/2016, student’s mother contacted Student Accounts to

inform that original checking account used was closed and requested funds to be

sent to a different account. Due to university policy, any refund must be

sent to original payment method used. The student’s mother was later

informed on 2/16/2016 that we had received confirmation that her bank had

received the funds and provided her a tracking number of the transaction.

We advised the student’s mother to contact her bank and speak with a banker who

handles credit card transactions. At this time, we are unable to issue a

check for the refund due to the funds being received by the bank. The

student’s mother will need to contact her bank to request the refund.Sincerely,

Consumer

Response:

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.

To Whom it may Concern;The above comments from Liberty University aren't true. My daughter never contacted Liberty University. I, myself requested the refund on January 28th, 2016 via email and I replied immediately to the email that was sent to me on February 2nd informing me that my refund went back on my credit card. I instructed them to please issue a check since I closed out my account with that Bank on November 17th. Emails and phone calls to Liberty University were correspondences that continued to suggest that I seek the $250 refund from the bank, which I did continuously since I had no idea where the money had gone. I patiently waited for aides in the office from LU to return calls to me. One of the calls were returned. The others were all made by me. I had called the bank several times and they do not have the refund. I would like to get the $250 that is owed to me by Liberty University. I have a letter from the bank stating that the refund with the tracking # that Liberty University supplied, was sent back to Liberty University on February 5th, 2016. It is obviously lost somewhere in LU's system. But I cannot get anyone to believe this. I have asked to speak with the head or manager of the department and I assume that there isn't one. The girl (withholding her name on this document, but have it if you need it) that I spoke with requesting that I speak with the manager on February 16, 2016, was very sweet but could not give me a name of whom to contact. Attached please find the letter from the bank.

Regards,

Business

Response:

After

further research with Liberty University’s bank, the refund was released to the

original form of payment. Our merchant agreements require us to

refund back to the original form of payment. We learned that the original

account was closed since November 2015 and was converted to a new account at a

different bank. The new account had a block that caused the $250 refund

to be sent back to Liberty University. It was determined that due to the

change in banks, the funds were not able to be located. Our merchant has

always informed us that if an account is closed, the student would still be

able to request the refund through the bank. We advised the student to

request the funds at her bank. Later, Liberty University’s bank was able

to locate the funds on 3/1/2016 since the student and Liberty University are

mutual customers. Once confirmed, a check was issued to be mailed today

(3/3/2016) to the address on file. The student was contacted by a manager

on 3/1/2016 by phone (left voicemail) and email. We received an email

from the student about current status of resolution. A manager emailed

the student on 3/2/2016 with an update that a check will be mailed on 3/3/2016

and should arrive within 2-3 days.

Consumer

Response:

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. I would like to thank the Revdex.com, as I am confident that this issue would not have been resolved to this day. Also the notes from Liberty are incorrect. I, not my daughter, was the contact person from the beginning to the end. It was my bank account, my refund request, my emails back and forth to Liberty, my phone calls too. These correspondences began on Feb 2 and continued until The Revdex.com stepped in to help. The refund check came in the mail yesterday. Thank you again Revdex.com!!

Regards,

Review: I am working on my masters degree. I've been in college off and on for years. I picked this school for their masters program . I am not a genius but do pretty good in school. At this age I do ok and take my investment very serious. I choose this school because of pricing. I took my first class HSER 500 and enjoyed the class. We came to a point where I had to choose a subject to write a research paper and clear it with the professor. I chose one and it was approved. I also had to do a couple of assignments that I researched to make sure I was on track and felt I was . When I received a bad grade I immediately contacted my instructor. The first time she called back from a car days later. She informed me she would call back when she was not driving. A few days later she did and we went over my assignments . I regrouped but time had lapsed and assignments were coming close to being due. When she called back it was the end of the course and I was very upset that she had waited so long to say she didn't care for my topic. Could have told me that weeks earlier. She also called back saying she was expecting company and days after emails were sent and calls were made. Then she tells me she is confused my course is over and I didn't write the paper long enough. The paper was rushed and regrouped within a day or two of class closing. I didn't know what she wanted and why she was so displeased. I had to write a paper for an instructor who wasn't please with the topic from the begining and didn't tell me that weeks ahead. I filed a complaint twice with Liberty and until this day no one said anything to me about this . This is business and that is 1500.00 wasted because I failed that class soley on that paper . I am a college graduate and have written many papers. I have never had issues like this. I have two weaknesses in college and paper writing isn't one.Psychology and math are my weaknesses. I just earned a degree in 2012. I received a D in the class , two points from passing. This lady was looking down on me and did not work with me. The next term someone shot and killed my 20 yr old nephew , whom I helped raise, I was too upset to finish that term and dropped. My family was going through too much grief and I was not in the mood. I register with this school like a it to try again. prices are good, and find I'm on academic probation . I have never been on that my entire college career. Until this day with a lot of venting no one has even addressed my situation .Desired Settlement: I'm on financial aide probation for dropping a class due to my mind was not together after nephews murder. My family is still suffering daily. They have very poor instructors so it seems and I'm about to change schools and programs because no one cares if I can. They made it seem as if my probation is based on my dropping a class due to the death in my family. I did receive financial aid money but I have to pay every penny back Don't I .

Business

Response:

RE: Revdex.com ID – [redacted] Dear Ms. [redacted], We are in receipt of your notice dated July 24th, 2013 regarding the complaint number referred to above. While we regret that the student has had a less than satisfactory experience with her professor in HSER 500, to date, there has been no formal grade appeal or complaint has been received by the LUO Student Advocate Office. It is suggested that the student confirm that she is following the appropriate contact links in the email sent to her on March 22, 2013 for the LUO Student Advocate Office. In addition the appeal processes for both grade appeals and formal complaints can be found on the Liberty University Online Student Advocate webpage. We will be in contact with the student via her Liberty University webmail account on what steps she may take to resolve her concerns. Sincerely, [redacted] Director, Student Advocate Office Liberty University Online

Review: My daughter inquired for info from Liberty University about a year ago. She quickly ruled them out as one of her college choices. On 4 occasions, we have politely asked to be removed from their call list, and they said they would do that. We continue to receive annoying soliciting calls on a regular basis. The relentlessly call with bribing calls about free concerts, etc. How many times must we ask them to remove us from the list?Desired Settlement: Liberty University needs to honor requests to be removed from their call list. We also wonder if their extremely pushy strategy is ethical for a college to use. The calls are always luring the kids with parties, concerts, etc.

Business

Response:

The ###-###-#### included on this complaint has been researched and removed from the current call campaigns. If there is another number that needs to be removed, the complainant is encouraged to contact the university to have that number removed from the call campaigns as well. In regards to the recruiting practices, Liberty University uses several strategies to recruit students including the advertising of events including but not limited to, on-campus visits, school visits, campus concerts, summer/winter music festivals, campus recreation or sporting events, etc. These are standard recruiting practices for many colleges and universities.

Consumer

Response:

I have reviewed the response offer made by the business in reference to complaint ID [redacted], and have determined that this proposed action would likely not resolve my complaint. For your reference, details of the offer I reviewed appear below.Liberty University has responded by saying that our telephone number has been removed. Since they have promised to do that at least 3 times previously, we cannot trust that they will do as promised. Maybe they will actually do it this time, but only because we contacted the Revdex.com. They will continue to disregard the law by not removing peoples' numbers when asked, and continue to harass. Also, we would like more time to make sure that Liberty University actually has removed our number as promised this time.

Regards,