Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA)

The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 (FERPA), codified as 20 U.S.C. § 1232g and 34 CFR Part 99, is a federal law that safeguards the privacy of student education records.

This Act grants eligible students five fundamental rights regarding their education records:

• The right to inspect and review the information maintained by the institution.
• The right to request an amendment to those records and, in certain cases, to append a statement if an amendment is denied.
• The right to consent to the disclosure of their personally identifiable information from their records, with certain exceptions.
• The right to file a complaint with the U.S. Department of Education concerning alleged failures by the institution to comply with FERPA.
• The right to participate in a hearing if a request to amend a record is denied.

FERPA strictly prohibits departments such as Financial Aid, Registration & Records, Cashier's Office and all other departments on campus from releasing specific student education information without the student's written permission. This means that parents, guardians, spouses and other third parties cannot access a student's education records, including account information, unless the student has formally granted access through the Friends and Family feature in Workday.

For additional details regarding FERPA, please visit the official U.S. Department of Education website or review Aims Community College's annual FERPA notification, which is sent to all active Aims students each fall and spring semester.

FERPA rights begin when a student reaches the age of 18 or enrolls in a higher education institution, whichever occurs first.

A student's FERPA rights begin when they are considered "in attendance" as defined by the institution.

At Aims Community College, a student is considered "in attendance" on the first day for which they are officially registered for a course.

A student's FERPA rights generally end at death. However, education records may be released at the discretion of the college.

FERPA applies to "education records," which encompass all information the college maintains about you in any medium. Education records may include details about your academic, financial, activity, or disciplinary history.

"Education records" are records that are: 

• Directly related to a student.
• Maintained by the institution or by a party acting on behalf of the institution.

The term "education records" DOES NOT include the following:

• Records of instructional, supervisory, or administrative personnel and certain educational information that are in the sole possession of the maker and are not accessible or revealed to any other individual.
• Records maintained by a law enforcement unit of the educational agency or institution that were created by that unit for the purpose of law enforcement.
• Records relating to individuals employed by the institution that are made and maintained in the normal course of business, relate exclusively to the individuals in their capacity as employees, and are not used for any other purpose. (Note: Records of individuals employed as a result of their status as students, such as work-study students, ARE considered education records.)
• Records related to students that are:
  • Created or maintained by a physician, psychiatrist, psychologist, or other recognized professional or paraprofessional, acting in their professional or paraprofessional capacity.
  • Used solely in connection with the provision of treatment to the student.
  • Not disclosed to anyone other than individuals providing such treatment.

Please note: Medical and personal counseling records are protected under separate regulations and professional guidelines, not directly by FERPA.

To learn more, visit the FERPA FAQ page for students.