Information regarding the release of student information

Explanation

The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 (FERPA) is a federal law. It governs:

The release of education records maintained by Texas Tech, and the responsibility of the university
The privacy of student education records
Students' rights to access their education records

Difference between directory information and education records

Examples of directory information	Examples of education records
Student name Local and permanent address Place of birth Major field of study Classification Dates of attendance Degree, awards, and honors received Participation in officially recognized sports/activities Previous institution attended Specific enrollment status (full time, part time, undergrad, law, etc.)	Grades and GPA Transcripts Schedules Papers, tests, and test scores Disciplinary records Personally identifiable information (PII) [Date of birth, phone numbers, Social Security number, TechID, gender, email address, ethnicity)

Directory information can be released unless the student has chosen to restrict it by enabling the confidentiality option in Raiderlink. If the student has chosen to withhold the information, it cannot be released outside the university, or even to someone inside the university unless they have a need to know for a job-related task.

Students can sign a waiver to voluntarily release their education/academic records to anyone they wish, such as their parent/guardian. Academic information cannot be given over the phone; it must be either in person or via written request.

NOTE: The FERPA waiver form would be recognized by the Office of the Registrar, but other TTU departments may not be aware that the waiver was signed.

Another option is a student signing a power of attorney document. There are student legal offices on campus that can help with this sort of decision, but it would have to be entirely voluntary on the student's part.

Even if the student signs a power of attorney document or some sort of release, when the third-party individual contacts a particular TTU department, they would have to present the power of attorney document each time. Texas Tech does not have a system in place to make this available to each department.

Educational records may also be released to a parent if the parent submits evidence to the Office of the Registrar that they claim the student as a dependent for federal income tax purposes.

OUTCOME

Parents with questions can call the Parent Relations office at 806-742-3630 or 888-888-7409, or email parent@ttu.edu. For students with disabilities, contact Student Disability Services at 806-742-2404 or accesstech@ttu.edu. Other parties can contact the office of the Vice President for Student Affairs at 806-742-4360 or the Office of the Registrar.