FERPA

Information About FERPA (Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act).

In 1974, Congress enacted the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) to guarantee students access to their educational records and to prohibit dissemination of educational records without the student’s consent. The summary that follows is intended to address questions which most frequently arise concerning compliance with FERPA.

The Federal Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) affords students three basic rights:

1. The right to inspect and review their education records.
2. The right to have some control over the disclosure of their education records.
3. The right to seek the amendment of incorrect education records.

FERPA applies to all institutions that receive funds administered by the Secretary of Education.  FERPA applies to the education records of individuals, regardless of age, who are currently, or who have been, in attendance in postsecondary institutions.  Education records are those records which are directly related to a student and are maintained by an institution or a party acting for the institution. Except under certain conditions notated as (Crisis Situations), institutions may not disclose information contained in a student’s education records to any third party, including parents, without the student’s written permission. Illinois has established guidelines for implementation of this law, which can also be found on the University FERPA and Compliance Page.

• Directory Information
• FERPA Overview
• FERPA Definitions
• FERPA Scenarios for Faculty/Staff
• FERPA Training
• FERPA – Consent to Release Records
• Student Records Policy

FERPA – What You Need to Know in Less than 5 Minutes

Everyone working with student education records plays an important role in protecting student privacy. Now
you can watch a 5‐minute animated video to learn about FERPA, the rights it affords, and best practices for
protecting student records. Just click on the arrow in the image to watch it online – it’s that easy!