What is FERPA?

FERPA is the acronym for the Family Educational Rights & Privacy Act of 1974, as amended.  It is also known as the "Buckley Amendment." 

Essentially, this law protects the privacy of student educational records and affords students the right to refuse to permit USW (and other educational institutions) from releasing or disclosing any information about them.  The purpose of FERPA is to identify the rights students have pertaining to their educational records.

The primary rights afforded to students include the right to:
  • Inspect and review their educational records
  • Seek to have their records amended
  • Control the disclosure of information from their records