Which Act safeguards student educational records from unauthorized uses and disclosures?

The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) is the legislation specifically designed to protect the privacy of student educational records. Enacted in 1974, FERPA grants parents specific rights regarding their children's education records, including the right to access those records and request amendments if they believe the records are inaccurate. Once a student turns 18 or attends a school beyond the high school level, those rights transfer to the student.

FERPA regulates how educational institutions handle students' personally identifiable information and restricts the conditions under which educational records can be disclosed without consent. This makes it enforce strict guidelines to ensure that student records are used appropriately and privately, thus providing a key safeguard against unauthorized uses and disclosures.

In contrast, while the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) protects health information in certain contexts, it does not specifically address the privacy of educational records. The Education Amendments of 1972 includes broad provisions for education but is not primarily focused on record privacy like FERPA. The Children's Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA) applies to the collection of personal information from children online, rather than educational records directly.