Family Educational Rights & Privacy Act

The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 (FERPA), also known as the Buckley Amendment, is a federal law designed to protect the privacy of education records, to establish the right of students to inspect and review their education records, and to provide guidelines for the correction of inaccurate and misleading data through informal and formal hearings.

This Act provides rights primarily with the student, regardless of age, once he or she enrolls at an institution of higher education. Only when the student has signed a written release giving their parent(s) or guardians access to their records, or when an institution accepts proof from the parent that the student is a dependent, is an institution allowed to release information from the student’s education record to parents.

We encourage families to discuss this Privacy Act and take appropriate steps that are comfortable with both the student and family to ensure the safety and privacy of the student’s records.