All Locations
Complaints relating to quality of education or accreditation requirements shall be referred to the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC) (http://www.sacscoc.org/pdf/081705/complaintpolicy.pdf);
Tennessee Locations
Complaints related to the application of state laws or rules related to approval to operate or licensure of a particular professional program within a postsecondary institution shall be referred to the appropriate State Board (i.e., State Boards of Health, State Board of Education, and so on) within the Tennessee State Government and shall be reviewed and handled by that licensing board (http://www.tn.gov, and then search for the appropriate division).
For students attending programs in Tennessee, complaints related to state consumer protection laws (e.g., laws related to fraud or false advertising) shall be referred to the Tennessee Division of Consumer Affairs and shall be reviewed and handled by that Unit (https://www.tn.gov/attorneygeneral/working-for-tennessee/consumer-affairs.html).
For out-of-state students using distance learning programs, complaints related to consumer protection laws shall be filed using the Tennessee NC-SARA Portal form: http://tn.gov/assets/entities/thec/attachments/ComplaintForm.pdf
Corbin, Kentucky Location
Filing a Complaint with the Kentucky Commission on Proprietary Education
To file a complaint with the Kentucky Commission on Proprietary Education, a complaint shall be in writing and shall be filed on Form PE-24 May 2022, Form to File a Complaint, accompanied, if applicable, by Form PE-25 May 2022, Authorization for Release of Student Records.
The form(s) shall be mailed to the following address:
Kentucky Commission on Proprietary Education
500 Mero Street, 4th Floor
Frankfort, Kentucky 40601
Existence of the Kentucky Student Protection Fund
Pursuant to KRS 165A.450 All licensed schools, resident and non-resident, shall be required to contribute to a student protection fund. The fund shall be used to reimburse eligible Kentucky students, to pay off debts, including refunds to students enrolled or on leave of absence by not being enrolled for one (1) academic year or less from the school at the time of the closing, incurred due to the closing of a school, discontinuance of a program, loss of license, or loss of accreditation by a school or program.
Process for Filing a Claim Against the Kentucky Student Protection Fund
To file a claim against the Kentucky Student Protection Fund, each person filing must submit a signed and completed Form for Claims Against the Student Protection Fund, Form PE-38 and provide the requested information to the following address:
Kentucky Commission on Proprietary Education
500 Mero Street, 4th Floor
Frankfort, Kentucky 40601
Forms may be located at https://kcpe.ky.gov/Pages/index.aspx.
Lexington, Kentucky Location & Kentucky Online students
To file a complaint against an institution licensed by the Kentucky Council on Postsecondary Education, submit this form: https://cpe.ky.gov/campuses/complaintform.html
REF: 13 KAR 1:020 Section 13. Consumer Complaint Procedure.
https://apps.legislature.ky.gov/law/kar/titles/013/001/020/
A person with a complaint or grievance involving misrepresentation against a college licensed under this administrative regulation shall make a reasonable effort to resolve the complaint or grievance directly with the college. If a mutually satisfactory solution cannot be reached, the procedures established in this section shall be followed.
(1) A person shall submit a written complaint to the president that contains evidence relevant to the complaint and documentation that a reasonable effort was made to resolve the complaint directly with the college.
(2) The president shall require an institution to file a written response setting forth the relevant facts concerning the consumer complaint, including a statement on the current status of the complaint, and any resolution of the complaint.
(3) The president shall review the facts as presented and may intervene to bring the matter to a satisfactory conclusion through facilitation, but the facilitation shall not include legal action on behalf of any party.
Ewing, Virginia Location
In accordance with § VAC 40-31-100 of the Virginia Administrative Code, the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia (SCHEV) is responsible for investigating all written and signed student complaints against postsecondary educational institutions operating in Virginia. Students with a complaint that have exhausted all available grievance procedures at LMU and are not satisfied with the resolution provided by LMU should follow the procedures outlined at Student Complaints (schev.edu). The State Council of Higher Education for Virginia, 1010 N. 14th Street, 10th Floor, James Monroe Building, Richmond VA 23219, 804-225-2600.
Tampa, Florida Location
Complaints related to the application of state laws or rules related to approval to operate or licensure of a particular professional program within a postsecondary institution shall be referred to the appropriate State Board (i.e., State Boards of Health, State Board of Education, and so on) within the Florida State Government and shall be reviewed and handled by that licensing board (http://floridasnursing.gov/licensing/, and then search for the appropriate division).
For students attending programs in Florida, complaints related to state consumer protection laws (e.g., laws related to fraud or false advertising) shall be referred to the Florida Office of the Attorney General and shall be reviewed and handled by that Unit (https://www.myfloridalegal.com/consumer-protection).
For students attending programs in Florida, who have a grievance that has not been resolved through other avenues, they can contact the Florida Department of Education - Commission on Independent Education either by sending a letter to: Commission for Independent Education 325 W. Gaines Street, Suite 1414, Tallahassee, FL. 32399-0400, or by email: CIEINFO@fldoe.org, or Fax: 850-245-3238
Complaint Resolution Policies and Procedures for Non-Tennessee Resident Students in State Authorization Reciprocity Agreement States, commonly known as SARA.
Student complaints relating to consumer protection laws that involve distance learning education offered under the terms and conditions of the State Authorization Reciprocity Agreement (SARA), must first be filed with the institution to seek resolution.
Complainants not satisfied with the outcome of the Institution's internal process may appeal, within two years of the incident about which the complaint is made, to the Tennessee Higher Education Commission (https://www.tn.gov/thec/bureaus/student-aid-and-compliance/postsecondary-state-authorization/request-for-complaint-review.html).
For purposes of this process, a complaint shall be defined as a formal assertion in writing that the terms of SARA or the laws, standards or regulations incorporated by the SARA Policies and Standards (http://www.nc-sara.org/content/sara-manual) have been violated by the institution operating under the terms of SARA.
For a list of SARA member states, please visit the NC-SARA website (http://nc-sara.org/sara-states-institutions). Students residing in non-SARA states should consult their respective state of residence for further instruction for filing a complaint.