What does FERPA protect?

FERPA, or the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act, primarily protects the privacy rights of students in educational institutions. It ensures that students have the right to access their educational records and stipulates that schools must have written permission from the student or their guardian to release any personally identifiable information from those records. This legislation helps safeguard students' academic information, thereby promoting confidentiality and protecting students' privacy as they navigate their education.

While FERPA does touch on other aspects of privacy and confidentiality, such as the handling of student records, its main focus is on educational records rather than athletic rights, medical confidentiality, or financial information. Those areas are governed by different regulations, highlighting FERPA's specific aim in the realm of educational record protection.