For Students: FERPA Release and FERPA Waiver

Customer Support Team Updated by Customer Support Team

The following information on FERPA is covered in this article:

What is the difference between FERPA Release and FERPA Waiver?

Both FERPA Release and FERPA Waiver provide clarity with regards to the disclosure of personally identifiable information contained in education records and protect the confidentiality of information provided during the college application process.

  • The FERPA Release applies to the high school and should be collected and maintained by the high school. The high school sets this on their end in Scoir.
  • The FERPA Waiver applies to colleges and should be forwarded to colleges along with other application-related documents.


How do I sign my FERPA release and waiver?

If you are linked to a high school that is using Scoir to collect FERPA signatures, you will be able to review and sign your FERPA Release Authorization and Waiver of Rights forms by clicking the Review and Sign links beneath each form from the My Profile page.

You will also be prompted upon sign in to Scoir if you have not yet signed and can sign by selecting the Get started green button.

The status of each form will be represented beside the form name after they have been completed.

Be sure to double check your responses and signature before you sign! You must contact your counselor if you wish to make changes to your FERPA Release Authorization or Waiver of Rights after you complete and sign.

Please note: You cannot make edits on your end once you sign these forms. Any changes after signature will need to be done by your counselor.

Who needs to sign the FERPA Release and FERPA Waiver - student, parent or both?

Short Answer:

  • FERPA Release:  If the student is 18 or older, then only the student needs to sign.  If the student is under the age of 18, then only a parent/guardian needs to sign. 
  • FERPA Waiver:  Only the student needs to sign.

 

Long Answer:

FERPA §99.30 requires “a signed and dated written consent” from a “parent or eligible student” prior to disclosing “personally identifiable information from the student's education records.”  §99.3 defines ‘eligible student’ as "a student who has reached 18 years of age or is attending an institution of postsecondary education.

99.5(c) limits a student’s rights to inspect records, “including records maintained in connection with the student's application for admission,” to educational institutions in which the “student is accepted and attends.” Since students must be attending a postsecondary institution to have these rights, they are deemed eligible students regardless of age.

Related resource: How parents can sign the FERPA release

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