FAQs About FERPA
FERPA stands for the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act. It's a U.S. federal law that protects the privacy of your educational records at the ºÚÁÏÍø±¬³Ô¹Ï (ºÚÁÏÍø±¬³Ô¹Ï). This law gives students greater control over their educational records.
FERPA gives you certain rights over your education records at ºÚÁÏÍø±¬³Ô¹Ï. Here's what you can do:
- Review your records: You have the right to see what information ºÚÁÏÍø±¬³Ô¹Ï keeps about your education.
- Request corrections:Â If you believe there is a mistake in your records, please contact us at studentrecords@umgc.edu for a request to review and update as appropriate.
- Control who sees your information: In many cases, ºÚÁÏÍø±¬³Ô¹Ï needs your written permission before sharing your education records with anyone outside the school. There are some exceptions, though (see "Can ºÚÁÏÍø±¬³Ô¹Ï disclose my records without my consent?" below).
These are any records that directly relate to your education and are kept by ºÚÁÏÍø±¬³Ô¹Ï or a company working on ºÚÁÏÍø±¬³Ô¹Ï's behalf. A record can be information recorded in any way, including but not limited to paper or electronic records, photos, or videotapes.
Here are some examples of information that FERPA doesn't cover:
- ºÚÁÏÍø±¬³Ô¹Ï Security Department records
- Medical records for the purpose of providing medical treatment
- Employment records (unless being a ºÚÁÏÍø±¬³Ô¹Ï student is a requirement for your ºÚÁÏÍø±¬³Ô¹Ï job)
- Information about you after you're no longer a student (unless it relates to your time as a student)
- Admission application records, until the student enrolls in their first ºÚÁÏÍø±¬³Ô¹Ï course (at which point these records become Education Records)Â
In some limited cases, ºÚÁÏÍø±¬³Ô¹Ï can share your records without your permission. This might happen if the person requesting the information has a legitimate educational interest, like a school official helping you with your studies, for example, or if the disclosure is required by law. Information from a student’s education record designated as “Directory Informationâ€� may be disclosed to third parties without prior consent, unless a student has submitted a  to the University.Ìý
For a list of all instances in which your consent is not required and for a list of the information deemed “Directory Informationâ€�, see the ºÚÁÏÍø±¬³Ô¹Ï Policy III-6.30 FERPA and Disclosure of Student Records.
- Review your records:Â Contact the Office of the Registrar to request a copy.
- Request corrections: If you believe your education records are inaccurate, misleading, or in violation of your privacy rights, submit a written request to the Office of the Registrar explaining the error and what you want changed. For more information, review ºÚÁÏÍø±¬³Ô¹Ï Policy III-6.30 FERPA and Disclosure of Student Records.Ìý
- Give permission for sharing: Fill out the (DocuSign) to allow ºÚÁÏÍø±¬³Ô¹Ï to share your records with someone specific.
For another person to initiate services for you as a student, a power of attorney indicating the person's ability to act on your behalf is required. You may submit your power of attorney documentation to the Office of the Registrar.Ìý
- Opt-out of directory information sharing: Submit a if you don't want ºÚÁÏÍø±¬³Ô¹Ï to share your directory information with third parties. (This means your name won't appear in commencement materials, for example.) ºÚÁÏÍø±¬³Ô¹Ï may still share your directory information with third parties without your consent when another FERPA consent exception applies.