Here’s something a lot of college students don’t find out until it’s already awkward: your parents have no legal right to your grades anymore.
It’s called FERPA — the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act — and it’s a federal law. Under FERPA, once you turn 18 or start attending a postsecondary institution (like a college or community college) at any age, all rights to your education records transfer from your parents to you. Not partially. Fully.
That means your professor, your advisor, your registrar — none of them can legally tell your parents your grades, what classes you’re in, or basically anything about your academic life without your written permission. Not over the phone. Not in an email. Not even if your parents show up in person and ask nicely.
And here’s the part that surprises a lot of people: this applies even if you’re under 18, as long as you’re enrolled in a postsecondary institution. So if you’re 16 and taking college classes through a dual enrollment program, a professor still cannot share your grades with your parents without verifying your dependency status and getting your consent. However, there’s an important nuance for dual enrollment students: if you’re under 18, your parents may still retain FERPA rights at the high school level — meaning if your college sends records to your high school, your parents could potentially access them through that channel. The college-side protection still applies, but it’s worth knowing that gap exists.
There is one exception worth knowing about. If you’re claimed as a dependent on your parents’ federal taxes, schools do have some legal room to share records with them — but even then, it’s not automatic, and it varies by institution. Schools may choose to share information under this exception, but many don’t do so routinely.
So what does this mean practically?
If you want your parents to have access to your grades — like if they’re paying tuition and you’re cool with it — you can sign a FERPA release form at your school’s registrar’s office. That’s completely your choice. But if you don’t sign one, your school has to keep that information between you and them.
And if someone at your school ever shares your academic information with your parents without your permission? That’s a FERPA violation. You can report it to your school and, if needed, to the U.S. Department of Education.
It’s your record. It’s your call.