If a researcher wishes to use student education records as part of a research study, the Family Education Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) generally applies. 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) or from the parents/guardians when the student is a minor.
Examples of research using educational records include:
- Research conducted in educational settings, including medical schools, when the investigator will use an exam or course evaluation for a research purpose and the exam or course evaluation would be completed by the student regardless of the research.
- Research that uses student health records held by a university health clinic or data on the care received at a university health clinic (e.g. University Health Services).
- Research involving documents with a student’s name, ID number, or other identifier
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.