What are my rights under FERPA?

WHAT ARE MY RIGHTS UNDER FERPA?

FERPA is the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974, also known as the Buckley Amendment.  Its purpose is to protect the privacy of student educational records and endow students with the right to 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 including Southeastern University.

Who Is Or Is Not Covered Under FERPA?

Students, regardless of age or status in regards to parental dependency, who are or have been in attendance at a postsecondary institution are covered under FERPA.  Rights begin when the student is actually registered for classes.

 Applicants who are denied admission or who never attend are not covered under FERPA.

Parents of students claimed as dependents for income tax purposes may have access to certain student educational records under certain conditions.

What Are Education Records?

Education records are all records that directly relate to a student and are maintained by an institution and are accessible by more than one employee. These records can be in any media form: handwritten, print, type, film, electronic, etc.

“Sole ownership” such as personal notes or records retained by one individual for his or her purposes are not considered educational records.

What Education Records Are Not:

• Personal Notes – Kept by a faculty/staff member if kept in the sole possession of the one who made the record.
• Law Enforcement Records – Maintained solely for law enforcement purposes & revealed only to law enforcement agencies.
• Employment Records – Of those whose employment is not contingent upon being a student. (Non-work-study)
• Medical Records – Created by a health care professional used only for the medical/health treatment of the student.
• Alumni Records – Most information contained (donations, etc).

Who Can Access Student Information Without Consent?

• School officials with legitimate educational interests
• Other schools to which a student is transferring
• Specified officials for audit or evaluation purposes
• Appropriate parties in connection with financial aid to a student
• Organizations conducting certain studies for or on behalf of the school
• Accrediting organizations
• School officials to comply with a judicial order or lawfully issued subpoena
• Appropriate officials in cases of health and safety emergencies
• State and local authorities, within a juvenile justice system, pursuant to specific State law

Parents’ Rights

• Parents may obtain directory information.
• Parents may obtain non-directory information (grades, GPA, etc.) if the child is a legal dependent under the age of 18 and at the discretion of the institution. (We require written consent of any student 18 or older.)
• Parents may obtain non-directory information by obtaining a signed consent from their child.

Student (And Former Student) Rights under FERPA

• Students have a right to know where education records are kept.
• Students have a right to inspect their education records.
• Students have the right to have records amended if necessary.
• Students have the right to file a complaint with the U.S. Dept. of Education if they feel their rights are being violated.
• Students have the right to expect that their education records are kept confidential except where special provisions are made.
• Students have the right to suppress the disclosure of directory information to outside agencies or named individuals

What Can Be Removed From An Educational Record Before The Students View It?

• Any information that pertains to another student.
• Financial records of the student’s parents.
• Some confidential letters and statements of recommendation under conditions described in FERPA section 99.12.

Policies Relating To Electronic Transmission Of Student Information

Southeastern University recognizes that the use of electronic data exchange among departments in the university, between faculty/staff and students and between institutions and services related to students academics, financial aid, and other certified services will continue to increase.  Protecting student and parent privacy guides the policies and procedures used by Southeastern University.  Students are required to abide by electronic exchange policies found in the handbook and are required to not share their student identification, logon, and password with others.

Questions? Contact the Office of the Registrar at 863.667.5015 or registrar@seu.edu.