Understanding FERPA and Your Dual Credit Student
As your student enrolls in dual credit courses, it's important to understand a key federal law that changes how you access their educational information. This law is FERPA, the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act.
Here’s a simple breakdown of what changes and why.
📘 FERPA in High School (Secondary Education)
In the K-12 system, FERPA grants parents the rights to their child's education records. This means you have the right to:
- Access your child's grades, transcripts, and attendance records.
- Request corrections to records you believe are inaccurate.
- Control the release of your child's information to third parties.
🎓 The FERPA Shift in Dual Credit (Post-Secondary Education)
The moment your student enrolls in a college course—even a dual credit course taught at the high school—they are legally considered a post-secondary student.
Under FERPA, this causes a significant change: All privacy rights transfer from the parent to the student, regardless of the student's age.
This means that for their college records (including grades, enrollment status, and correspondence with the college instructor), your student—not you—now has sole control. The college or university cannot legally share this information with you without your student's direct, written consent.
🤝 How to Stay Involved
This change in privacy doesn't mean you have to be out of the loop. The best way to stay informed about your student's college progress is to talk with them directly.
Additionally, your student can grant you access. Most colleges and universities have a specific FERPA waiver or consent form that your student can fill out. This form allows them to designate you (or anyone else) to have access to their educational records. We strongly encourage you to discuss this option with your student as they begin their dual credit journey.