FERPA Policy

The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974

The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974, also known as the Buckley Amendment, affords certain rights to students concerning their education records. FERPA provides for the following: the right to inspect and review education records, the right to seek to amend those records, and the right to limit disclosure of information from the records. FERPA applies to all institutions which receive federal funds under any program administered by the Secretary of Education.

FERPA rights begin for a student when he or she becomes 18 or enrolls in a higher education institution at any age. Directory Information is data items that are publicly releasable, so long as the student does not have a “No Release” on his or her record. Each institution establishes what is considered to be directory information. Directory information cannot include race, gender, social security number, grades, grade point average, country of citizenship, or religion.

Contact your college of enrollment’s website or the U.S. Department of Education.

Family Policy Compliance Office
U.S. Department of Education
400 Maryland Avenue, SW
Washington, D.C. 20202-5901

Phone: (202) 260-3887
Fax: (202) 260-9001 
Email: ferpa@ed.gov