FERPA
The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) is a federal law enacted in 1974 that protects the privacy of student education records.
The Act serves two primary purposes:
1. Gives parents or eligible students more control of their educational records
2. Prohibits educational institutions from disclosing “personally identifiable information in education records“ without written consent
Who must comply?
• Any public or private school:
– Elementary
– Secondary
– Post-secondary
• Any state or local education agency
Any of the above must receive funds under an applicable program of the US Department of Education
Protected information
Student Education Record:
Records that contain information directly related to a student and which are maintained by an educational agency or institution or by a
party acting for the agency or institution
HIPAA
The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) is a national standard that protects sensitive patient health information from being disclosed without the patient’s consent or knowledge. Via the Privacy Rule, the main goal is to
• Ensure that individuals’ health information is properly protected while allowing the flow of health information needed to provide and
promote high quality health care and to protect the public’s health and well-being.
