What does the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) primarily protect?

The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) primarily protects the privacy of student education records. This federal law grants parents and eligible students specific rights regarding the access and handling of their educational information. Under FERPA, students have the right to inspect and review their education records, request amendments to those records, and control the disclosure of personally identifiable information contained in those records.

By focusing on education records, FERPA ensures that sensitive information about students, including grades, schedules, and personal information, is not shared without consent, thus safeguarding their privacy. This law applies to all schools that receive federal funding and plays a crucial role in maintaining the confidentiality of student information in the education sector.

In contrast, the other options focus on areas not covered by FERPA. Health records are protected under laws like HIPAA, financial records may be subject to different regulations such as those found in the Higher Education Act, and institutional charitable donations do not relate to student education records or privacy concerns addressed by FERPA.