FERPA (Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act)

Student Rights

In accordance with federal law, students are hereby notified that they have the following rights with respect to their education records: 

• The right to inspect and review your education record within a reasonable time after the College receives a request for access. If you want to review your record, contact the Registrar's Office to make appropriate arrangements.

• The right to request an amendment of your education record if you believe it is inaccurate or misleading. If you feel there is an error in your record, you should submit a statement to the Registrar, clearly identifying the part of the record you want changed and why you believe it is inaccurate or misleading. The Registrar will notify you of their decision and advise you regarding appropriate steps if you do not agree with the decision.

• The right to consent to disclosure of personally identifiable information contained in your education records, except to the extent that FERPA authorizes disclosure without consent. One exception which permits disclosure without consent is disclosure to school officials with "legitimate educational interests." A school official has a legitimate educational interest if the official has a "need to know" information from your education record in order to fulfill his or her official responsibilities. Examples of people who may have access, depending on their official duties, and only within the context of those duties, include: College faculty and staff, agents of the institution, students employed by the institution or who serve on official institutional committees, and representatives of agencies under contract with the College.

• The right to file a complaint with the U.S. Department of Education concerning alleged failures by the College to comply with the requirements of FERPA. Release of student record information is generally not done at The College of Idaho without the expressed, written consent of the student. There are, however, some exceptions. 
    
  For example, directory information includes the following, and may be released without the student's consent: name, local address, home address, email address, local telephone number, home telephone number, major, status (including current enrollment, dates of attendance, full-time/part-time, withdrawn), honors received (e.g., Dean's List recognition), participation in officially recognized activities and sports, weight and height of members of athletic teams. Please note that you have the right to withhold the release of directory information. To do so, you must complete a "Directory Hold" form, which is available from the Office of the Registrar. Please note two important details regarding placing a "No Release" on your record:       

  • The College receives many inquiries for directory information from a variety of sources outside the institution, including friends, parents, relatives, prospective employers, the news media and honor societies. Having a "No Release" on your record will preclude release of such information, even to those people.

  • A "No Release" applies to all elements of directory information on your record. The College of Idaho does not apply a "No Release" differentially to the various directory information data elements.

Directory Information

At its discretion, the College may provide directory information in accordance with the provisions of FERPA (the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act) to include a student's

• Name
• Address
• Telephone number
• E-mail address
• Major field of study
• Dates of attendance
• Class standing
• Full- or part-time status
• Degrees and awards received
• Photos
• Most recent previous educational agency or institution attended
• Participation in officially recognized activities and sports
• Weight and height (members of varsity athletics teams)

Students may withhold directory information by notifying the Registrar's Office and filling out the appropriate form. This request for non-disclosure will be honored until it is revoked. A request to withhold directory information will prevent the student's name and degree from being published on the Dean's Honor Roll and in the Commencement program. If non-directory information is required during an emergency, The College of Idaho may release that information if it deems that the information is necessary to protect the health or safety of the student or other individuals.

Students may allow the release of academic and/or financial information to designated individuals by completing the Information Release form that can be obtained in the Registrar's Office.

Protecting Student Privacy

College employees can no longer release Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) related information in-person, over the phone or via email to anyone other than the student. This includes family members. 

New guidance released from the Department of Education states universities and colleges cannot release information derived from a student’s Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) to anyone other than the student or instutional departments with express need to aid in determine eligiblity. FAFSA data includes application status, EFC (expected family contribution), financial need, award information, housing plans as declared on the FAFSA, and any other information resulting from the student’s FAFSA responses.

It has been the College's policy to allow students to sign a Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) Release of Information Authorization Form to grant permission to provide FAFSA information to others, including family members.  This practice is no longer permissible according to the U.S. Department of Education's (ED) Privacy and Technical Assistance Center’s (PTAC) interpretation of the Higher Education Act (HEA). College employees may only share this information directly with the student. For additional information on this topic, please go here.

All institutions participating in federal financial aid programs are required to provide enrolled and potential students and current and prospective employees' available consumer information.  This page provides useful links that fulfill the College's compliance with the disclosure requirements under the 1998 Amendments to the Higher Education Act of 1965 to disclose annually where the following student consumer information may be found. You can find this information here.