Personally Identifiable Information for Education Records

Personally identifiable information for education records is a FERPA term referring to identifiable information that is maintained in education records and includes direct identifiers, such as a student’s name or identification number, indirect identifiers, such as a student’s date of birth, or other information which can be used to distinguish or trace an individual’s identity either directly or indirectly through linkages with other information.

See Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act Regulations, 34 CFR §99.3, for a complete definition of PII specific to education records and for examples of other data elements that are defined to constitute PII. Additional information is available in the PTAC publication Protecting Student Privacy While Using Online Educational Services.