The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA)

The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) is a federal law in the United States that protects the privacy of student education records. It gives parents certain rights regarding their children’s records, including the right to access and request corrections. Once a student turns 18 or attends a postsecondary institution, these rights transfer to them. Schools must obtain written permission from the student before disclosing personally identifiable information from their records, ensuring that their data is kept confidential and secure.