There are two critical pieces of privacy information that every student and family member should know: how we protect student privacy and how it affects communication.

🔒 What is FERPA? (And Why It Matters)

FERPA stands for the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act. It is a federal law that protects the privacy of student education records.

In K-12 schooling, parents had automatic access to report cards and attendance. In college, privacy rights transfer entirely to the student—regardless of age or who pays the tuition.

What is protected: Grades, GPA, class schedules, attendance, billing, and disciplinary records are strictly confidential.

Our policy: Staff and faculty cannot share these details with parents, guardians, or spouses unless the student grants explicit, written permission through an official waiver.

If you wish to give someone access to your records, you can find the waiver here: Student Authorization for Release of Education Records Information - Moraine Park Technical College

📧 FERPA and Communication

Because students control their own records, university employees must verify with whom they are communicating. For this reason, all official university business must be conducted using your school-assigned email address.

(Anyone can create a personal email address using a student's name. Your school-assigned email is password-protected and serves as your secure digital signature to avoid accidental identity theft or privacy leaks.)

💡 Note for parents:

We view this law as a bridge, not a barrier. It empowers students to take complete ownership of their academic journey, build independence, and practice real-world accountability.