Are college students' records protected under FERPA?

College students' records are indeed protected under FERPA, or the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act, once they attend a post-secondary institution. This legislation establishes that students have the right to access their education records and provides them with some control over the disclosure of personally identifiable information contained in those records.

Protection begins as soon as students enroll in college and does not depend on age or the duration of their enrollment. This means that regardless of whether a student is a first-year student or returning for further studies, their records remain protected under FERPA. This law is designed to safeguard the privacy of students' educational information and maintain the confidentiality of their academic records, ensuring that it can only be shared with authorized parties under specific circumstances.