(Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act)

Parent Questions

FERPA (Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act) is the Federal law that protects the privacy of a student’s educational records and guarantees student’s access to their own records.

Although parents do not have a right to these records, the university is permitted to share these records with the parents if the son or daughter is a dependent of the parents for federal income tax purposes.

If the son or daughter is a dependent the university is permitted to release records to the parent, including directory information and non-directory information.

Directory information is a student’s information that may be released without the consent of the student. Directory information includes the following:

- name;

- Date and place of birth;

- Fields of study, including major and minor

- Enrollment status (actual hours enrolled, undergraduate, graduate, etc.);

- Type of award received (academic, technical, continuing education, etc.)

- Dates of attendance;

- Student classification

- Name of the most recent previous educational agency or institution attended;

- Telephone number;

- Current and permanent address, excluding e-mail address;

- Weight and height of athletes;

- Participation in officially recognized activities and sports;

- Names of prospective graduates;

- Parking permit records;

- Names of parents;

- Photographs of students;

- Gender, and

- Any other records that could be treated as directory information under FERPA

The student can provide the parent with written consent. (Student Authorization Release Form)

If the parent claims the student on their income tax they can fill out a Parental Access to Student Records Form order to obtain the student’s academic information.

The student can give their parent access through CatsWeb to view their information. (This action requires the student’s PIN and Password which must be given to the parent by the student.)

Where would I find additional FERPA information?

Texas State University UPPS:

Government:

http://www.ed.gov/policy/gen/reg/ferpa/index.html