Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA)

The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) (20 U.S.C. § 1232g; 34 CFR Part 99) is a federal law that protects the privacy of student education records. The law applies to all schools that receive funds under an applicable program of the U.S. Department of Education.

Geisinger College of Health Sciences is subject to provisions of the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (Buckley Amendment) that affords students certain rights of access to educational records and imposes obligations on the college in the release and disclosure of those records to others. Regulations allow the college to provide academic progress reports and other academic information to parents if you are their dependent as defined by the IRS.

FERPA consent to student records

To administer properly the release of this information to the parties you request, the college requires that you complete the process for adding these individuals using Empower Web. If this process is not completed, we will not release your education activities or financial information to anyone.

1. Sign into Empower Web Portal 
2. Settings and tools
3. Personal information
4. Update personal information
5. Select Relationship
6. Add new relationship
7. Choose FERPA Data Release from drop-down
8. Complete Last Name, First Name (of person you are granting access)
9. Click submit
10. To add another person, click Add Relationship again to follow the same process.

Questions? Contact us at registrar@geisinger.edu. 

Student rights under FERPA include:

• To review your education records at your request. Contact the Office of the Registrar at 570-504-9668.
• To amend inaccurate information contained in your records by contacting the Office of the Registrar at 570-504-9668. If your request is denied, Geisinger College allows you to request a hearing to challenge the contents of your education record.
• To have the right to provide consent for the disclosure of your education record by completing and submitting the FERPA form found in the Registrar’s area on the Geisinger College portal.
• The Office of the Registrar will send this notice of your FERPA rights on an annual basis and is also located in the Registrar’s area on the portal.
• The Office of the Registrar will maintain a record in your electronic student file listing to whom your personally identifiable information was disclosed. (This does not apply to school officials with a legitimate educational interest as defined by the college registrar in consultation with the associate dean of curriculum or to directory information). Refer to the Office of the Registrar’s area on the portal under FERPA for a complete description of rights and directory information.