FERPA
The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) (20 U.S.C., 1232 g; 34CFR Part 99) is a federal law that protects the privacy of student education records. The law applies to all schools that receive funds under an applicable program of the U.S. Department of Education. FERPA protects the privacy of student records by requiring prior written consent before disclosing personally identifiable information to a third party.
FERPA gives parents certain rights with respect to their children's education records. These rights transfer to the student when he or she reaches the age of 18 or attends a school beyond the high school level.
Records created and maintained by the GCC Financial Aid Office are considered to be education records and may not be disclosed without the student's consent.
Click here to fill out a Student Authorization to Release Records Form.
Know your rights
The right to inspect and review the student’s educational records within 45 days of the date the College receives a request for access. The eligible student should submit a written request to the Vice President of Student Services and identify the record(s) the student wishes to inspect. The College official will make arrangements for access and will notify the student of the time/place where the record(s) may be inspected.
The right to request amendment of any portion of the student’s education record that the student believes is inaccurate or misleading or otherwise in violation of the student’s privacy rights under FERPAA. The eligible student who wishes to ask the College to amend a record should write the College official responsible for the record, clearly identify the part of the record the student wants changed and specify why it should be changed. If the College decides to not amend the record as requested, the college 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.
The right to consent to disclosures of personally identifiable information contained in the student’s education record, except to the extent that FERPA authorizes disclosure without consent. The College discloses education records without a student’s prior written consent under the FERPA exception for disclosure to school officials with legitimate educational interests. A school official is a person employed by the College in an administrative, supervisory, academic or research, or support staff position; a person or company with whom the College has contracted as its agent to provide a service instead of using College employees or officials (such as an attorney, auditor or collection agent); a person serving on the Board of Trustees; or a student serving on an official committee, such as a disciplinary or grievance committee, or assisting another school official in performing his or her tasks. A school official has a legitimate educational interest if the official needs to review an education record in order to fulfill his or her professional responsibilities for the College.
The right to request that any or all of a student’s directory information not be released
by Gogebic Community College. GCC may disclose information on a student without violating FERPA if it has designated
that information as Directory Information.
A student may contact the Registrar with a written and signed notice not later than
2 weeks after the first day of a semester to withhold the release of any directory
information you specify. When this request is made, a notation will be flagged in
the GCC Student Information System and every reasonable effort will be made to safeguard
the confidentiality of such information. In addition, once this request has been made,
the college will not provide employment (or other) information for the student. If
the student wishes for this information to be released, s/he will be required to submit
written authorization, with proof of identity, to the college Registrar prior to releasing
information. It is Gogebic Community College’s position not to publish a student directory.
The following information has been classified as Directory Information by GCC and may be disclosed without a student’s written authorization:
- Student’s name
- Address
- Telephone number
- Dates of attendance
- Fields of study
- Number of credit hours enrolled
- Grade level
- Degrees awarded and dates of degrees
- Awards and honors
- Photograph/likeness
The right to file a complaint with the U.S. Department of Education concerning alleged
failures by Gogebic Community College to comply with the requirements of FERPA, contact:Family Policy Compliance Office
U.S. Department of Education
400 Independence Avenue, S.W.
Washington, D.C. 20202-5901
For additional information, technical assistance, questions, concerns, or should a
student
wish to file a complaint with Gogebic Community College, a student may contact:
Vice President of Student Services Office
Room T108
(906) 932-4231 (ext: 212)
GCC will disclose the student's financial aid record to the parents if the student is a dependent according to IRS rules (i.e. claimed as a dependent on the parents' income tax return, per IRS Section 152). This information will only be disclosed to the custodial parent unless written consent is provided by the student and the custodial parent to release the information to other parties. GCC does not allow a student to review the records of other individuals unless these individuals have provided written consent. This includes the parent's information.
If the student is not claimed as a dependent by his or her parents, the parents do not have the right to review the student's financial aid records, not even if they pay the tuition bills.
If a divorce decree, separation agreement, custody agreement, restraining order, or other legally binding agreement or court order revokes a parent's right to see the student's record, GCC will not disclose the record to that parent.
The student's spouse or ex-spouse does not have the right to review the student's financial aid record.
