Legal Basics

The Student Privacy Policy Office (SPPO) is charged with implementing two laws that seek to ensure student and parental rights in education: The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) and Protection of Pupil Rights Amendment (PPRA)

FERPA provides that an educational entity that receives Department of Education (Department) funds may not have a policy or practice of denying parents right to:  

• Inspect and review education records within 45 days of a request (§ 99.10);
• Seek to amend education records believed to be inaccurate (§§ 99.20, 99.21, and 99.22);
• Consent to the disclosure of personally identifiable information (PII) from education records except as specified by law (§§ 99.30 and 99.31).

These rights transfer to the student when he or she turns 18 years of age or enters a postsecondary educational institution at any age (“eligible student”).   The FERPA regulations can be found here.