A short, plain-English guide to the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act.
FERPA is a federal law that gives students 18 and older (or enrolled in college, whichever comes first) exclusive control over their educational records. Without their written consent, the university cannot share grades, attendance, financial-aid status, advising notes, or disciplinary records with anyone — including parents.
If you call the registrar to ask about your student's grades, the answer is, "We can't discuss that without your student's consent." This isn't to obstruct you — it's federal law. The same call about a 17-year-old would be answered freely.
The way around this is simple: your student grants you FERPA access via the Connect to my Student page in this portal. They can grant full access, or just billing, or just academics. They can revoke it anytime.
FERPA has a "health or safety emergency" exception. If your student is in danger, the university can — and will — share what's needed to protect them. Call (317) 555-0911 24/7 for safety concerns.
The single most useful thing families can do is have an explicit conversation with their student: "I want to be able to help if something goes sideways. Are you OK granting me FERPA access for billing and academic records?" The portal makes the granting itself a 60-second step.