The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 (FERPA) is a federal law that pertains to the release of and access to student educational records. The law, which seeks to protect the rights of students and to ensure the privacy and accuracy of education records, applies to all schools that receive funds under applicable programs administered by the U.S. Department of Education. You can learn more about it here.

FERPA restricts the ability of WWC from releasing student information (including financial and academic records) to anyone, including a parent, guardian, or family member who hasn't been authorized by the student.  This means that a student must authorize their parent or family member to view their student account, grade reports, or to speak with college personnel about non-medical issues relating to their attendance at Warren Wilson.

Records for the Counseling Center and Health Center are considered medical records and are not covered under FERPA guidelines. A separate release form must be obtained from these departments.

Visit this link for additional information and to complete the form to authorize parents or family members to view your student account, grades, and to be able to speak with college personnel about you.