Financial Check-In (FCI) Guide for Military Students

What is Financial Check-In (FCI)?

Financial Check-In is the gateway to starting your classes at Liberty. It is the process by which students confirm their course schedule, charges, financial aid, any discounts or military funding, and payment arrangements are correct before securing enrollment in courses. Financial Check-In is required of all students each semester they are taking courses. Since Financial Check-In is the final step in the registration process, it is vital that Financial Check-In is completed by the deadline. Failure to do so can result in your courses being dropped and/or a $150 late fee being assessed.

Quick Links:

• Benefits for Military Students
• GI Bill®
• Tuition Assistance
• Dates and Deadlines
• Student Financial Services

How do I complete Financial Check-In?

Additional Financial Check-In Information:

Online Financial Check-In Deadlines
As an online military student, your Financial Check-In deadline will depend on your first term of enrollment each semester. For example, if you have registered for B and D subterm courses, you will be required to complete Financial Check-In for the entire semester by the B term deadline. Check out our Military Dates and Deadlines webpage for the specific deadlines associated with the upcoming term(s).

Online Military Payment Plan

Liberty University offers a military payment option for online students utilizing benefits under the Montgomery GI Bill®* (Active Duty-Ch.30 and Selected Reserves-Ch.1606), and Survivors’ and Dependents’ Educational Assistance Program (Ch.35). This payment plan helps limit the up-front financial burden of paying out-of-pocket when completing FCI while allowing additional time for you to receive your benefit payments from the Department of Veterans Affairs.

• To receive the military payment plan option in Financial Check-In, you must:
  • Be enrolled in an online degree program
  • Be using Chapter 30, 1606, or 35 GI Bill benefits
  • Notify the Office of Military Affairs that you are using an eligible benefit
  • Once the Office of Military Affairs verifies your eligibility with the VA, eligible students will be notified by email and will be given the military payment option in Financial Check-In once enrolled.

Please note: The military payment agreement completed through Financial Check-In is a binding contract. Payment will be drafted on the date(s) specified in the plan regardless of whether a payment has been issued to the student from the Veterans Affairs Administration. If you don’t receive a payment from the VA as expected and need adjustments made to your draft amounts, you may contact our office to discuss your options.

Residential Deferred Payment Plan
If you’re a residential military student using a GI Bill or Military Tuition Assistance, you will have a special payment plan option in Financial Check-In. This “Military Deferred” option will allow you to make a small 0.5% payment upfront, and then split the remainder of the bill into three payments, with the first payment deferred until after the first month of the semester. This plan is designed to give students enough time to secure their military funding before the first large payment is due. If you are not a residential student utilizing GI Bill or Tuition Assistance benefits, you will not have this option in Financial Check-In. Please contact a Military Benefits Representative if you have any questions about this payment plan.

Please note that the deferred payment plan for residential students is only offered in the standard Fall and Spring semesters. It is not available in the Summer semester.

Online Financial Check-In Extension for Tuition Assistance
Online students using Tuition Assistance are eligible to have their Financial Check-In deadline extended to the deadline that corresponds with their latest term of enrollment. To receive the extension, students must meet all of the following criteria:

• Using TA for one or more of their courses in the semester
• Must fully resolve the balance from the earlier term(s) of enrollment by that term’s FCI deadline
• Must maintain their enrollment in the later term. If the later course is dropped, the original FCI deadline will apply and a late fee may be assessed if not completed on time.

When these criteria are met, the Financial Check-In extension will apply automatically. You may be dropped from your courses if these arrangements are not made before the deadline, please contact us if you have any questions.

Online Payment Arrangements for Veterans Affairs/GI Bill Benefits

Online students using GI Bill benefits will need to ensure they have notified the Office of Military Affairs that they will be using benefits. You will receive a confirmation email from a VA certifying official once your enrollment has been certified and you are ready to complete Financial Check-In.

• Under Chapter 33 and Chapter 31, tuition is paid directly to the school by the Department of Veterans Affairs. Students using these benefits are responsible to complete Financial Check-In by the established deadline. Chapter 31 and Chapter 33 students should work with the Office of Military Affairs to ensure their credit has been posted to their account in time to complete Financial Check-In by the deadline. For more information, please review our Veterans Benefits webpage.
• Under Chapters 1606, 30, and 35, students are responsible to pay the school for their courses and will be directly reimbursed by the Department of Veterans Affairs. To assist these students with up-front payment costs, the Military Payment Plan is available to them in Financial Check-In. Please contact a Military Benefits Representative if you have any questions about this payment plan.

GI Bill® is a registered trademark of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). More information about education benefits offered by VA is available at the official U.S. government Web site at https://www.benefits.va.gov/gibill.