Just in case anyone runs across this (it’s now two years since the original post – I found it while looking for something else):
I agree with what other faculty have said in response to the original question. I’ve been teaching in higher ed since before FERPA was enacted, I think. My understanding is that parents (and most people) are allowed access to directory information and things like whether the student is enrolled and lives on campus. If they claim the student as a dependent, they are also allowed access to billing information.
There are some exceptions, all for the student’s wellbeing, e.g., if the university feels the student is having some sort of health issues, or (if under 21) has broken university conduct regulations on illegal substances. But NO. Parents do NOT have access to grades unless the student signs a waiver. Students do not have access to attendance records, unless the student signs a waiver. Parents cannot consult with the student’s professors about the student’s work in class, unless the student signs a waiver. Under one of the exceptions, a faculty or staff member may discuss a student if there are concerns about the student’s wellbeing, but any smart faculty member will kick that to the appropriate administrator and/or campus care team, because defining whether something is worth violating a student’s privacy rights is definitely not a faculty job.
BTW, if your student is enrolled in a dual enrollment class taught at a CC or four-year institution, FERPA also applies, even if your student is well under the age of 18.
Fact is…FERPA is dealt with differently at different colleges.
One of my kids…their school required them to opt OUT if they didn’t want parents having access to their college info. IOW, parents had access unless the kid opted out of that
Second kid…the school required kids to opt IN. IOW kid had to check each place where parents could have access. Otherwise…parents had no access.
In both cases, our kids were more than happy to allow us access to the bursars account office. They in no way wanted to deal with billing issues…and both had them.
We had absolutely no need to have access to all class grades etc. But we did expect that our kids would show us their grades each term…which they did. Adding that one school mailed the grades “to the parents of Thumperson”. The other school sent them “to Thumpergirl”.
@Julie_Hofmann if this screen name is your real name, I would urge you to change it asap. Here is how:
When I worked at a large urban university, we were very careful to look up each student’s FERPA release choices before speaking with or contacting parents who had questions about their child. The school required active decisions by the student regarding what to share, as well as the name or names of those with whom information could be shared. The law allows schools to determine how to implement FERPA, and we always erred on the side of allowing the students choice. We had students from very difficult backgrounds, and it was important for us to protect students if they felt that they needed protection.
When I worked at a graduate school, we had release forms for students who wanted to allow parents or spouses to talk with us about their bills. I think I had one student complete a release for a parent & one for a spouse - the students said that it was just easier that way because the parent/spouse paid their bills. We did not offer releases to allow access to any other information, because they were grad students, after all.