What type of information is excluded from FERPA protections?

FERPA, or the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act, is designed to protect the privacy of student educational records. However, there are specific categories of information that are not subject to FERPA protections.

Medical records, for instance, are governed by separate regulations such as HIPAA (Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act). This means that while educational records are protected under FERPA, medical records maintained by a healthcare provider or institution are not covered under this law.

Law enforcement records are also excluded from FERPA protections. These records, created by law enforcement agencies for law enforcement purposes, fall outside the scope of student educational records and are regulated differently.

Similarly, information related to job placement—if it is not part of the educational record maintained by the educational institution—may also be exempt from FERPA protections. Such information often pertains more to employment services rather than academic performance and is not typically covered under the definitions set forth in FERPA.

Including all these categories—medical records, law enforcement records, and job placement information—as excluded from FERPA protections provides a comprehensive understanding of what is not covered, emphasizing the particular types of information that are governed by other laws or policies.