Liberty University takes 25% off online tuition for first responders who are accepted and enrolled in Liberty University Online, and you claim it by sending Liberty proof of your job. You also get a free evaluation of your training and life experience for college credit, except for portfolio evaluation.
This discount is for Liberty University Online only, not the campus, which is worth knowing if your shifts rotate. Liberty’s popular programs include a B.S. in Fire Administration, a B.S. or M.S. in Criminal Justice and an M.S. in Cyber Security, and the list goes up to a Ph.D. in Criminal Justice.
How To Get The Liberty University First Responder Discount
- Apply to Liberty University Online, online or by phone at (800) 424-9595.
- Get accepted and enrolled. You have to be a Liberty University Online student to qualify.
- Gather proof: a letter on letterhead from your employer or volunteer agency showing your employment or volunteer status, or a legible copy of your position identification card.
- Email it to [email protected] or fax it to (434) 582-2053. Include your student ID number and mark everything “Attention: Scholarships.”
- Be ready for a follow-up. Liberty may ask for more documentation, including a resend if you’re enrolled beyond the initial approval period.
Liberty doesn’t give a deadline for sending proof, so ask your advisor how soon after enrolling to send it, and check the discount on your first bill.
Who Qualifies
Liberty counts first responders as people currently (or within the last five years) employed, volunteering or retired from law enforcement, emergency services, fire safety and rescue work, TSA, and Civil Air Patrol senior members. Its scholarships page words the window a little differently: currently employed, or volunteering within the last five years, or retired from a listed career. If you retired or stopped volunteering a few years back, email Liberty before you assume either way.
The approved positions are 911 emergency dispatcher, border patrol officer, campus emergency responder, campus police, Civil Air Patrol senior member, community supervision officer, corrections officer, criminal investigator, Department of Homeland Security, Disaster Medical Assistance Team, EMS/EMT worker (license required), FEMA volunteer, firefighter, Fraternal Order of Police members, game warden, LifeFlight personnel, maritime officer, medevac, paramedic, park ranger, parole officer, police or peace officer, search and rescue worker (license required), security officer for public safety, special agent, state trooper, TSA agents, a U.S. security personnel field agent such as FBI, CIA, DHS or DEA, and U.S. Marshal. Administrative, non-field and chaplaincy positions aren’t eligible, and you must be a U.S. citizen, an eligible non-citizen or a Canadian citizen. Spouses and dependents aren’t mentioned.
What The 25% Covers And Leaves Out
You still pay for books, materials and the current technology fee each term. The discount is for degree-seeking undergraduate, graduate or doctoral students. Non-degree and certificate students aren’t eligible, and neither is anyone on the $395 per credit hour doctoral military rate.
If You Also Served In The Military
Prior military members can stack Liberty’s military tuition discount with the first responder discount if every qualification is met. For students who qualify for both, Liberty prints $188 per credit hour for undergraduate and $233 for M.A., M.S., MBA and M.Ed. programs. Those rates are for some popular programs, reflect an academic year, and may change annually, so confirm yours. Contact the Office of Military Affairs before you use both. A military police specialty can’t also earn the first responder discount for that service.
Q&A
Q: How much does Liberty take off?
A: 25% of tuition, and you pay for books, materials and the technology fee.
Q: Do certificates qualify?
A: No. Non-degree and certificate students are excluded.
Q: Is a doctoral program covered?
A: Yes, unless you’re on the $395 per credit hour doctoral military rate.
Q: Is a dispatcher eligible?
A: Yes. 911 emergency dispatcher is an approved position, though administrative positions don’t qualify.
Q: Need a laptop for online classes?
A: Our Dell page covers what Dell offers first responders.
More Information:
Liberty’s rates are tied to an academic year, so confirm the details with an advisor before you enroll. For more tuition savings, browse our money discounts. You can also see it alongside other options in How First Responders Can Save Thousands on College Tuition: The Best Schools Offering Tuition Discounts.