The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) affords students certain rights with respect to their education records. They are:
The right to inspect and review the student's education records within forty-five days of the day that the Institute receives the request for access.
Students should submit written requests to the Registrar's office in order to identify the record(s) they wish to inspect. The Registrar will make arrangements for access and notify the student of the time and place where the records may be inspected.
Students should specify the specific records being requested as stated below when making such written request:
- Transcripts (Office of the Registrar)
- Student Disciplinary Records (Office of Student Integrity)
- Title IX records (Title IX Coordinator)
- Student Housing (Department of Housing)
- Financial Aid Records (Office of Scholarships and Financial Aid)
For education records that are not specified above, please include a sufficient description and, if possible, the location for the requested records as these records are transient in nature and are not routinely maintained as part of a student's FERPA records.
Please note that fees may be assessed solely to remove other student information that is protected by FERPA and that may be contained within these transient records. You will not be charged to review your student records except as stated herein and we will notify you first if fees may be assessed.
The right to request the amendment of the student's education records that the student believes are inaccurate or misleading.
Students may ask the Institute to amend a record that they believe is inaccurate or misleading. They should write the registrar, clearly identifying the part of the record they want changed, and specify why it is inaccurate or misleading.
If the Institute decides not to amend the record as requested by the student, the Institute will notify the student of the decision and advise the student of their right to a hearing regarding the request for amendment. Additional information regarding the hearing procedures will be provided to the student when notified of the right to a hearing.
The right to consent to disclosures of personally identifiable information contained in the student's education records, except to the extent that FERPA authorizes disclosure without consent.
One exception which permits disclosure without consent is disclosure to school officials with legitimate educational interests. A school official is
- a person whether volunteering for or employed by the Institute in an administrative, supervisory, academic or research, or support staff position (including law enforcement unit personnel and health staff);
- a person or company with whom the Institute has contracted (such as an attorney, auditor, or collection agent);
- a person serving on the Board of Regents;
- a staff member in the office of the Board of Regents;
- staff in the Office of the Attorney General; or
- a student serving on an official committee, such as a disciplinary or grievance committee, or assisting another school official in performing their tasks.
A school official has a legitimate educational interest if the official needs to review an education record in order to fulfill their professional responsibility.
The right to file a complaint with the United States Department of Education concerning alleged failures by the Georgia Institute of Technology to comply with the requirements of FERPA.
The name and address of the Office that administers FERPA is:
Family Policy Compliance Office
U.S. Department of Education
400 Maryland Avenue, SW
Washington, DC 20202-4605