FERPA and granting others access to information
When a student reaches the age of 18 or begins to attend a post-secondary institution regardless of age, they have control over who has access to their education records. The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) is a federal law that prohibits access to, or release of, educational records or personally identifiable information contained in such records (other than directory information) without the written consent of the student or as specified by other exceptions such as subpoenas and court orders.
This means that unless the student has given an individual specific access to their student information, employees of the university are not permitted to share their personal information. Information that may be restricted includes (but is not limited to) student account information (billing statement history, parking account information, bookstore receipts, etc.) and academic information (class schedule, grades, transfer credits, etc.).
Students must grant others access to their information. There are different options for which information a student wishes to grant access to, and each option has a separate permission that must be granted. To learn more, and for instructions, see the “Granting Others Access to Your Information” page.