Data Governance

Letter to West Virginia University explaining that the nationality of students cannot be designated as a "directory information" item for disclosure to a third party.

Letter to a parent explaining that information in a student's education records about his or her HIV status may be disclosed in connection with a health or safety emergency, if certain conditions or met.

Letter to the University of South Carolina explaining that FERPA permits the disclosure of a student's scholarship information if the financial aid or scholarship is considered an honor or award based on academic or athletic achievement under FERPA's directory information provisions.

Letter regarding the applicability of FERPA to disclosures of personally identifiable information from students' education records  to a state commission on higher education and whether that commission may redisclose the information to other institutions.

Letter regarding the applicability of FERPA to records of home-schooled students maintained by a State agency.

Letter addressing whether FERPA permits an educational institution to disclose to credit reporting bureaus all student loan information, including the status of a loan prior to delinquency.

Letter to a high school student explaining that the Family Policy Compliance Office interprets the provisions of FERPA that permit a student, at any age, to waive their right to inspect and review letters of recommendation to also apply at the secondary level. not just at the postsecondary level.

Letter addressing the FERPA complaint process and explaining that the Department does not investigate matters that are subject to litigation, pending outcome of the litigation against the school.

Letter to Minnesota SEA explaining that FERPA requires that a hearing for amendment of education records be held at the local level, not at the State level.