FERPA is the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act, a Federal law that is administered by the Student Privacy Policy Office (SPPO) in the U.S. Department of Education (Department). FERPA affords eligible students certain rights with respect to their education records. An “eligible student” under FERPA is a student who enters a postsecondary institution at any age.
Student education records are those records that contain personally identifiable information (PII) and are maintained by an education agency or institution or by a party acting for the agency or institution. Examples of student records include academic transcripts, financial aid awards and student judicial files.
Educational records DO NOT include:
FERPA allows institutions to identify certain types of information called "directory information" that may be disclosed without student consent at the College's discretion. Columbia College has designated the following information as directory information and will release this information upon request:
According to FERPA, a student can request that the institution not release any directory information about them Columbia College students initially give or withhold consent via the admissions application. Students may change their decision by filing a Notice to Deny Disclosure of Directory Information which will be honored by the college until removed by the student.
With several exceptions provided by FERPA, Columbia College cannot release personally identifiable non-directory information in an education record without prior written consent from the student unless it is to state, local, and federal government authorities who need the information in performance of their duties.
Some examples of non-directory information include:
A student's prior written consent is not required to disclose non-directory information under the following circumstances:
FERPA grants students the right to inspect and review their education records within 45 days after the day a request for access is submitted. Students can access their unofficial transcripts through our student information system. If a student leaves the College and is no longer able to access unofficial transcripts, Admissions and Records staff will print or email them to the student. A student must prove their identity before any records will be released. For additional records requests, a student should submit a written request to the Director of Admissions and Records that identifies the record(s) the student wishes to inspect. The Director of Admissions and Records will make arrangements for access and notify the student of the time and place where the records may be inspected. If the education records are not maintained by the Admissions and Records Office, the Director shall advise the student of the correct official to whom the request should be addressed.
Columbia College students have the right to file a complaint with the U.S. Department of Education concerning alleged failures by the District to comply with the requirements of FERPA.
Family Policy Compliance Office
U.S. Department of Education
400 Maryland Avenue, SW
Washington, DC 20202
Phone (800) 872-5327
The Solomon Amendment is a federal law that allows military recruiters to access some address, biographical and academic program information on students age 17 and older.
The Department of Education has determined the Solomon Amendment supersedes most elements of FERPA. The District is therefore obligated to release data included in the list of “student recruiting information,” which may or may not match the Districts FERPA directory definition list.
The following is a list of information that may be released to military recruiters pursuant to the Solomon Amendment:
Name, address, telephone, year of birth, level of education, academic major, degrees received, educational institution in which the student was most recently enrolled.
The request must be submitted in writing on letterhead clearly identifying:
Military recruiters may request student recruitment information once each term.
Submit requests to ccadmissions@yosemite.edu or contact (209) 588-5231.
Educational Institutions are required to annually notify enrolled students of their rights under the Federal Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 (FERPA), as amended. This website fulfills this obligation and serves as the annual FERPA notification to students at Columbia College.
