Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA)
We want to take this opportunity to give you a brief summary of your rights under the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA). This is a federal law that governs release of and access to student education records. These rights include:
1. The right to inspect and review the student’s education records within 45 days of the day LCCC receives a request for access.
Students must submit to the Director of Registration/Student Records a written request that identifies the record(s) they wish to inspect. The Director of Registration/Student Records will make arrangements for access and notify the student of the time and place where the records may be inspected. If the records are not maintained by Registration/Student Records to whom the request was submitted, the Director of Registration/Student Records will advise the student of the correct official to whom the request should be addressed.
2. The right to request an amendment of the student’s education records that the student believes are inaccurate or misleading.
Students must submit a written request to the Director of Registration/Student Records to amend a record that they believe is inaccurate or misleading. They must clearly identify the part of the record they want changed, and specify why it is inaccurate or misleading.
If LCCC decides not to amend the record as requested by the student, LCCC will notify the student of the decision and advise the student of his or her right to a hearing regarding the request for amendment. Additional information regarding the hearing procedures will be provided to the student when notified of the right to a hearing.
3. The right to consent to disclosures of personally identifiable information contained in the student’s education records, except to the extent that FERPA authorizes disclosure without consent.
An exception which permits disclosure without consent is disclosure to school officials with legitimate educational interests. A school official is a person employed by the college in an administrative, supervisory, academic, research, or support staff position (including law enforcement unit personnel and health staff); a person or company with whom the college has contracted (such as an attorney, auditor, collection agency, or service provider such as the National Student Clearinghouse); a person serving on the Board of Trustees; or a student serving on an official committee, such as a disciplinary or grievance committee, or assisting another school official in performing his or her tasks. A school official has a legitimate educational interest if the official needs to review an education record in order to fulfill his or her professional responsibility.
Authorization for Release of Information Form
The College may disclose education records without consent in certain circumstances:
- to comply with a court order or certain types of subpoenas.
- in connection with a health or safety emergency to appropriate parties including student’s parents.
- upon written request to officials of another school in which a student seeks or intends to enroll.
- to a student’s parents if either parent has claimed the student as a dependent on the parent’s most recent year’s income tax statement.
- FERPA does not require colleges and universities to grant such parental access. LCCC does so as a matter of policy. A copy of the parent’s most recent federal income tax forms is required to verify the student’s dependent status. This information should be provided to the Office of Registration & Student Records.
- in connection with a student’s request for or receipt of financial aid, as necessary to determine eligibility, amount or conditions of the financial aid, or to enforce the terms and conditions of the aid.
- to certain officials of the U.S. Department of Education, the Comptroller General, to state and local educational authorities, in connection with certain state or federally supported programs.
- to accrediting organizations to carry out their functions.
- to organizations conducting studies for or on behalf of the College.
- the results of an institutional disciplinary proceeding against the alleged perpetrator of a crime of violence may be released to the alleged victim of that crime with respect to that crime.
4. The right to file a complaint with the U.S. Department of Education concerning alleged failures by LCCC to comply with the requirements of FERPA.
The name and address of the office that administers FERPA is:
Family Policy Compliance Office
U.S. Department of Education
400 Maryland Avenue, SW
Washington, DC 20202-5920
Accessible records do not include financial records of a student’s parents, confidential letters, statements, and/or recommendations which were placed in the educational records prior to January 1, 1975.
Directory Information Release
The following is considered “directory information” at Lehigh Carbon Community College and will be made available to the general public unless the student notifies the office of Registration/Student Records in person or in writing before the last day of the refund period for the full semester. This information will be released without a student’s written consent.
- Student name
- Degrees and awards received
- Expected date of completion of degree requirements and graduation
- Dates of attendance
- Participation in officially recognized activities and sports
- Weight and height of members of athletic teams
- Major field of study
- Degree sought or completed
- Full- or part-time enrollment status
LCCC will release only the following directory information items in response to telephone or email requests: student name, expected and completed dates of graduation, and enrollment status.
Under the provisions of the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974, you have the right to withhold disclosure of such directory information. LCCC will honor your request to withhold directory information.
Please consider carefully the consequences of any decision to withhold such directory information. If you decide not to release any of this information, any requests for such information from LCCC will be refused.
This signed request must be received in the office of Registration/Student Records by 4:45 p.m. before the last day of the refund period for the full semester which is posted on the college website. This form will remain in effect until the student notifies the office of Registration/Student Records in writing of their wish to release directory information. Students, by completing this form, will prevent the release of directory information. LCCC will not verify attendance or graduation to potential employers, publish the student’s name in the graduation program or dean’s list, and make athletes ineligible to participate in any activity requiring publication of a team roster. Upon request, a student may request a paper copy of the “Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974” by emailing registrar@mymail.lccc.edu or pick up a copy in the office of Registration/Student Records.
