The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) is a Federal law administered by the U.S. Department of Education; 34 CFR Part 99. FERPA applies to all educational agencies and institutions that receive federal funding. FERPA aims to protect the privacy of Student Education Records. Education records include any record containing personally identifiable information (PII) directly related to the student. PII is not limited to name but may include indirect identifiers as well. Note that student medical records from University Health Services (UHS) are considered student records and subject to FERPA regulations. To use student records for research purposes, you must first obtain informed consent from those students (with certain exceptions).

For details on FERPA requirements in human research, refer to HRP 331-WORKSHEET-FERPA Compliance. Additional information about FERPA may also be found on the Office of the Registrar’s website.