Resources

This section houses all guidance documents, training materials, policy letters and other resources dedicated to protecting student privacy.  To narrow the list of documents below, use the drop down menus to select the type of resource, the topic and/or the audience and click the ‘apply’ button.  An updated list of resources will then be displayed below.

Guidance
Letters

Letter to Liberty University

This letter was sent to Liberty University in regards to a request for clarification on the extent FERPA would require Liberty University to provide individuals allegedly involved in fraud rings with the opportunity to inspect and review investigation reports prepared by the University related to suspected financial aid fraud.  

Letters

FTC and the Department of Education to Host Workshop on Student Privacy and Ed Tech; Seeking Public Comments

The U.S. Department of Education and the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) will host a joint workshop on December 1, 2017 to explore the intersection of Children's Online Privacy Protection Rule (COPPA) and the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 (FERPA).

This workshop will solicit input from a variety of education technology vendors, schools, parents, advocates, and privacy professionals to discuss their experiences navigating FERPA and COPPA while implementing education technology in a classroom setting.  The Department and the FTC are interested in learning about experiences, both positive and negative, in navigating the intersection of these statutes.   

You can find a full list of questions, and information about how to submit comments, in the attached document.   The workshop, which is free and open to the public, will be at the FTC’s Constitution Center, 400 7th St., SW, Washington, DC.  It will be webcast live on the FTC’s website. 

Letters

Rescinded: August 2020 - Cover letter to the Department’s annual notices to SEAs and LEAs

Rescinded: August 2020

The Department of Education (Department) is required to notify annually each State educational agency (SEA) and each local educational agency (LEA) of its obligations, as a recipient of Department funds, under the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) and the Protection of Pupil Rights Amendment (PPRA).  This is the cover letter to the Department’s annual notices to SEAs and LEAs.

Letters

Letter to Representative Suzanne Bonamici providing clarification on the applicability of the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA)to college and university students’ medical records

Letter to Representative Suzanne Bonamici providing clarification on the applicability of the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) (20 U.S.C. § 1232g; 34 CFR Part 99) to college and university students’ medical records, including therapy and treatment records, held by educational institutions. 

Letters

Letter to Senator Ron Wyden providing clarification on the applicability of the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) to college and university students’ medical records.

Letter to Senator Ron Wyden providing clarification on the applicability of the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) (20 U.S.C. § 1232g; 34 CFR Part 99) to college and university students’ medical records, including therapy and treatment records, held by educational institutions.