Education Privacy and the College Transition
This Life Kit piece from NPR (shown above) helped me think about this blog post. You can click on the graphic to listen to the piece before you read my blog, or just keep reading. These questions about academics are common and can best be approached by the student and family being proactive and talking about expectations and limits.
For fifteen years I helped welcome thousands of first-year and transfer students to get them acquainted with college. To go along with the students, there were even more parents and family members who came along for this important transition. And I say family because it literally could be parents, siblings, aunts, uncles, grandparents, and more. It’s an exciting time for many! At the school I worked for, we integrated families into Orientation because we knew that the transition to college is more than getting the student moved into their residence hall room and introduced to their new roommate. Different schools have different transition and orientation programs. Some programs are one day while others may be up to one week! Regardless of the way these programs operate, suffice it to say that the transition to college is a milestone and can be emotional for people in a multitude of ways.
My experience is that sometimes families and students are not aware of the significant changes that come with the transition to college. Parents, especially highly involved ones, can be used to being contacted by high school teachers or administration and invited to have discussions during parent-teacher conferences. Parents may even be active through a high school PTA, another way to stay connected to and provide input and feedback to the high school. Parents are certainly accustomed to receiving report cards and other updates throughout the school year in order to gauge whether their student is on track.
The changes that come with a student going to college can be shocking to some. Parents no longer have priority when it comes to a student’s educational record and this is because of a federal law known as FERPA - the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act. Due to FERPA’s broad impact, it’s important to understand these changes and talk through you family’s expectations before your student arrives on campus.
What is FERPA?
According to the Department of Education, “The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) is a federal law that affords parents the right to have access to their children’s education records, the right to seek to have the records amended, and the right to have some control over the disclosure of personally identifiable information from the education records. When a student turns 18 years old, or enters a postsecondary institution at any age, the rights under FERPA transfer from the parents to the student (“eligible student”).”
FERPA for college students can differ greatly from high school, including:
Age of Consent: In high school, FERPA rights are generally granted to parents or guardians. Parents have the right to access and control their child's education records until the student reaches 18 years of age or attends a post-secondary institution. Once the student turns 18 or attends a post-secondary institution, FERPA rights transfer to the student. This means that college students have greater control over their own education records, including the right to provide or withhold consent for the disclosure of their information.
Student Access to Records: In college, students have the right to access and review their own education records. They can request copies of their transcripts, grades, class schedules, and other relevant information directly from the college. High school students typically rely on their parents to access and review their education records on their behalf. In college, the student has the right to control and consent to who has access to their education records.
Parental Notification: In high school, schools are generally required to provide annual notification to parents of their rights under FERPA and the types of information that may be disclosed without parental consent, such as directory information. In college, notification is provided to the student directly, and parents may not receive automatic notification or access to their child's education records without the student's consent.
Consent Requirement: Colleges typically require written consent from the student before disclosing education records to parents or other third parties. This consent requirement is generally stricter at the college level compared to high school. Colleges may also require specific authorization or release forms signed by the student to share information with parents or guardians.
Educational Independence: College students are generally considered independent adults responsible for managing their own education and making decisions about their records. This includes granting or denying consent for the disclosure of information to parents or other third parties. High school students, on the other hand, may rely more on their parents to handle matters related to their education records.
It's important for college students and their parents to understand these differences and the implications they have for accessing and disclosing education records. Students should familiarize themselves with their college's specific FERPA policies and procedures, and parents should understand their rights and responsibilities under FERPA. You should consult the institution's website, student handbook, or contact the appropriate administrative office (such as the registrar or the office of student affairs) to obtain accurate information on how FERPA affects the release of information to parents. To learn more you can simply search for “<name of school> FERPA policy”.
So how does this play out in real life? Let’s say you’re a parent who provides financial support to your student (i.e. pays the bill) and you’d like to know how they are doing halfway through their first semester. You decide to call the college to find out some information. Let’s see this may play out.
You the Parent (P): Hello, I'm calling to inquire about my child's grades and academic progress at State College. I also want to make sure we haven’t missed paying anything so we don’t incur a late fee.
College Representative (CR): Hello, thank you for reaching out. Of course, I'd be happy to assist you. Before we proceed, I need to inform you that we are bound by FERPA regulations, which protect the privacy of your student’s education records. To access their information, we require consent from the student.
P: Oh, I see. My child is currently attending your college, but they are over 18 years old. Does that mean I can't access their records without their consent?
CR: That's correct. Once a student reaches the age of 18 or attends a post-secondary institution, FERPA rights transfer to the student. Without their consent, we cannot disclose their education records, including grades and academic progress, to a third party, including parents.
P: I understand the need for privacy, but as a parent, I've always been involved in my child's education and would like to stay informed. Plus, I do pay their college bill. Is there any way to access their records or receive updates without violating FERPA?
CR: Certainly. While we cannot provide specific details from their education records without their consent, we can still communicate with you regarding general information and updates about our college. This includes information such as tuition, academic calendar, and general policies. Additionally, you can encourage your child to share their records and progress with you directly.
P: I appreciate the clarification. Is there any way for my child to provide consent for the disclosure of their records to me?
CR: Yes, your child can complete a FERPA release form or any other authorization document we have in place for this purpose. Once we receive the written consent, we will be able to share the relevant information with you as allowed by FERPA.
P: Alright, I will discuss this with my child and see if they are willing to provide consent. Thank you for your assistance.
CR: You're welcome. If you have any further questions or need any additional information, please don't hesitate to reach out to us.
Note that institutions will often define “directory information” for their students. This information can be disclosed without consent unless the student has requested to restrict its release. Directory information often includes items like name, address, email address, phone number, dates of attendance, and participation in activities. But FERPA is a complex law, and its application can vary between educational institutions. Individuals should familiarize themselves with their specific school's policies and procedures to understand how FERPA is implemented in their context.
So how will information about the bill be delivered? It will go to the student.
Who has access to grades? The student.
Will the parents be notified directly if the student is placed on disciplinary probation due to some issue in the resident hall? Probably not, although it depends on the kind and level of discipline.
Will the parents be notified directly if the student is placed on academic probation? No.
So going back to the Life Kit piece, does the student need to share their grades with their parents? With FERPA, the school will most certainly not be sharing grades with the parents, unless they have a specific policy to do so and the student has given consent. The answer to the question is something that students and parents/guardians should discuss ahead of time, knowing that it is a topic of interest to both parties. Talk about it - set expectations - list limits - and feel good about the trust you have in each other.
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Have a question or comment? Please leave it in the comment section below or contact me at mark@mastalskicoaching.com.
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