Student privacy

Parents remain a key influence on a college student's life, and their guidance can make a difference. However, the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974, commonly known as the “Buckley Amendment” or “FERPA,” is a federal law that guides what information can be released to a parent. This law strictly protects students’ privacy concerning educational records while in college.

FERPA waiver

A student may share their grades with a designated person by submitting the FERPA privacy waiver.

According to FERPA, students who are either 18 years old or enrolled in a postsecondary institution become the sole owners of their school records. Therefore, any correspondence pertaining to financial aid, student accounts, grades, or disciplinary action is sent directly to the student.

Under FERPA, parents do not have any guaranteed rights to access the records of their children. Moreover, the university will not release copies of records to other parties, including parents, except in the extraordinary event of a valid state or federal order.

Administrators, staff, and faculty are not intentionally trying to exclude parents from receiving information but are simply following the guidelines established by FERPA.

In this light, we encourage an open and active dialogue to exist between students and parents. For further information on Carnegie Mellon's policies regarding student privacy, please refer to the Enrollment Services Student Privacy & FERPA page and the official university Policy on Student Privacy Rights.

For further information, you can call the U.S. Department of Education at 202.260.3887. Individuals who use TDD can call the Federal Information Relay Service at 1.800.877.8339.