What is FERPA and Who is Protected Under FERPA?
FERPA stands for the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (sometimes called the Buckley Amendment) (See 20 U.S.C. §1232g; 34 CFR Part 99). Passed by Congress in 1974, the Act grants four specific rights to the eligible student*:
-the right to see the education records that the institution is keeping on the student;
-the right to seek amendment to those records and in certain cases append a statement to the record;
-the right to consent to disclosure of his/her records; and
-the right to file a complaint with the Family Policy Compliance Office.
*ELIGIBLE STUDENT: When a student turns 18 years old, or enters a postsecondary institution at any age, the rights under FERPA transfer from the parents or guardians to the student. TCNJ defines students “in attendance” as being protected with FERPA rights beginning on the first day of the semester.