FERPA¶

General Rule¶

Under FERPA, once a student attends a postsecondary institution (at any age), the rights to the student's education records transfer from the parent to the student. This means the institution cannot disclose personally identifiable information (PII) from the student's education records to a parent without the student's written consent — unless a specific FERPA exception applies.

FERPA's general rule is that schools must have signed and dated written consent from the student before releasing PII from education records to a parent or any third party. Oral consent is not sufficient.

There are specific circumstances where a college can share information with a parent without the student's written consent:

1. Student Is a Tax Dependent¶

FERPA permits disclosure of education records to parents without the student's consent if the student is a dependent for federal tax purposes. Both custodial and noncustodial parents can have access in this situation.

2. Health or Safety Emergency¶

In certain emergency situations, a college may disclose information to appropriate parties — including parents — without consent if that information is necessary to protect the health and safety of the student or other individuals (§99.36).

3. Directory Information Exception¶

Some schools designate certain information (e.g., student's name, major, enrollment status) as directory information that can be released without consent — unless the student has opted out. This does not include most detailed educational records.

Absent one of the exceptions above, the college may NOT:

Release grades
Provide transcripts
Discuss enrollment, disciplinary actions, or financial information
Share any PII from education records

...to a parent without the student's written consent.

Warning

Always request a signed release authorization waiver and a copy of the student's photo ID to ensure FERPA compliance when in doubt.

Source¶

FERPA — Student Privacy Policy Office