The information university officials can release about a student is restricted by federal law. This can sometimes be challenging for parents and family members if they do not fully understand these restrictions. Please read more below about the law and the steps your student can take to grant you access to information you may need or want.
The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) (20 U.S.C. 1232g; 34 CFR Part 99) is a Federal law that protects the privacy of student education records. The law applies to all schools that receive funds under an applicable program of the U.S. Department of Education.
FERPA gives parents certain rights with respect to their children's education records. These rights transfer to the student when he or she reaches the age of 18 or attends a school beyond the high school level. Students to whom the rights have transferred are "eligible students" with the following rights:
The right to inspect their education records.
The right to request an amendment to their records if the student believes the records are inaccurate.
The right to control disclosures of their records except to the extent that FERPA authorizes disclosure without consent.
Student Information Release Digital Form
The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) Form
This Student Information Release Form is available for students who wish to grant permission to a third party representative (parent, spouse, other) to access their student records on a one time basis. This form must be completed and submitted for each request. For example: If a student wishes to allow their parent to pick up an official transcript, the student must complete the form and the form must be submitted at the time of the request. The third party representative listed on the form must present a Picture ID along with the completed form at the time of the request.
Please visit the official FERPA website for additional information.
