The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) is a federal law that protects the privacy of student education records. It applies to all schools that receive funds under an applicable program of the U.S. Department of Education.
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What are student education records?
Student education records are any records that are maintained by an educational institution and contain information about a student. This includes, but is sleep-environment.org/ limited to, grades, attendance records, disciplinary records, and medical records.
What are parents’ rights under FERPA?
Parents have the right to:
- Inspect and review their child’s education records.
- Request that their child’s education records be amended if they believe the information is inaccurate or misleading.
- Restrict the disclosure of their child’s education records to third parties without their consent.
- Receive a copy of FERPA’s policies and procedures.
What are students’ rights under FERPA?
When a student reaches the age of 18, or attends a school beyond the high school level, the rights under FERPA transfer to the student. Students have the same rights as parents under FERPA, except that they cannot restrict the disclosure of their education records to school officials who have a legitimate educational interest in the information.
When can schools disclose student education records?
Schools can disclose student education records without parental consent in the following situations:
- To other school officials who have a legitimate educational interest in the information.
- To the student.
- To the student’s parents if the student is a minor.
- To school officials in other schools where the student seeks or intends to enroll.
- To the student’s former school officials.
- To state and local educational authorities.
- To certain government agencies.
- To accrediting agencies.
- In connection with financial aid.
- To comply with a judicial order or lawfully issued subpoena.
How can parents and students protect their privacy under FERPA?
Parents and students can protect their privacy under FERPA by:
- Reviewing their child’s education records regularly.
- Requesting that any inaccurate or misleading information be amended.
- Restricting the disclosure of their child’s education records to third parties without their consent.
- Being aware of the situations in which schools can disclose student education records without parental consent.