Student's Right to Privacy (FERPA)

The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) affords students certain rights with respect to their educational records. They are:

1. The right to inspect and review the student's educational record within 45 days of the day the University receives a request for access.
Students should submit to the registrar, dean, and head of the academic department, or other appropriate official, written requests that identify the record(s) they wish to inspect. The university official will make arrangements for access and notify the student of the time and place where 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.

2. The right to request the amendment of the student's education records that the student believes are inaccurate or misleading.
Students may ask the university to amend a record that they believe is inaccurate or misleading. They should write the University official responsible for the record, clearly identify the part of the record they want changed, and specify why it is inaccurate or misleading.

If the university decides not to amend the record as requested by the student, the University will notify the student of the decision and advise the student of his or her right to a hearing regarding the request for amendment. Additional information regarding the hearing procedures will be provided to the student when notified of the right to a hearing.

3. The right to consent to disclosures of personally identifiable information contained in the student's education records, except to the extent that FERPA authorizes disclosure without consent.
One exception, which permits disclosure without consent, is disclosure to school officials with legitimate educational interests. A school official is a person employed by the university in an administrative, supervisory, academic or research, or support staff position (including law enforcement unit personnel and health staff); a person or company with whom the university has contacted (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 a disciplinary or grievance committee, or assisting another school official in performing his or her tasks.

A school official has a legitimate educational interest if the official needs to review an educational record in order to fulfill his or her professional responsibility.

Upon request, the university discloses education records without consent to officials of another school in which a student seeks or intends to enroll. [FERPA requires an institution to make a reasonable attempt to notify the student of the record request unless the institution states in its annual notification that it intends to forward records on request].

4. The right to file a complaint with the U.S. Department of Education concerning alleged failures by Georgia College to comply with the requirements of FERPA.

The name and address of the office that administers FERPA is:

Family Policy Compliance Office
U.S. Department of Education
600 Independence Avenue, SW
Washington, DC 20202-4605

Directory Information
At its discretion Georgia College may provide directory information in accordance with the provisions of the Family Education Rights and Privacy Act. Directory information is defined as that information which would not generally be considered harmful or an invasion of privacy if disclosed. Designated directory information at Georgia College includes the following:

Student name
Date and place of birth
Major field of study
Class status
Participation in officially recognized activities and sports
Weight and height of members of athletic teams
Dates of attendance
Enrollment status (including hours enrolled)
Degrees and awards received
Most recent previous school attended

FERPA for Parents

The Family Education Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 (FERPA, also referred to as the Buckley Amendment) is a federal law that affords students certain rights regarding access and release of their education records.

When children are enrolled in elementary, middle, and high school, FERPA gives the student and his or her parents the right to access and control the release of the student's education records. When the student enrolls at a college or university, these rights transfer directly to the student. Why? Because FERPA considers college students responsible adults and allows them to determine who will receive information from their education records. While parents naturally have an interest in their son or daughter's academic progress (and may even be paying for their education), they are not automatically granted access to their records.

The quickest, easiest way for you to receive information about your student's grades or other student information is to ask your student to provide it to you. Students have access to most student information through Georgia College's myCATS portal, which provides online access to transcripts, schedules, grades, and degree audits from anywhere in the world. Financial aid records and student bills are also available through this portal. Some of our students choose to provide their parents with their myCATS password, while others choose to print or e-mail needed information to their parents. Some students and their parents also make appointments to log-in together at regular intervals (i.e., when the student is home on semester breaks) to review the student's records. Students may also provide the University with a release (pdf) to share information, as requested, directly with parents or other third parties.

You can also receive information about your child if you submit proof that he/she is your dependent as defined by the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, Section 152. We strongly recommend that parents first request the information from their student and use this method of obtaining information only in unusual or special situations. To make this request, contact the Office of the Registrar for a copy of the Parental Affidavit for Student Information form, complete it, attach a copy of your most recent federal tax form, and return it by mail or fax to the Office of the Registrar. This documentation must be provided every time a request for information is made, and any charges that apply to the release of information will be assessed. Students will be notified each time their parents submit a Parental Affidavit for Student Information.

Additional Information

Questions concerning this law and the university's procedures regarding release of academic information may be directed to the Office of the Registrar at (478) 445-6286 or Legal Affairs at (478) 445-2037.

The U.S. Department of Education is responsible for overseeing FERPA. See the Department's Web site for additional information: http://www.ed.gov/policy/gen/guid/fpco/ferpa/.

Contact Information
Georgia College & State University
Center for Student Success
Campus Box 115
Phone: (478) 445-2361