FERPA

A United States federal law enacted in 1974 that protects the privacy of student education records. FERPA gives parents and eligible students (those over 18 or attending postsecondary education) rights to access, review, and request corrections to their educational records. The law also restricts disclosure of personally identifiable information without consent. For students with disabilities, FERPA intersects with accessibility accommodations, as disability-related documentation becomes part of protected educational records that institutions must safeguard.