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Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act

The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) is a federal law designed to protect the privacy of students’ educational records. Students may consent to share educational information with parents, spouses or others by contacting the Office of the Registrar. 

FERPA affords students certain rights with respect to their education records. 

  • The right to inspect and review information their education record within 45 days of the day the University receives a request for access. Students should submit a written request to the Office of the Registrar, Office of the Dean of the appropriate college, the chair of the academic department, Director of Community Standards or another appropriate official that identifies the records they wish to inspect. The University official will make arrangements for access and notify the student of the time and place where the records may be inspected. If the records are not maintained by the University official to whom the request was submitted, that official shall advise the student of the correct official to whom the request should be addressed.
  • The right to request the amendment of their education records if the student believes they are inaccurate or misleading. Students should write the University official responsible for the record and clearly identify the part of the record they want changed and specify the reason it is inaccurate or misleading. If the University does not amend the record as requested by the student, the University will notify the student of the decision and advise the student of their right to a hearing regarding the request for amendment. Additional information regarding the hearing procedures will be provides to the student when notified of the right to a hearing.
  • The right to consent to disclosure of personally identifiable information contained in their education records, except to the extent that FERPA authorizes disclosure without consent (e.g. school officials with legitimate educational interests may review an educational record without consent).
  • The right to file a complaint with the U.S. Department of Education (Family Policy Compliance Office, U.S. Department of Education, 400 Maryland Avenue, SW, Washington, DC 20202-5920), The Higher Learning Commission (230 South LaSalle St., Suite 7-500, Chicago, IL 60604-1413), the Office of the Dean of Pharmacy and Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (190 S. LaSalle Street, Suite 2850, Chicago, IL 60603-3410), or the Missouri Department of Higher Education Institutional Eligibility Standards (205 Jefferson St., P.O. Box 1469, Jefferson City, MO 65102-1469) concerning alleged violations to comply with the requirements of FERPA.

Students may request a copy of documents describing the University’s accreditation, federal eligibility certification and state eligibility certification by submitting a written request to the Office of the Registrar

Learn more about FERPA in the Academic Catalog

Disclosure Without Consent 

One exception that permits disclosure without consent is disclosure to school officials with legitimate educational interests. 

A school official has a legitimate educational interest if the official needs to review an education record in order to fulfill their academic or enrollment services responsibilities. 

A school official is a person employed by the University in an administrative, supervisory, academic, research or support staff position (including law enforcement, unit personnel and health staff), a person or company with whom the University has contracted (such as an attorney, auditor or collection agent), a person serving on the board of trustees or a student serving on an official committee, such as disciplinary or grievance committee, or assisting another school official in performing their tasks. 

Upon request, the University discloses education records without consent to officials of another school in which a student seeks or intends to enroll. 

Disclosure without consent also may be made to: 

  • Certain government officials in order to carry out lawful functions
  • Appropriate parties in connection with financial aid to a student
  • Organizations conducting legitimate studies for the school accrediting agencies
  • Individuals who have obtained court orders or subpoenas
  • Persons who need to know in cases of health or safety emergencies
  • State and local authorities to which disclosure is required by state laws
  • Schools also may disclose, without consent, directory information unless notified in writing by the student to the Office of the Registrar. The University has designated the following as directory information: name, address, telephone number, date of birth, enrollment status, dates of attendance (including whether currently enrolled), degree awarded, photograph, email address, honors and awards, participation in officially recognized activities and athletics, height and weight of athletes.

An eligible student who does not wish for directory information to be released without consent must notify the Office of the Registrar within the first 10 days of the term. 

If this notification is not received prior to this deadline, it will be assumed that the directory information may be disclosed for the remainder of the current academic term. Notification for nondisclosure must be sent to the Office of the Registrar each academic term. FERPA affords students certain rights with respect to their education records. 

The rights of FERPA, originally given to parents of students in K-12, are transferred to their students once they begin college. 

According to FERPA guidelines, all rights of parents (including the right to examine education records and consent to the disclosure of personally identifiable material) transfer to the student either at age 18 or upon attendance at an institution of postsecondary education. 

Educational information will be released to a student’s parents only with the written consent of the student or if the student is claimed as a dependent on the parents’ federal income tax return. 

The following process should be followed by parents seeking information contained in their student’s education records: 

  • The parent should make their request in writing, indicating the particular records requested and declaring specifically that the student is the requestor’s dependent.
  • The University must ask for the federal income tax form filed by the parents for the most recent tax year. This means the requesting parent must provide a copy of the federal income tax form for the current year. It cannot be a tax form from several years ago.
  • The University will then verify that the student is indeed listed as a dependent on the tax form of the requesting parent. Once verification is made, the form will be given back to the parent and a note will be made on the request form that the verification was made.

The parent should make their request in writing, indicating the particular records requested and declaring specifically that the student is the requestor’s dependent. 

The University must ask for the federal income tax form filed by the parents for the most recent tax year. This means the requesting parent must provide a copy of the federal income tax form for the current year. It cannot be a tax form from several years ago. 

The University will then verify that the student is indeed listed as a dependent on the tax form of the requesting parent. Once verification is made, the form will be given back to the parent and a note will be made on the request form that the verification was made. 

Because the FERPA rights belong to the eligible student, the University will notify the student that their parents have asked to review their records and on what date the review will take place. 

If the student responds that they do not want the records shared with the parents, the University will refer the parents back to the student. At this point, a written consent is required from the student. 

 A one-time authorization to disclose educational records may be requested by the student by contacting the Office of the Registrar. The rights of FERPA, originally given to parents of students in K-12, are transferred to their students once they begin college. 

According to FERPA guidelines, all rights of parents (including the right to examine education records and consent to the disclosure of personally identifiable material) transfer to the student either at age 18 or upon attendance at an institution of postsecondary education. 

Educational information will be released to a student’s parents only with the written consent of the student or if the student is claimed as a dependent on the parents’ federal income tax return. 

The following process should be followed by parents seeking information contained in their student’s education records: 

Because the FERPA rights belong to the eligible student, the University will notify the student that their parents have asked to review their records and on what date the review will take place. 

If the student responds that they do not want the records shared with the parents, the University will refer the parents back to the student. At this point, a written consent is required from the student. 

A one-time authorization to disclose educational records may be requested by the student by contacting the Office of the Registrar

FERPA recognizes a spouse as an unrelated third party and does not make any provision for a spouse to have access to a student’s educational records without the written consent of the student.