What is FERPA?
The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 (FERPA) is a federal law that gives protection to student educational records and provides students with certain rights. The law assigns the student as the owner of his/her educational record and provides guidelines on how the educational institution is to use and release protected information.
This ensures that information such as the student’s grades are not public information and that the student controls who has access to this information. This law also requires the educator to grant the students access to their personal records.
What Does FERPA Mean for Parents?
- When a student reaches the age of 18 or begins attending a postsecondary institution regardless of age, FERPA rights transfer to the student. Your student's information is kept secure and private from the public.
- Parents may obtain directory information at the discretion of the institution.
- Parents may obtain non-directory information (grades, GPA, etc.) with signed consent from students who have chosen to allow release of non-directory information to parents.
- Students also have the ability to create guest account access into their MavLINK for parents or others they designate.
What Information can be Released?
The University is allowed to select some information about a student to make accessible to the public. This information is called "Public Directory Information" and is available to the public upon request (unless a student has requested that this information not be released):
Public Directory Information is student information that is generally available to the public.
Public Directory Information
- Student name
- Year at the University
- Dates of attendance
- Academic college and major field of study
- Enrollment status (undergraduate or graduate; full-time or part-time)
- Participation in officially recognized activities and sports
- Degrees, honors, and awards received
- Most recent educational agency or institution attended
- Public Directory information may be included in student directories published electronically.
- This release of this information is not normally considered a violation of a person's privacy and may be disclosed without a student’s written consent unless a student has requested that this information not be released.
What Type of Information Can't be Released?
FERPA governs the release of and access to education records. The following information is non-directory information and cannot be released without the student’s written permission.
- Date of Birth
- Academic Standing
- Entrance Exam Results
- Class Schedule/Roster
- Social Security Number
- Grades
- Age
- Transcript
- Gender
- Citizenship
- Student Identification Number
- Parent Address(es)
- Race/Ethnicity
- Country of Origin
- Semester Grade Point Average
- Cumulative Grade Point Average
- Student Account Information
- Financial Aid Information
What are my Student's Basic Rights?
Subject to FERPA exclusions, the right to see the information 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.
- The right to file a complaint with the U.S. Department of Education.
- The right to obtain a copy of the University of Nebraska at Omaha's Student Records Policy. A copy of the policy is available at the Office of the University Registrar, Eppley Administration Building, Room 105. For information regarding the Student Records Policy, please contact the Office at 402.554.2314.
How can I Gain Access to my Student's Records?
We understand that many students wish to share information with their parents and family members, so we have created a method that allows students to provide third-party access to this information. Up to five (5) parent/guest accounts can be created with unique access options. Students can authorize another person, such as a parent or guardian, to view specific types of personal information in the Student Information System (SIS) through a Guest Account.
For example: a student may want to give parents the ability to pay a bill, find an address, or view grades.
Students can initiate the creation of a parent/guest account or a guest account can be requested from the student.
Learn how to request parent/guest access.