FERPA Scenario Q&A

Question:  A student in the College of Business has applied for a part-time job in your spouse's accounting firm.  Does a legitimate educational interest exist that would allow you to access the student's educational records to verify his academic standing and disclose it to your spouse's firm?

Answer:  No. The University may disclose information from education records to school officials with a legitimate educational interest. Your spouse's accounting firm is not a school official and has no legitimate educational interest. The student must sign a written consent for release of the information and present it to the Office of the Registrar.

* General Rule: Do not access or release student record information except for the reasons identified in the UW Regulation 8-243.

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