The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) affords eligible students certain rights with respect to their Education Records. An “eligible student” under FERPA is a student who attends a postsecondary institution at any age. These rights include:
- The right to inspect and review the student's Education Records within 45 days after the day the University of Maryland Global Campus (“UMGC” or “University”) receives a request for access.
A student should submit to the Office of the Registrar a written request that identifies the record(s) the student wishes to inspect. The Registrar (“Custodian”) or designee will make arrangements for access and notify the student of the options available to inspect the records in the presence of a staff member or if that is not feasible, the student may request copies of their Education Records by contacting studentrecords@umgc.edu. If the records are not maintained by the UMGC representative to whom the request was submitted, that official shall advise the student of the correct official to whom the request should be addressed. - The right to request the amendment of the student’s Education Records that the student believes is inaccurate, misleading, or otherwise in violation of the student’s privacy rights under FERPA.
A student who wishes to ask UMGC to amend a record should write studentrecords@umgc.edu, clearly identify the part of the record the student wants changed and specify why it should be changed.
If UMGC decides not to amend the record as requested, UMGC will notify the student in writing of the decision and the student’s right to a hearing regarding the request for amendment. Additional information regarding the hearing procedures will be provided to the student when notified of the right to a hearing and can also be found in UMGC Policy III-6.30 FERPA and Disclosure of Student Records. - The right to provide written consent before UMGC discloses information from the student's Education Records, except to the extent that FERPA authorizes disclosure without consent.
In some limited cases, UMGC can share Education Records without consent. One such instance where this may occur is when information from a student’s Education Record is designated as “Directory Information.” This information may be disclosed to third parties without prior consent, unless a student has submitted a FERPA Directory Opt-In/Opt-Out & Confidential Hold Request to the University. UMGC designates the following categories of information as Directory Information:- Name
- Major field of study
- Dates of Attendance
- Degrees, honors, and awards received
Another instance where this may occur is when UMGC has designated a third party as being a “School Official” who has a legitimate educational interest in the information in the requested Education Record(s).“School officials” include:- Instructional or administrative personnel who are or may be in a position to use the information in furtherance of a legitimate educational objective, such as to provide student services or to pursue a debt owed to UMGC. This includes, but is not limited to, faculty, staff members, and security personnel.
- A contractor, consultant, volunteer, or other party to whom UMGC has outsourced institutional services or functions instead of employees while under the direct control of UMGC. The contractor, consultant, volunteer, or other party will not redisclose personally identifiable information and will destroy the information when it is no longer needed for those purposes.
"Legitimate educational interests" include interests directly related to the academic environment.- Information requested is necessary for the official to perform appropriate tasks that are specified in his or her position description or contract agreement.
- The information is to be used within the context of official school business and not for purposes extraneous to the official’s areas of responsibilities.
- The information is to be used consistently with the purposes for which the data are maintained.
For a list of all instances in which your consent is not required, see the UMGC Policy III-6.30 FERPA and Disclosure of Student Records. - The right to file a complaint with the U.S. Department of Education concerning alleged failures by UMGC to comply with the requirements of FERPA. The name and address of the office that administers FERPA is:
Student Privacy Policy Office
U.S. Department of Education
400 Maryland Avenue SW
Washington, DC 20202
For questions related to FERPA and disclosure of Education Records, please contact The Office of the Registrar at studentrecords@umgc.edu.
FAQs About FERPA
FERPA stands for the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act. It's a U.S. federal law that protects the privacy of your educational records at the University of Maryland Global Campus (UMGC). This law gives students greater control over their educational records.
FERPA gives you certain rights over your education records at UMGC. Here's what you can do:
- Review your records: You have the right to see what information UMGC keeps about your education.
- Request corrections: If you believe there is a mistake in your records, please contact us at studentrecords@umgc.edu for a request to review and update as appropriate.
- Control who sees your information: In many cases, UMGC needs your written permission before sharing your education records with anyone outside the school. There are some exceptions, though (see "Can UMGC disclose my records without my consent?" below).
These are any records that directly relate to your education and are kept by UMGC or a company working on UMGC's behalf. A record can be information recorded in any way, including but not limited to paper or electronic records, photos, or videotapes.
Here are some examples of information that FERPA doesn't cover:
- UMGC Security Department records
- Medical records for the purpose of providing medical treatment
- Employment records (unless being a UMGC student is a requirement for your UMGC job)
- Information about you after you're no longer a student (unless it relates to your time as a student)
- Admission application records, until the student enrolls in their first UMGC course (at which point these records become Education Records)
In some limited cases, UMGC can share your records without your permission. This might happen if the person requesting the information has a legitimate educational interest, like a school official helping you with your studies, for example, or if the disclosure is required by law. Information from a student’s education record designated as “Directory Information” may be disclosed to third parties without prior consent, unless a student has submitted a FERPA Directory Opt-In/Opt-Out & Confidential Hold Request to the University.
For a list of all instances in which your consent is not required and for a list of the information deemed “Directory Information”, see the UMGC Policy III-6.30 FERPA and Disclosure of Student Records.
- Review your records: Contact the Office of the Registrar to request a copy.
- Request corrections: If you believe your education records are inaccurate, misleading, or in violation of your privacy rights, submit a written request to the Office of the Registrar explaining the error and what you want changed. For more information, review UMGC Policy III-6.30 FERPA and Disclosure of Student Records.
- Give permission for sharing: Fill out the Student Records Release Form (DocuSign) to allow UMGC to share your records with someone specific.
For another person to initiate services for you as a student, a power of attorney indicating the person's ability to act on your behalf is required. You may submit your power of attorney documentation to the Office of the Registrar.
- Opt-out of directory information sharing: Submit a FERPA Directory Opt-In/Opt-Out & Confidential Hold Request if you don't want UMGC to share your directory information with third parties. (This means your name won't appear in commencement materials, for example.) UMGC may still share your directory information with third parties without your consent when another FERPA consent exception applies.