FERPA at a Glance
FERPA stands for the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act. This is a federal law that protects identifiable information of students, including student educational records.
What are educational records?
Educational records can include contact information, enrollment forms, report cards, or anything that can be linked to a specific student.
Everyone in our schools is tasked with protecting this information.
Who can access information?
Parents, guardians, and eligible students have access to this information. If you are not a parent, guardian, or eligible student, you must obtain specific written consent to access the information. Written consent must include the piece of information to be released, the purpose for the release, and the person who the information may be released to.
People who have access to student information:
- parents/guardians
- students, if over 18
- school staff or outside providers who have legitimate educational interest in a specific student
Examples of people who do not have access to student information without written consent:
- grandparents, if not the legal guardians
- family therapists
- volunteers
For more information, go to the United States Department of Education website, www.ed.gov, or see SVSU policy #5265 - Educational Files and Records (FERPA).