What is FERPA?
The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974, also known as the Buckley Amendment, helps protect the privacy of student records. The Act provides for the right to inspect and review educational records, the right to seek to amend those records and to limit disclosure of information from the records. The act applies to all institutions that are the recipients of federal funding.
Who is Protected under FERPA?
Students who are currently enrolled in higher education institutions or formerly enrolled regardless of their age or status in regard to parental dependency. A Permission to Release Education Record Information Form (Appendix R ) needs to be signed by the student and on file with the Registrar before information can be released.
What is Directory Information?
Institutions may disclose information on a student without violating FERPA through what is known as “Directory Information”. At HCC/AVS, this includes:
- Student’s name
- Date and place of birth
- Major (curriculum of study)
- Participation in official school activities
- Height and weight of athletes
- Dates of attendance
- Degrees and awards received
- Current enrollment status (full-time, half-time, less than half-time)
- Class schedule
- Previous educational institutions attended
- Legal and local addresses of institutional honorees, award winners, and participants in official school activities to appropriate media.
- Photographs taken by the college
- Hometown and high school of students for publication in the yearbook and any other student publication.
Link to Official Catalog Statement About FERPA..gif)
