The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA)
The University is not able to release personally identifiable student educational records or files, or personal information contained in those files, without the student's written consent, except in specified situations.
Financial and housing information is also protected. Housing & Residential Education (HRE) will not release to any person other than the student, information regarding the student’s financial responsibilities or their housing status.
HRE is able provide certain information:
- To appropriate parties in a health or safety emergency
- To appropriate parties if the student is under the age of 21 and is found to be responsible for violating the campus policy regarding alcohol and/or other drug use.
Student have the option to give access to their protected information by filling out a FERPA waiver. See the University of Utah FERPA explanation.
WHAT IS A FERPA WAIVER?
Students can waive their right to privacy by completing a FERPA waiver. When a waiver is signed, the student specifies the information that can be released, the person(s) it can be released to, and the deadline date of release (if the student completes a waiver with another office, it does not also transfer to HRE).
Students: If you would like Housing & Residential Education (HRE) to discuss your financial information with your parent/guardian so they can pay towards your account, please log in to the Campus Information Services page, navigate to your profile in the top left, and select "FERPA Consent to Release Form" on the left-hand side.
After the release form loads:
- Check Housing & Residential Education as an area of release.
- Create a PIN (which the person you are selecting to release information to will need to know).
- Designate the individual(s) who you would like to release information to.
Additional information and advice for students and parents in regards to managing the financial obligations for housing and meals is found on our RATES page.
