Which core obligations must a college counselor uphold under FERPA when handling confidential student information and disclosures to third parties?

• A. Maintain confidentiality; obtain written consent for releases; disclose only to authorized individuals or institutions; provide students with access to their records and rights; document disclosures and follow school policy and applicable laws.
• B. Disclose records to any third party upon request without consent.
• C. Share information with faculty members who ask, regardless of authorization.
• D. Publicly disclose student records to the campus community.

Answer: (A)

FERPA protections require that college counselors guard student education records and control disclosures to third parties. A counselor must keep confidential information secure, obtain written consent before releasing records or details to anyone outside the institution, and disclose only to people or institutions with a legitimate need to know, such as authorized school officials or other schools involved in the student’s education. Students must have access to their records and know their rights under FERPA, and every disclosure needs to be documented and in line with school policy and applicable laws. Disclosing records to a third party without consent is not allowed, nor is sharing information with faculty who ask without proper authorization, and public disclosure to the campus community is not permitted.