What is FERPA?

The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) is a federal law that protects the privacy of student education records. The law applies to all schools that receive funds under an applicable program of the U.S. Department of Education, such as federal financial aid for students.

As a parent, you may want access to your student's grades, financial records, academic records and other records. Wake Tech recognizes how important parents and other family members are to the success of our students, but we are limited by FERPA regarding the information we can share.

When a student, regardless of age, attends an institution of higher education such as Wake Tech, all rights to inspect and review the education record transfer from the parent to the student under FERPA. A student's educational records are confidential and will be shared by the college only with Wake Tech administrators or lending agencies that have a legitimate need to know this information. With a student's permission, we will share the student's records (academic records, account/billing information and/or financial aid records) with the student's parent(s), spouse and/or other individuals the student designates. This privacy release will remain in effect, unless revoked by the student, for the duration of the student's enrollment at Wake Tech.

In some cases, parents who claim a student as a dependent on their income tax return may have access to the student's Wake Tech education records without the student's prior written consent by filling out the Parent Certification of Student's Dependent Status for Federal Income Tax Purposes. This paperwork expires on April 15 of the following year and must be completed again with the current year's tax paperwork showing the student is still being claimed as a dependent.

General questions or concerns may be directed to Holly Swart, Registrar of Registration & Student Records Services Office, at 919-866-5933 or [email protected] .