What is FERPA

Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act — the federal law protecting the privacy of student education records.

FERPA, or the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act, is a federal law enacted in 1974 that protects the privacy of student education records. It applies to all schools that receive funding from the U.S. Department of Education — which includes virtually all public K-12 schools and most colleges and universities.

What FERPA Protects

FERPA protects education records — any records directly related to a student that are maintained by a school or a party acting on behalf of the school. This includes:

Grades and transcripts
Disciplinary records
Financial information
Enrollment records
Health records maintained by the school (in some cases)

Rights Under FERPA

For parents (of students under 18) and eligible students (18 and older or attending college):

Right to inspect — Review their own (or their child's) education records within 45 days of a request
Right to amend — Request correction of inaccurate or misleading records
Right to consent — Schools generally must obtain written consent before disclosing education records to third parties
Right to file complaints — Complaints about FERPA violations can be filed with the U.S. Department of Education

When Schools Can Share Records Without Consent

FERPA allows schools to disclose records without consent in limited circumstances, including:

To school officials with legitimate educational interest
To another school where the student is transferring
In connection with financial aid
To comply with a judicial order or subpoena
In health and safety emergencies

FERPA and College Students

When a student turns 18 or enrolls in college, FERPA rights transfer from the parents to the student. Parents of college students cannot access grades or records without the student's written consent — a common source of confusion for families.

Directory Information

Schools may designate certain information as "directory information" (name, address, phone number, dates of attendance, etc.) and share it without consent unless the student/parent opts out. Students and parents should review their school's directory information policy annually.