Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA)
The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 (FERPA), as amended, is a Federal law that protects the privacy of student education records. The law applies to all schools that receive funds under an applicable program of the U.S. Department of Education. Disclosure of information contained in the education records of a student to individuals and organizations other than those specifically covered by FERPA shall be limited to items designated as directory information, except upon written, signed and dated consent of the student. Directory information will be treated as public information and generally be available on all students and former students, at the discretion of the institution.
The University System of Georgia (USG) has designated the following categories of information as Directory Information:
- Class level
- Dates of attendance
- Degrees, honors, and awards received
- Enrollment status (e.g., full-time, part-time)
- Height and weight of athletes
- Hometown
- Major field of study
- Participation in officially recognized activities and sports
- Student鈥檚 name
- The most recent educational institution attended
- Thesis/Dissertation title
Education records can be disclosed without a student鈥檚 prior written consent to school officials with legitimate educational interests. A school official is a person employed by 大发体育开户 in an administrative, supervisory, academic, research, or support staff position (including law en颅forcement unit personnel); or a student serving on an official committee, or who is assisting a school official in performing his or her tasks. In addition, 大发体育开户 may outsource institutional services or functions that involve the disclosure of education records to contractors, consultants, vendors, or other third parties are to have a 鈥渓egitimate educational interest鈥 in the personally identifiable information from an education record of a student.
Directory information will be withheld if requested by the student. To withhold directory information, the student must complete the Directory Information Non-Disclosure form in .
Additional information concerning FERPA and the release of directory information can be found at the .
