The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) affords eligible students certain rights with respect to their education records. An “eligible student” is defined as a student who is 18 years or older or attending a postsecondary institution at any age. 

Students and former students have the following rights under FERPA:

  • To inspect and review educational records. An eligible student has the right to inspect and review their education records within 45 days after the day Prince George’s Community College (the “College”) receives a request for access. A student should submit to the registrar, dean, head of the academic department, or other appropriate College records custodian a written request that identifies the record(s) the student wishes to inspect. The appropriate records custodian will make arrangements for access and notify the student of the time and place where the records may be inspected. If the records are not maintained by the records custodian to whom the request was submitted, that person shall advise the student of the correct records custodian to whom the request should be addressed.
  • To request an amendment of educational records believed to be inaccurate or misleading. An eligible student has the right to seek amendment of their education records that they believe to be inaccurate, misleading, or otherwise in violation of the student’s privacy rights under FERPA. A student who wishes to ask the College to amend a record should make a written request to the records custodian responsible for the record, clearly identify the part of the record the student requests to amend, and specify why they believe the record should be amended. Within a reasonable time after receiving the request, the College will decide whether to amend the record as requested. If the College decides not to amend the record as requested, the College will notify the student in writing of the decision and the student’s right to a hearing regarding the request for amendment. Additional information about the hearing process will be provided to the student at this time.
  • To provide written consent before disclosing personally identifiable information, except when FERPA authorizes disclosure without consent. FERPA prohibits the College from disclosing personally identifiable information (PII) contained in an eligible student’s education record without written consent from the eligible student, except under certain circumstances as described in Section 5. An eligible student has the right to limit disclosure of information contained in their education record, including directory information and personally identifiable information (PII), except to the extent that FERPA authorizes disclosure without consent. The College may, and occasionally does, disclose education records without a student’s prior written consent when authorized by FERPA, including to College officials whom the College has determined to have legitimate educational interests. Prince George’s Community College defines “College officials” and “legitimate educational interests” as follows:
    • “College officials” include (a) persons employed by Prince George’s Community College; (b) persons
      serving on the Board of Trustees; or (c) persons (including students) serving on an official College committee, such as a disciplinary or grievance committee. A College official also may include a volunteer, contractor, consultant, or other party outside of Prince George’s Community College(i) who performs an institutional service or function for which the college would otherwise use its own employees, (ii) who is under the direct control of the College with respect to the use and maintenance of education records, such as an attorney, auditor, collection agent, or a student volunteering to assist another College official in performing their tasks, and (iii) who is subject to the obligation not to disclose PII from any education record without the prior written consent of the student.
    • “Legitimate educational interests” include performing a task or engaging in an activity directly related to one’s regular duties or professional responsibilities as it pertains to (i) a student’s education, (ii) the discipline of a student, (iii) a service to or benefit for a student, (iv) measures to support student success, or (v) the safety and security of the campus. Information disclosed under the legitimate educational interests exception may not be used for purposes extraneous to the College official’s professional duties or responsibilities.
  • To file a complaint with the U.S. Department of Education concerning alleged failures by the college to comply with the requirements of FERPA. An eligible student has the right to file a complaint with the U.S. Department of Education concerning alleged failures by Prince George’s Community College to comply with the requirements of FERPA. The name and address of the Office that administers FERPA is:

         Family Policy Compliance Office

         U.S. Department of Education

         400 Maryland Avenue, SW

         Washington, DC 20202

What is Directory Information?

At Prince George’s Community College, directory information includes the following: name, email address, address, telephone number, program of study, enrollment status, classification, number of credit hours earned, dates of attendance, previous high school and colleges attended, conferral or non-conferral of degree, type of degree conferred and date granted, academic awards received (dean’s list, honors students), photographs maintained in the student information system, participation in officially recognized activities and sports, and position, weight, height, and photographs of members of athletic teams.

What does FERPA consider to be part of a student’s private educational record? When may this information be shared with a third party?

Information that may not be shared without the student’s written consent includes the following:

  • Social Security Number or any other unique identifier that would allow a student to be individually identified.
  • Grades and transcripts.
  • Test scores.
  • Academic standing—warning, probation, or dismissal.
  • Current class schedule, including day, time, or location of classes.
  • Financial information—the amount of the bill, who paid it, or how it was paid.
  • Attendance records.

Directory information/personally identifiable information may be shared in the following situations:

  • The student has signed a release on file in the Office of Records and Registration.
  • The information is requested by another PGCC office or employee with a legitimate educational interest in the information requested.
  • The information has been subpoenaed, and the student has been notified.
  • It has been requested by an authorized representative of a federal- or state-supported program in order to comply with legal requirements related to those programs.
  • An appropriate FERPA exception applies.

Please click here for the College's Consent for Access to Educational Records. The Consent for Access to Educational Records form is also available in the Office of Records and Registration, Bladen Hall, Room 126.

While attending Prince George’s Community College, students may request to restrict the release of their directory information unless there is an applicable FERPA exception or the student provides written consent to release the applicable information. In order to restrict all information, a signed and dated request must be made in writing to the Office of Records and Registration, Bladen Hall, room 126, 301 Largo Rd. Largo, MD 20774. Should the student graduate or otherwise leave the college, this restriction will remain in place until the student requests that it be removed.

FERPA Annual Notice to Reflect Possible Federal and State Data Collection and Use

As of January 3, 2012, the U.S. Department of Education's FERPA regulations expand the circumstances under which your education records and personally identifiable information (PII) contained in such records — including your Social Security Number, grades, or other private information — may be accessed without your consent. First, the U.S. Comptroller General, the U.S. Attorney General, the U.S. Secretary of Education, or state and local education authorities ("Federal and State Authorities") may allow access to your records and PII without your consent to any third party designated by a Federal or State Authority to evaluate a federal- or state-supported education program. The evaluation may relate to any program that is "principally engaged in the provision of education," such as early childhood education and job training, as well as any program that is administered by an education agency or institution. Second, Federal and State Authorities may allow access to your education records and PII without your consent to researchers performing certain types of studies, in certain cases, even when we object to or do not request such research. Federal and State Authorities must obtain certain use-restriction and data security promises from the entities that they authorize to receive your PII, but the Authorities need not maintain direct control over such entities. In addition, in connection with Statewide Longitudinal Data Systems, State Authorities may collect, compile, permanently retain, and share without your consent PII from your education records, and they may track your participation in education and other programs by linking such PII to other personal information about you that they obtain from other Federal or State data sources, including workforce development, unemployment insurance, child welfare, juvenile justice, military service, and migrant student records systems.

Contact Us

Office of Records and Registration
registrar@pgcc.edu

Bladen Hall, Room 126
Prince George's Community College
301 Largo Road
Largo, MD 20774

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