UT has changed the point at which a student’s educational records fall under federal protection.
Previously, student information became protected under the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974, or FERPA, when the student was admitted to UT. FERPA protection now will begin when the student registers for classes, which generally takes place after he or she is admitted.
University Registrar Monique Anderson says this will help students and their families during summer orientation.
“Students generally attend orientation after they are admitted to the university, and the last thing they do at the end of orientation is to register for classes,” Anderson said. “Before the change, if a student’s parents came to summer orientation and had questions about their child’s financial aid, we were not allowed to provide that information,” she said. “Now, we can provide the information they need to help their children.”
At orientation, new students can log on to MyUTK and allow their parents to continue to access their academic grades as well as pay their tuition and fees.
FERPA protects information such as a student’s Social Security number, grades, grade point average, academic schedule, and academic history. It does not protect information such as their name, local and permanent mailing addresses, e-mail address, college and major, and full-time or part-time status.
For more information on FERPA, visit ferpa.utk.edu.
—
CONTACT:
Charles Primm (865-974-5180, primmc@utk.edu)