Until what age does FERPA grant rights to parents regarding student educational records?

The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) grants specific rights regarding student educational records to parents until the student reaches the age of 18. At that point, the rights transfer from the parents to the student themselves. This transition is significant because it empowers students to have greater control over their educational records, allowing them to make decisions about who can access their information and how it can be used.

The age of 18 is a common legal threshold in many areas, marking the transition to adulthood and greater independence, which FERPA acknowledges in the context of educational record privacy. Thus, until a student turns 18, parents retain the right to view and manage their child's educational records, ensuring that they can remain involved in their child's education until the young adult is ready to take on that responsibility.