Under the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), eligible students have rights with respect to their educational records. An “eligible student” under FERPA is a student who is 18 years of age or older and who attends or has attended a postsecondary institution.
Students at Appalachian State University are notified by email of these FERPA rights to their Appalachian State University email account at the beginning of each term.
Student rights under FERPA
Right to inspect and review education records
Students have the right to inspect and review their education records within 45 days after the Registrar receives an access request.
- The Registrar's Office is designated by the University as the official custodian of education records.
- To inspect and review records, a student should submit a written request to the Office of the Registrar identifying the record they wish to inspect. Access will be given within 45 days from the date of the request.
- The Registrar's Office will make the necessary arrangements for access and notify the student of the time and place where the records may be inspected.
- When a record contains information about more than one student, the student may inspect and review only that portion of the record which pertains directly to him or her.
Right to seek to amend records
Students have the right to seek to amend the records that a student believes to be inaccurate, misleading or otherwise in violation of their privacy rights under FERPA.
- To request an amendment, a student must submit a written request to the Office of the Registrar asking that a record be amended, clearly identifying the part that needs amendment and why they believe it to be inaccurate, misleading or in violation of their rights.
- The University, represented by the Registrar's Office and, if applicable, in consultation with the office that maintains the record in question, will decide either to comply or to not comply.
- If the University decides to comply, it will amend the record and notify the student, in writing, that the record has been amended.
- If the University decides to not comply, it will notify the student of the decision and advise the student of his or her right to a hearing to challenge the information believed to be inaccurate, misleading, or otherwise in violation of the student's rights.
- If the University does not comply, and upon receiving a written request from the student, the University will arrange for a hearing and notify the student, in sufficient time, of the date, place, and time of the hearing.
Right to provide written consent before disclosure of personally identifiable information
Students have the right to provide written consent before disclosure of personally identifiable information from the records (except to the extent that FERPA authorizes disclosure without consent).
For more information on release of student information, visit our section on Release of Student Information.
Right to file a complaint
Students have the right to file a complaint with the U.S. Department of Education regarding an alleged failure by the institution to comply with FERPA.
To file a complaint, students can write to:
Family Policy Compliance Office
US Department of Education
400 Maryland Avenue SW
Washington, DC 20202