Disclosure of Education Records to Third Party

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SUNY Cortland will disclose information from a student's education records only with the written or electronic consent of the student, except:

  1. To school officials, SUNY System Administration, campus-related entities (e.g. Auxiliary Services Corporation), persons employed by or under contract to the campus to perform special tasks (e.g. attorneys or auditors), students serving on official committees (e.g. disciplinary or grievance committees) or assisting another school official in performing his or her professional responsibility and other SUNY colleges who have been determined to have legitimate educational interests.
  2. Upon request to officials of another school in which a student seeks or intends to enroll.
  3. To certain federal, state, SUNY, and local education officials in connection with certain federal or state supported education programs.
  4. In connection with a student's request for or receipt of financial aid, as necessary to determine the eligibility, amount, or conditions of that aid.
  5. If required by a state law concerning the juvenile justice system which law requires disclosure and which was adopted before November 19, 1974.
  6. To organizations conducting certain studies/research for or on behalf of the College, educational agencies or institutions for the purpose of developing, validating, or administering predictive tests, administering student aid programs and improving instruction, if such studies are conducted in such a manner as will not permit the personal identification of students and their parents by persons other than representatives of such organizations, and such information will be destroyed when no longer needed for the purpose for which it is conducted.
  7. To accreditation organizations in order to carry out their accrediting functions.
  8. To parents of an eligible student who claim the student as dependent for income tax purposes (26 USC §152).
  9. To comply with a judicial order or a lawfully issued subpoena after making a reasonable effort to notify the student in advance.
  10. To appropriate parties in a health and/or safety emergency.
  11. When the student and SUNY are engaged in litigation SUNY Cortland may disclose to the court education records that are relevant to the litigation.
  12. To an alleged victim of any crime of violence as that term is defined in Section 16 of Title 18 USC, or a non-forcible sex offense, the final results of any disciplinary proceeding conducted by the campus against the alleged perpetrator of that crime or offense with respect to that crime or offense if the College determines as a result of the disciplinary proceeding that the student committed a violation of the College's rules or policies with respect to such crime or offense. .
  13. To anyone the final results reached on or after October 7, 1998 in a disciplinary proceeding in which a student has been determined to have perpetrated a crime of violence or non-forcible sex offense and a violation of College rules or policies.
  14. To the parents of a student under the age of 21: information that the College has determined that the student has committed a disciplinary violation relating to alcohol or a controlled substance.
  15. To Veterans Administration Officials pursuant to 38 USC 3690 (c).
  16. To the Military: Directory information as it is presently defined under the Solomon Amendment, even if the institution has not designated such information as directory information in its policy. (Directory information that must be released to the Military: student's name and address, telephone listing, date and place of birth, class level, academic major, degrees received, and the educational institution in which the student was most recently enrolled. Information that is not required to release to the Military: directory information, but only if the student has requested that the College not release such information to anyone, information the institution certifies it does not have, and information not defined as directory information.)
  17. Where the information to be disclosed is designated as Directory Information.

Record of Requests for Disclosure

SUNY Cortland will maintain a record of all external requests for, and/or disclosures of, information from a student's education records for as long as those records are maintained. The record will indicate the name of the party making the request, any additional party to whom it may be re-disclosed, and the legitimate interest the party had in requesting the information. The record of requests may be reviewed by the parents of eligible students.

Record keeping is not required if disclosure is to:

  • The student
  • A school official with a legitimate educational interest
  • A party with written consent from the student
  • A party seeking directory information
  • A federal grand jury or law enforcement agency pursuant to a subpoena that by its terms requires non disclosure

Student Consent to Release Information

If a student wishes to grant access to student academic information to a particular party (e.g. parent, legal guardian), they must complete the Consent for Access form in the Registrar's Office. In addition to the form, SUNY Cortland requires a copy of the most recent IRS Tax Return indicating dependency of the student.

Departmental Releases

The Student Accounts Office has a waiver available for download on their website. Permission must be granted by the student in order for the Student Accounts Office to discuss the student invoice or financial account with any third party, including parents or guardians. If you have any questions about this, please contact the Student Accounts Office.

The Financial Advisement Office shall communicate with all aid applicants and their family members whose income information is appropriately reported on the FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid).

Right to File a Complaint

Students are afforded the right to file a complaint with the U.S. Department of Education concerning alleged failures by SUNY Cortland to comply with the requirements of FERPA by contacting:

Family Policy Compliance Office
U.S. Department of Education
400 Maryland Avenue, SW
Washington, DC 20202-4605