Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) report

Why it matters

The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974, commonly known as FERPA, is a federal law that protects the privacy of student education records. Students have specific, protected rights regarding the release of such records and FERPA requires that institutions adhere strictly to these guidelines. The Act ensures that parents have access to their children's educational records and that the privacy rights of parents and children are protected by limiting access to these records without parental consent. Students have a right to know about the purpose, content, and location of information kept as a part of their educational records. They also have a right to expect that information in their educational records will be kept confidential unless they give permission to the school to disclose such information.

FERPA applies to public schools and state or local education agencies that receive Federal education funds. Most private and parochial schools at the elementary and secondary level do not receive these federal funds and, therefore, are not subject to FERPA.

Schools may disclose, without consent, "directory" information such as a student's name, address, telephone number, date and place of birth, honors and awards, and dates of attendance. However, schools must tell parents and eligible students about directory information and allow parents and eligible students a reasonable amount of time to request that the school not disclose directory information about them. Schools must notify parents and eligible students annually of their rights under FERPA.