The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) affords students certain rights with respect to their education records. Briefly, these rights include the following:

  1. The right to inspect and review the education records
  2. The right to seek to amend those education records
  3. The right to file a nondisclosure form with the Registrar’s Office which will withhold directory information until rescinded in writing

One exception which permits disclosure without consent is disclosure to school officials with legitimate educational interests. A school official has a legitimate educational interest if the official needs to review an education record in order to fulfill his or her professional responsibility. A school official is a person employed by the University in an administrative, supervisory, academic or research, or support staff position (including law enforcement unit personnel and health staff); a person or company with whom the University has contracted (such as an attorney, auditor, or collection agent); a person serving on the Board of Trustees; or a student serving on an official committee, such as a disciplinary or grievance committee, or assisting another school official (including student staff) in performing his or her tasks.

More information about FERPA, including a copy of the nondisclosure form, is located on our homepage. If parents want access to their students’ academic information on the web, parents are encouraged to ask students for their ID number and PIN for access.

Student’s financial aid and billing information is also protected under this privacy act.  Students who wish to sign a release granting permission for other parties to have access to academic, advising, financial (student aid or billing), and conduct records my do so by contacting the Registrar’s Office.  By signing this form, the student authorizes University personnel to release confidential information to designated person(s) such as parents.

More information about FERPA

Notification of Rights Under FERPA (PDF)