FERPA

The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) is a federal law that protects the privacy of student education records. FERPA establishes students' rights to access their records and governs when Texas Tech University may disclose information from those records.

Find information for students, parents and families, faculty and staff about FERPA protections, access to education records and the release of student information.

Family Access and Authorization

Texas Tech students can authorize access to their education records through the Red Raider Family Network. This platform provides electronic FERPA authorization for requesting access to a student's academic and financial information.

Parents and family members can submit an access request through the network. The student determines which records to share. The network also provides Texas Tech news and university updates for families.

Visit the Red Raider Family Network

Instructions by Audience

Select the appropriate guide for additional information about FERPA authorization and access to education records.

Students:FERPA Instructions for Students
Parents and Families:FERPA Instructions for Parents and Families
Faculty and Staff:FERPA Instructions for Faculty and Staff

Education Records

Education records contain information directly related to a student and are maintained by an educational agency or institution, or by a party acting on its behalf. They may exist in many formats, including handwriting, print, tape, film, microfilm, microfiche and digital images.

Records Not Considered Education Records

FERPA excludes certain types of records from its definition of education records, including:

Sole possession records: Records kept only by their creator as a personal memory aid and not accessible to others except a temporary substitute.
Medical or psychological treatment records: Certain treatment records maintained by physicians, psychiatrists and psychologists.
Employment records: Records relating to employment when that employment is not contingent upon being a student.
Law enforcement records: Records maintained by a law enforcement unit for law enforcement purposes.
Post-attendance records: Records created or collected after an individual is no longer a student that do not relate to attendance as a student.

Review TTU Operating Policy 30.30 for additional information about the university's FERPA requirements.

Directory Information

FERPA identifies certain student information, known as directory information, that may be disclosed without a student's prior consent, subject to applicable restrictions.

Texas Tech University Directory Information

Student name
Permanent and local addresses
Place of birth
Classification
Major field of study
Dates of attendance
Degrees, awards and honors received
Specific enrollment status, including full-time, part-time or half-time enrollment and undergraduate, graduate, law or veterinary medicine enrollment
Participation in officially recognized sports and activities
Height and weight of members of athletic teams
Previous institutions attended

Restricting Directory Information

Currently enrolled students may restrict the release of their directory information through Raiderlink.

How to Update Your Directory Information Status

Log in to Raiderlink.
Select the MyTech tab.
Choose Update Confidentiality/Directory Profile Status.
Follow the instructions to update your directory information preferences.

Important: Restricted directory information remains restricted until the student revokes the restriction.

FERPA Forms and Resources

These university policies, guidance documents and forms provide additional information about FERPA and the handling of student records.

University Policies and Guidance

Authorization and Release Forms

Office of the Registrar

Address

PO Box 45015, West Hall, Academic Records, Room 103, Texas Tech University, Lubbock, TX 79409-5015
Phone
806.742.3661 | Fax: 806.742.0355
Email
registrar@ttu.edu