FERPA Issues for Parents

• Do I have a right to access my child's records?
• Can I receive grades and progress reports?
• What about crisis situations or emergencies?
• Whom do I contact with questions or concerns?

Do I have a right to access my child's records?
At the university level, parents have no inherent rights to access or inspect their son or daughter's education records unless the student is a dependent as defined in section 152 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986. If the student is not a dependent, records may be released to parents only if they have been given a written release by the student or in compliance with a subpoena.

Students may grant their parents (or others) permission to access their educational records by filing an Authorization to Release Records to a Third Party form with the appropriate Registrar's Office. This form is included with letter offering the student admission to USD. The form remains in effect until rescinded by the student in writing.

Alternatively, parents or guardians who wish to obtain access to their student's education records may file a Request for Release of Education Records form with the appropriate Registrar's Office. This form must be filed annually with USD because tax dependency status can change from year to year.

Can I receive grades and progress reports?
Such things as progress in a course, deficiencies in a subject area, scores and grades on papers, exams, etc. are all examples of personally identifiable information that make up part of the student's education record. This information is protected under FERPA and parents may not have access unless the student has provided written authorization that specifically identifies what information may be released to the parent(s) or the parents have filed a Verification of Tax Dependency form with USD.

Parents or guardians who have filed a Verification of Tax Dependency form may also request to have their student's grades mailed directly to them by filing a Request for Student Grades form with the appropriate Registrar's Office.

What about crisis situations or emergencies?
If non-directory information is needed to resolve a crisis or emergency situation, an education institution may release that information if the institution determines that the information is "necessary to protect the health or safety of the student or other individuals." Factors considered in making this assessment are: the severity of the threat to the health or safety of those involved; the need for the information; the time required to deal with the emergency; and the ability of the parties to whom the information is to be given to deal with the emergency.

Whom do I contact with questions or concerns?
General questions may be directed to the appropriate Registrar: the University Registrar for undergraduate and graduate students, and the Law School Registrar for law students. Comments or suggestions from undergraduate and graduate students or their parents should be addressed to The Registrar Susan Bugbee, bugbee@sandiego.edu, (619) 260-4557, Founders Hall 113. Comments from law students should be addressed to Law School Registrar Marjorie Zhou, mzhou@sandiego.edu, (619) 260-4611, Warren Hall 202.