What is FERPA? FERPA stands for Federal Family Education Rights and Privacy Act. This is a federal law that protects students and their private information. All PSEO students are granted the same protections under FERPA as Lake Superior College regularly enrolled students.
What information is protected? Directory information is considered public and can be released without the student’s written permission; however, the student may opt to keep this information confidential. Directory information at Lake Superior College would include: name, address, phone, field of study, dates of attendance, enrollment status, classification, graduation date, degrees, honors, and awards received. Information not included in the list above is private student information and may not be released outside the college without student’s written permissions or as otherwise provided in the Minnesota State Policy on Student Education Records.
Does FERPA apply to minors? Yes. FERPA offers the same protections to minors and adult students. Parents/guardians of minors are not able to access non-directory information without a signed Authorization to Release Student Information, even if they are still in high school and/or paying for their student’s education.
What if a student wants to share more information with their parents/guardians? The student should fill out an Authorization to Release Student Information and return it to the PSEO Advisor at Lake Superior College.
What information can be shared with the high schools? High schools may be given information they need for a “legitimate educational purpose.” They may not be given additional information beyond what falls under the legitimate educational purpose. The information they are given must be kept confidential, and they must not use the information for anything other than the legitimate educational purpose for which it was intended.
Can students get a copy of their college transcript from Lake Superior College? Yes, students can request an official copy of their Lake Superior College transcripts for a $5 fee.
Is Lake Superior College required to comply with commercial requests for student information? Yes. The college must respond to requests in a reasonable amount of time. Only directory information can be supplied, and the commercial entity may be charged for the information according to Minnesota State policies.
What if there is an emergency and someone needs to contact or locate a student who may be on a Lake Superior College campus? Lake Superior College employees cannot make exceptions to FERPA regulations, even when there is an emergency. If someone needs to contact or locate a student they believe to be on campus, they should contact Lake Superior College, explain the situation, and provide contact information. Lake Superior College will attempt to locate the student and relay the message.
Where can I get more information on Lake Superior College Policies? View our Notice of Student Rights webpage. This link contains the forms to authorize and withhold release of information.
