Why FERPA is Important

Northern Arizona University is a community unto itself. As such, the university is the repository for various types of information about the members of the community. The sharing of that information is governed by the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA). FERPA became law in 1974 and provides requirements for the proper release of information pertaining to students' educational records.

The law stipulates the conditions for the release of information to others, both within and outside the university. It should be noted, that while FERPA seeks to control access to information, it clearly allows for students to inspect and review their own education records, as defined. Thus, it is for the protection of the rights of the individual student that FERPA was established.