Understanding Student Privacy: A Quick Guide to FERPA

Dear Parents and Families,

As your student continues their journey at Ohio Wesleyan University, October is a great time to familiarize yourself with the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA). This federal law protects the privacy of student educational records.

When a student enrolls in college, privacy rights transfer directly to them regardless of age. Here is what that means for your family:

  • What Is Protected: With few exceptions, university staff and faculty cannot share details regarding your student’s grades or financial accounts without their explicit permission.
  • How to Get Access: If your student wishes to share this information with you, they can authorize access using the FERPA Information Release (Self-Service online form – login required) [preview].

Thank you for partnering with us to support your student’s growing independence!

OWU Sponsoring Organization/Office: Office of the Registrar
Contact: Lee Richards at lprichards@owu.edu