Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA)

A guide to your rights as a student regarding your education records.

The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) is a federal law that affords eligible students certain rights with respect to their education records. (An "eligible student" under FERPA is a student who is 18 years of age or older, or who attends a postsecondary institution at any age.) These rights include:

1. The right to inspect and review your education records

You may inspect and review your education records within 45 days after the day InterCoast receives a written request for access. Submit a written request to the Registrar or Student Records office that identifies the record(s) you wish to inspect. The school will make arrangements for access and notify you of the time and place where the records may be inspected.

2. The right to request amendment of your education records

You may ask InterCoast to amend a record you believe is inaccurate, misleading, or otherwise in violation of your privacy rights under FERPA. Submit a written request to the Registrar, clearly identify the part of the record you want changed, and specify why it should be changed. If the school decides not to amend the record, it will notify you in writing of the decision and your right to a hearing regarding the request.

3. The right to consent to disclosures of personally identifiable information

You have the right to provide written consent before InterCoast discloses personally identifiable information from your education records, except to the extent that FERPA authorizes disclosure without consent. One exception that permits disclosure without consent is disclosure to school officials with legitimate educational interests. A school official is a person employed by the institution in an administrative, supervisory, academic, research, or support role; a person serving on a governing body; or a person or company with whom the school has contracted to perform a service (such as an attorney, auditor, or collection agent). A school official has a legitimate educational interest if the official needs to review an education record in order to fulfill their professional responsibility.

Directory information

InterCoast may disclose, without consent, "directory information" such as a student's name, address, telephone number, email address, dates of attendance, enrollment status, program of study, and degrees and certificates awarded. A student may request that the school not disclose directory information by notifying the Registrar in writing.

4. The right to file a complaint

You have the right to file a complaint with the U.S. Department of Education concerning alleged failures by InterCoast to comply with the requirements of FERPA. The office that administers FERPA is:

Student Privacy Policy Office
U.S. Department of Education
400 Maryland Avenue, SW
Washington, DC 20202

Questions

For questions about your education records or this notice, please contact us or call 877-CAREERS (877-227-3377). Additional information about FERPA is available from the U.S. Department of Education at studentprivacy.ed.gov.

FERPA documents

(877) CAREERS