FAQ

The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (also sometimes referred to as the Buckley Amendment), is a federal law regarding the privacy of student education records and the obligations of the institution, primarily in the areas of release of the records and the access provided to these records.

The U.S. Department of Education is responsible for overseeing FERPA. See the Department's website for additional information.

Records maintained by Mendocino College include, but are not limited to: transcripts (grades), electronic shared notes, exam papers, test scores, evaluations, financial aid records and loan collection records.

  • Admissions records
  • Alumni records
  • Personnel/Employment records*
  • Police records
  • Psychological Services/Medical records**
  • Personal records of instructional, supervisory, and administrative personnel and educational personnel which:
    • are not accessible or revealed to any other individual.
    • are kept in the sole possession of the maker of the record;

*If the employment (e.g., work study ) is contingent on the person being a registered student, then the personnel/employment records pertaining to that position are consider student/educational records.

**Psychological Services/Medical records are not student/educational records so long as they are made and maintained by a medical professional, used only in connection with treatment of the student, AND disclosed only to individuals providing treatment. These records become student/educational records and governed by FERPA once they are used or shared for purposes other than treatment.

No.  Your child is considered an adult, regardless of age or financial dependence.

Because FERPA legislation prevents parents from finding out student grades and academic standing directly from the school, the best way to find out how your student is doing is to ask them.

The sharing of student academic information with parents becomes a family issue rather than an institutional one. It is a decision that families should discuss and make together. Perhaps one of the benefits of the FERPA rule is that it provides an additional opportunity for parents to communicate with their college student about their expectations and the student's responsibilities. Rather than seeing this legislation as a barrier to good college parenting, parents might see this as an important opportunity for meaningful dialogue with the student. Any educational institution that receives funds under any program administered by the U.S. Secretary of Education is bound by FERPA regulations.

In most cases, the college will not contact you or provide medical, academic, or disciplinary information without your child's permission. As a general guideline, if your child is able to communicate about the situation, it is up to them to decide whether and how to discuss the issues.

If non-directory information is needed to resolve a crisis or emergency situation, an education institution may release that information if the institutions determines that the information is "necessary to protect the health or safety of the student or other individuals".