Student Records and Privacy Rights under FERPA


The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) is a federal law that gives students in higher education various rights with respect to their educational records. Rights afforded to you under FERPA include the right to inspect and review your educational records, the right to request amendment of records you believe are inaccurate or misleading, and the right to prevent disclosure of information from your educational records without your prior consent, subject to some specific exceptions. The Office of Compliance, Student Policy, Research and Assessment publishes an annual notice about your rights under FERPA. You can access a copy of the most recent notice at http://www.rci.rutgers.edu/~polcomp/ferpa2.shtml. FERPA permits disclosure of "directory information" such as name, phone number, address, and email address without your prior consent unless you specifically request that it be kept confidential. For more information regarding directory information, view the notice at http://www.rci.rutgers.edu/~polcomp/ferpa1.shtml. If you have questions about your rights under FERPA, you may contact the Office of Compliance, Student Policy, Research and Assessment at First Floor Bishop House, College Avenue Campus, New Brunswick, NJ  08901, or 732-932-7109. Outside resources providing more information include the U.S. Department of Education's websites: Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) at http://www.ed.gov/print/policy/gen/guid/fpco/ferpa/index.html; and Family Policy Compliance Office (FPCO) at http://www.ed.gov/policy/gen/guid/fpco/index.html.