FERPA

Fun Facts about FERPA

What is FERPA?

The Family Education Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 is a federal law that protects the privacy of student education records.

What is covered by FERPA?

A student, at any age, who enters a postsecondary institution, has full authority over their records. Educational records are defined as records directly related to a student and maintained by the institution or a party acting for the institution. Education records include academic records, discipline records and financial records.

If I am a parent or guardian of a college student, do I have the right to see my student's education records, especially if I pay the bill?

The rights under FERPA transfer from the parent/guardian to the student once the student turns 18 years old or enters a postsecondary institution (such as Rockford College) at any age.

However, although the rights under FERPA are transferred to the student, a school may disclose information from an "eligible student's" education records to the parent of the student, without the student's consent, if the student is a dependent for tax purposes. Neither the age of the student nor the parent status as a custodial parent is relevant. If a student is claimed as a dependent by either parent for tax purposes, then either parent may have access under this provision. (34 CFR § 99.31(a)(8).)

Your student may also opt to share his or her educational record information with you by completing a grade release form in Student Administrative Services.