FERPA and Dual Enrollment
FERPA and Dual Enrollment
Students who are concurrently enrolled in both high school and postsecondary courses are protected under applicable federal and state laws that govern the privacy and confidentiality of educational records. The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) provides specific rights regarding the privacy of student education records. For students simultaneously enrolled in high school and a postsecondary institution (commonly referred to as dual enrollment) these rights are applied based on the educational context in which the records are maintained.
1. Rights Pertaining to High School Records
- When a student is enrolled in a high school, parents have rights under FERPA as long
as the student has not yet reached 18 years of age or entered a postsecondary institution.
This means that parents can access their child's high school records and request changes.
They also have some control over disclosing personally identifiable information (PII)
from these records.
2. Rights Pertaining to Postsecondary Records
- Once a student begins attending a postsecondary institution (regardless of age) FERPA rights transfer to the student. This means that the student has the sole authority to inspect, review, and control
the disclosure of their postsecondary education records. In the context of dual enrollment,
the rights to any records maintained by the college or university reside with the
student, not the parent.
As a result, parents have the right to access high school records without their student's consent; however, they cannot access postsecondary records without the student's written authorization unless a relevant exception under FERPA applies (for example, if the student is claimed as a dependent on the parent’s tax return and the institution chooses to disclose records under that provision).
York Technical College respects and upholds these rights. Therefore, student education records at the college level are considered confidential and will not be disclosed to parents or guardians without the student’s written consent. We recognize the vital role that parents play in supporting their student’s academic journey. Thus, we encourage parents of dual enrolled students to respect their student’s ownership of their education records. We urge parents to engage in open communication with their students and to seek information in ways that honor and protect the student’s privacy and legal rights.
How can the student grant their parent(s) or guardian(s) access to their education records?
Students may grant permission for their parent(s) or guardian(s) to access their education records by logging into their Navigate account and completing the FERPA Consent form.
For additional information about FERPA or assistance with the consent process, please contact the Registrar’s Office at arecords@yorktech.edu.