Students & Alumni

Students who are currently or formerly enrolled, regardless of their age or status in regard to parental dependency, are protected. Students who have applied to, but have not attended an institution and deceased students, do not come under FERPA guidelines.

An educational record is any record from which a student can be personally identified, and is maintained by an educational agency or institution or by a party acting for the agency or institution.

• Student grade records
• Financial aid records
• Student account records
• Admission application records
• Transcripts

What is not an educational record?

• Sole possession records or private notes held by school officials that are not accessible or released to other personnel.
• Law enforcement or campus security records that are solely for law enforcement purposes and maintained solely by the law enforcement unit.
• Records relating to individuals who are employed by the university (unless contingent upon attendance).
• Records relating to treatment provided by a physician, psychiatrist, psychologist, or other recognized professional or paraprofessional and disclosed only to individuals providing treatment.
• Records of an institution that contain information about an individual obtained only after that person is no longer a student at that institution, i.e., alumni records.
• Financial information submitted by parents.
• Confidential letters and recommendations placed in students’ files prior to January 1, 1975, provided these letters were collected under established policies of confidentiality and were used only for the purposes for which specifically collected.
• Confidential letters and statements of recommendation, placed in students’ records after January 1, 1975, to which the student has waived his or her right to inspect and review and that are related to the students’ admission, application for employment or job placement, or receipt of honors.
• Educational records containing information about more than one student; however, in such cases the institution must permit access to that part of the record which pertains only to the inquiring student.

Who may have access to student educational records?

• The student and any outside party who has the student’s written permission.
• School officials (as defined by the university) who have “legitimate educational interest.”
• Parents/guardians who have been granted access to the student’s educational record through the Parent and Family Portal.
• A person in response to a lawfully issued subpoena or court order, as long as the university first makes a reasonable attempt to notify the student. Normally the University will comply with a subpoena after two weeks have elapsed from the day the subpoena was received.

FERPA gives institution the discretion to share certain student records (Directory Information) to a third party without the student’s written consent. All other information is known as Non-Directory, which should never be shared with a third party without the student’s written consent.

Directory Information:

• Student’s complete name
• Telephone numbers
• Addresses
• Auburn University e-mail address
• Participation in Recognized Activities and Sports
• Photographs, video, or other electronic image (released only in connection with official A.U. publications)
• Most recent Classification and Curriculum
• Enrollment status (full or part time)
• Term/Dates of attendance (does not include specific daily records or a student’s attendance pattern)
• Degrees and awards received

• Anything not listed as Directory Information may not be released to a third party without the student’s written consent. Some examples never to share without the student’s written permission:
  • GPA
  • Transcript
  • Class Schedule
  • Grades (including exam grades)
  • Social Security number
  • Academic holds
  • Financial/Scholarship information

What rights does FERPA afford students with respect to their educational records?

• The right to inspect and review their educational records within 45 days of the day the college receives a request for access.
  • Student should submit to the Office of the Registrar written requests that identify the record(s) they wish to inspect. The Registrar will make arrangements for access to and notify the student of the time and place where the records may be inspected. If the records are not maintained in the Office of the Registrar, the Registrar will advise the student of the correct official to whom that request should be addressed.
• The right to request an amendment to the students’ educational records that the student believes are inaccurate or misleading, if they do so within one year of the term in question. If the university decides not to amend the record as requested by the student, he/she will be notified of the decision and advised of his/her right to a hearing regarding the request for an amendment.
  • The students should write the Office of the Registrar, clearly identify the part of the record they want changed, and specify why it is inaccurate or misleading.
  • Additional information regarding a hearing will be provided to the student when notified of his/her right to a hearing.
• The right to consent to disclosures of personally identifiable information contained in the student’s education records, except to the extent that FERPA authorizes disclosure without consent.
  • One exception which permits disclosure without consent is disclosure to school officials with legitimate educational interests. A school official is a person employed by the university in an administrative, supervisory, academic or research, or support staff position; a person or company with whom the university has contracted (such as attorney, auditor, or collection agent); a person serving on the Board of Trustees; or a student serving on an official committee, such as a disciplinary or grievance committee, or a person assisting another school official in performing his or her tasks.
  • A school official has a legitimate educational interest if the official needs to review an education record in order to fulfill his or her professional responsibility.
• The right to file a complaint with the U.S. Department of Education concerning alleged failures by the college to comply with the requirements of FERPA. The name and address of the office that administers FERPA is:
  • Family Policy Compliance Office
  • U.S. Department of Education
  • U.S. Department of Education
  • Washington, D.C. 20202-4605