FERPA governs access to what type of records?

• A. Medical records
• B. Criminal records
• C. Employment records
• D. Educational records

Answer: (D)

FERPA concerns who may access information about students held by schools. The key idea is that it protects education records—records that are directly related to a student and maintained by a school or other educational institution that receives federal funds. This includes items like transcripts, grades, class schedules, disciplinary records, and notes in a student file. Access generally requires the student’s (or parent’s) written consent, with certain exceptions that allow disclosure without consent for legitimate school purposes. Medical records, criminal records, and most employment records are governed by other laws, not FERPA, so they’re not the records FERPA controls in the same way.