FERPA Q&A: Student requesting copy of entire record at the University

Question: What do I do if a student requests a copy of their entire record at the University?

Answer: According to FERPA, students have the right to access all parts of their academic records with two exceptions:

1. their parents financial records (typically used for financial aid purposes)


2. letters of recommendation that the student has waived the right to see.

You may want to clarify with the student what they really want to see. It may be that the student doesn't truly want everything, but only a portion of their record (e.g., advising notes or disciplinary records). If the student only wants access to records that your office maintains, it might be helpful to offer to meet with the student to go over the information to avoid any misinterpretation or confusion on the student's part. Remember that references to other students must be redacted before allowing the student to view those parts of their record. If the student does truly want all records at the University, you should refer those requests to Susan McKinney in the Office of General Counsel.