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FERPA & your applicaon
What is an educaon record?
Educaon records are documents
related to your aendance and
performance in school.
For example: grades, transcripts,
test scores, school discipline, etc.
Learn more
Talk to your counselor, another school ocial, or your parent/legal guardian. You can also visit the
U.S. Department of Educaon Family Policy Compliance Oce at: studentprivacy.ed.gov.
When it comes me to invite your counselor and recommenders, Common App will prompt you to
complete the FERPA Release Authorizaon. FERPA (Family Educaonal Rights and Privacy Act) is a law that
protects the privacy of your educaon records.
Compleng the FERPA Release Authorizaon will grant
your high school permission to send those records
on your behalf. Here’s a quick breakdown of how this
process works in the Common App:
The release authorizaon asks you two quesons about
your educaon records under FERPA.
First, you must grant your high school(s) permission
to release all requested records. Colleges you apply
to may require documents like transcripts or leers
of recommendaon. Granng your high school(s) this
permission allows colleges to receive these records and
contact your school with quesons.
Second, you will be asked to waive or not to waive your right to review recommendaons and other forms.
Waiving your rights lets colleges know that you don’t plan to read your recommendaons. This helps
reassure colleges that the leers are candid and truthful. Some recommenders may only write a leer if
you have waived your rights. Check with your counselor or teachers to see if any of them follow such a
policy.
