HOW TO ACCESS STUDENT INFORMATION
FERPA
Student Privacy and FERPA
FERPA AND YOUR STUDENT’S EDUCATIONAL RIGHTS
The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act, or FERPA, affords eligible students certain rights concerning their education records. (An “eligible student” under FERPA is a student who is 18 years of age or older or who attends a postsecondary institution at any age.) This means that only individuals that your student authorizes can have access to their educational records and much more. Take a moment to review the full list of Rights of the Student under FERPA.
STUDENT PRIVACY
Under the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act, schools may disclose, without consent, "directory" information such as a student's name, address, telephone number, date and place of birth, honors and awards, and dates of attendance. Students can request that any or all directory information not be released without their consent. If such a request is made, Records and Registration will not be able to verify attendance, earned degrees or any other directory information without the consent of the student. The request is effective until revoked in writing by the student.
Learn more at: https://rar.vcu.edu/records/family-educational-rights-and-privacy-act/student-contact-information/
ACCESSING YOUR STUDENT’S INFORMATION
There are several ways for your student to grant access to their record. Learn more about what access you need for certain information using the table below. We encourage you to have a conversation with your student before or after Orientation to figure out what works best for your family when it comes to accessing their information.
|
“I want to…” |
“So I need…” |
|
View billing statements |
Authorized User Access |
|
Pay my student’s bill |
Authorized User Access |
|
Receive eStatements via email |
Authorized User Access |
|
View my student’s schedule |
Proxy User Access |
|
View my student’s holds |
Proxy User Access |
|
View my student’s midterm or final grades |
Proxy User Access |
|
Talk to someone on the phone about my student’s educational record |
FERPA Consent |
|
Access my student’s medical records and information |
Consent to Release Medical Information |
Your student can submit a FERPA Waiver by completing and emailing the FERPA Consent form to rar@vcu.edu from their VCU email. Please note that waivers submitted from a non-VCU email will NOT be processed.
Your student will indicate a passcode that they should share with you. You will need to share this passcode when you call regarding their educational record.
A note on dependents:
FERPA provides that a university may disclose such records to parents or legal guardians as long as the student is a dependent as defined by the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). If this situation applies to you, then you must fill out and submit the Parent FERPA consent form along with the following to rar@vcu.edu:
- A copy of the most recent year’s tax return listing the student as a dependent.
- A copy of a valid government issued identification card or passport.
HIPAA
Consent to Release Student Medical Information
To access medical records, such as those held solely by Student Health Services or the University Counseling Services, your student should complete the Consent to Release Student Medical Information form.
The form may be hand-delivered, mailed or faxed to:
VCU Health System Release of Information/ CIOX
P.O. Box 980679 Richmond, VA 23298
Phone: 804-828-4423 FAX: 804-828-5344
Service Desk: Main Hospital Lobby, Room 1-403A
HOW CAN MY STUDENT GRANT ME ACCESS TO THIS INFORMATION?
To assign an authorized user, students should follow the instructions below:
Log on to eServices.
- Select the Students tab.
- Select the Student account tab.
- Select the Make a payment tab.
- Select Authorized users.
- Select “Add New”.
After they’ve added you, you will receive an email with links to a personal eServices URL and temporary password. You should follow the steps to log in and create a new password. You will be taken to a screen where you may select the menu items you are authorized to view.
CREATING A PROXY
To grant someone access to see student records, your student should follow the instructions below:
- Log on to eServices.
- Select the Students tab.
- Select Academic Record Authorization (Proxy Access).
- Select "Add New," which will then allow you to add the proxy's information and authorizations. Click Submit once you are done.
After they’ve added you, you will receive an email with links to a personal eServices URL and temporary password. You should follow the steps to log in and create a new password. You will be taken to a screen where you may select the menu items you are authorized to view.