FERPA for Parents and Eligible Students Banner Ferpa for School Officials banner PPRA Banner Military Recruiter Contact Us Banner

Welcome to the Family Policy Compliance Office!

The Family Policy Compliance Office (FPCO) administers two federal laws that provide parents and students with certain privacy rights: the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) and the Protection of Pupil Rights Amendment (PPRA). In addition, FPCO administers the provisions in the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) that require local educational agencies that receive ESEA funds to provide military recruiters with contact information on students, unless their parents opt out of the disclosure.

Click here to view The Dear Colleague Letter on Protecting Student Medical Records

This Web site provides parents, eligible students, and school officials at the elementary, secondary, and postsecondary levels with a variety of resources and information regarding the federal laws FPCO administers, including links to the regulations, guidance documents, policy letters, topic briefs, webinars, videos, and a robust list of frequently asked questions (FAQs).  This is an evolving Web site and will be updated as new resources and information become available. 

If you have a question regarding the federal laws FPCO administers, you may submit them here.  However, we encourage you to review our frequently asked questions and other resources for the answer to your question prior to contacting our office.

What Laws Does FPCO Administer?

Family Educational Rights Privacy Act (FERPA)

FERPA

The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) is a federal law that affords parents the right to have access to their children's education records, the right to seek to have the records amended, and the right to have some control over the disclosure of personally identifiable information from the education records. When a student turns 18 years old, or enters a postsecondary institution at any age, the rights under FERPA transfer from the parents to the student ("eligible student"). The FERPA statute is found at 20 U.S.C. § 1232g and the FERPA regulations are found at 34 CFR Part 99.View More

Protection of Pupil Rights Amendment (PPRA)

PPRA

The Protection of Pupil Rights Amendment (PPRA) (20 U.S.C. § 1232h; 34 CFR Part 98) applies to governs the administration to students of a survey, analysis, or evaluation that concerns one or more of eight protected areas, including sexual behaviors and attitudes and illegal, anti-social, self-incriminating and demeaning behavior.  PPRA also concerns marketing surveys and other areas of student privacy, parental access to information, and the administration of certain physical examinations to minors.  View More

Military Recruiter

Military Recruiter

In addition, two federal laws require local educational agencies (LEAs) receiving assistance under the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (ESEA) to provide military recruiters, upon request, with the following information – names, addresses and telephone listings – unless parents have advised the LEA that they do not want their student's information disclosed without their prior written consent.View More

Resources

Expanded functionality coming soon.

FERPA Resources for Parents and Eligible Students

FERPA Resources for School Officials

PPRA Resources

Resources for Military Recruiters

FERPA Letters Online Library

FERPA Frequently Asked Questions

Contact Us

Family Policy Compliance Office
U.S. Department of Education
400 Maryland Avenue, SW
Washington, D.C. 20202-5920
Phone: 1-800-USA-LEARN (1-800-872-5327)

 

Click here to contact our support team.