Correct Inaccurate School Records Under FERPA

  1. Confirm who holds the FERPA right
    30 min

    FERPA rights sit with the parent while the student is under 18, then transfer to the student — the “eligible student” — at age 18 or at enrollment in a postsecondary institution, whichever comes first. Before you draft anything, determine who holds the right and what that means for signing the request.

    Work through the test in order:

    • Write down the student's date of birth and current enrollment status.
    • Under 18: you are the rights-holder. You sign the request; no consent is needed.
    • 18 or older, or enrolled in college: the student holds the right. Get their signed, written consent naming you and the records — unless you claim them as a dependent for federal income tax purposes, which lets the school share records with you but does not hand you the amendment right.
    • Check the school's annual FERPA notification for its own definition of eligible student — some programs treat enrollment, not age, as the trigger.
    • Write the outcome in one line: who signs, whether consent is required, and the date you confirmed it.