Skip to main content

The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) is a Federal law designed to protect the privacy of a student’s education records. The law applies to all schools which receive funds under an applicable program of the U.S. Department of Education. Postsecondary students have certain rights with respect to their educational record.

Student Privacy Issues

Your college student record, by law, is a private matter between you and selected college staff members.

If you desire to give someone access to your private student records, you may complete an Authorization to Disclose Information form and submit to Enrollment Services. In order to ensure compliance with FERPA, the written consent must be signed in the presence of an approved college witness. Otherwise, it must be notarized.


Directory Information

We may release Directory Information upon request, unless the student has indicated in writing to the Director of Enrollment Services/Registrar that he or she does not want this information released. Directory Information consists of your name, date and place of birth, major, dates of attendance, degrees awarded, honors and awards, most recent institution attended, enrollment status, full or part-time status, county of residence, participation in officially recognized activities and student’s photograph.

Any student who does not wish us to make this information available must specify this in writing to the Director of Enrollment Services/Registrar.

FERPA (what it is and how it protects you)

As a federal law, FERPA applies to all schools which receive funds from an applicable program at the U.S. Department of Education that protects the privacy of a student’s education records. Postsecondary students have certain rights with respect to their educational record.

Postsecondary students have the right to inspect and review their education record(s) maintained by the school. Schools are not required to provide copies of materials in education records unless, for reasons such as a great distance, it is impossible for students to inspect the records. Schools may charge a fee for copies.

Postsecondary students have the right to request that a school correct records believed to be inaccurate or misleading. If the school decides not to amend the record, the student then has the right to a formal hearing. After the hearing, if the school still decides not to amend the record, the postsecondary student has the right to place a statement with the record commenting on the contested information in the record.

Generally schools must have written permission from the postsecondary student before releasing any non-directory information from a student’s record. However, the law allows schools to disclose records, without consent, to the following parties:

  • School officials who have a need to know (including officials of other schools in accordance with the provisions of articulation agreements with the college);
  • Other schools to which a student is transferring;
  • Certain government officials in order to carry out lawful functions;
  • Appropriate parties in connection with financial aid to a student;
  • Organizations conducting certain studies for the school;
  • Accrediting organizations;
  • Individuals who have obtained court orders or subpoenas;
  • Persons who need to know in cases of health and safety emergencies;
  • State and local authorities, within a juvenile justice system, pursuant to specific State law; and
  • Parents who can prove that the student is claimed as a dependent per IRS tax forms.

For More Information

For more information about FERPA, see the College Catalog. If you have questions about the privacy of your student record, please contact the Director of Enrollment Services/Registrar at 386.754.4291 or email Enrollment.Services@fgc.edu.

To File a FERPA Complaint

A post-secondary student may file a written complaint regarding an alleged violation under the FERPA act. The address is:

Family Policy Compliance Office
U.S. Department of Education
400 Maryland Avenue, SW
Washington, DC 20202-5920