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This piece examines how to effectively manage third-party requests for student information under FERPA.

May 15, 2026

Walk‐in inquiries, part 6: The personal touch

Key Points

This piece examines how to effectively manage third-party requests for student information under FERPA.
Shared experiences from FERPA training sessions with staff.
Outlined practical instances of what information can be disclosed.
Encouraged staff to seek clarification on FERPA-related questions.
Increased understanding of FERPA among staff members.
Realized that cooperation in disclosing some information benefits students.
Highlighted various instances where disclosure aligns with FERPA guidelines.

Abstract

In last month's column, as a new registrar, I started with a hard‐nosed approach to disclosing any education records. But I shortly realized that these third‐party requests were attempting to gather student information that, for the most part, would benefit students. So it was in our mutual interests to cooperate and disclose the information that the third party requested. Of course, our FERPA training sessions provided many practical instances where we discussed what we could disclose and what we could not. All staff understood FERPA well … and, if they had a question, they referred it to me or my assistant. And there were plenty of questions.

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