The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) defines specific rights of access and protection over student records. Carleton College student records policy is based on the FERPA mandate.

FERPA establishes two basic rights for your student:

  1. The right to inspect their education record, which includes all records except parent(s) financial statements, waived letters of recommendation, and the records maintained by Carleton Security and Student Health and Counseling; and
  2. The right to expect the College will not disclose information from a student’s educational record without their written consent, except to other school officials with a legitimate educational interest and to parents and families of an eligible student who claim the student as dependent for tax purposes. Only directory information that is already public may be freely disclosed.

This type of privacy may differ from what parents, families, and students are accustomed to sharing with one another at home, so we ask that you familiarize yourself with FERPA. Carleton College adheres to these legal requirements in its communications with parents and families, examples of which are outlined on the Parental Notification page.