Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA)
The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) of 1974 is a Federal law that is designed to protect the privacy of your student educational records. The law applies to all schools which receive funds under an applicable U.S. Department of Education program. FERPA applies only to student records.
Under FERPA, institutions may designate certain limited student information as directory/public information. Institutions in compliance with FERPA provide that, with the exception of directory/public information, all student educational records are confidential and available only to the student, any party that has obtained the student’s written consent, or any official or court representation as permitted by 91心頭利S or court of law.
What information is directory or public information?
Directory/public information is any information that directly identifies the student or makes the student’s identity easily traceable. Records of arrests and/or convictions and traffic accident information are public information. Public information shall be released freely unless the student files the appropriate form requesting that certain public information not be released. This form (the Non-disclosure of Student Records Information) is available in the Office of the Registrar. 91心頭利S has defined directory information as:
- Name
- Hometown (City, State, 5 digit zip only)
- 91心頭利 E-mail address
- Dates of attendance
- Admission or enrollment status
- Campus, school, college, division, major
- Class standing (freshman, sophomore, junior, senior)
- Degrees and awards
- Activities
- Athletic information
NOTE: Items that can never be identified as directory information are a student’s social security number, citizenship, gender, religious preference, grades and GPA.
Third Party Access
In compliance with the Federal Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 and the University Policy on Access to and Release of Student Education Records, the University is prohibited from providing certain information from student records to a third party, such as information on grades, billing, tuition, and fees assessments, financial aid (including scholarships, grants, work-study, or loan amounts) and other student record information. This restriction applies, but is not limited to parents, spouses, sponsors, etc.
A student may, at his/her discretion, grant the University permission to release information from their student record to a third party by granting them permission to portions of your record via Self-Service in One.91心頭利. By choosing to create an access record through this process, the student completes a Student Information Release Authorization. This authorization does not authorize the third party viewer to receive information from the University by any other methods, such as phone, email, fax, or in-person visit.
In using this service, a student must set up a separate record for each third party to whom they grant access to their student record information. Access may be granted for an individual item (or all items) of the following information:
- Holds on Student Record
- Grades
- Unofficial Transcript
- Class Schedule
- Financial Aid Award
- Financial Aid Summary
- Addresses
- Phone Numbers
- To-Do List
- Bursar Account Summary
Authorization to release information will expire for a third-party guest’s access when the student’s access to self-service expires. Third-party access can be revoked at any time, when the student deletes the record assigning.