Hey everyone,
I hope this email doesn't interrupt your Christmas shopping. I wanted to touch base briefly about something clients have been asking about when their college kids run off to party (oops, I mean "learn"). No doubt some of you will be learning about your college student's grades here soon (at least if your student is on the "quarterly" schedule like I was). And because I know all of my clients' children are perfect, your child will dutifully present his or her report card full of "A"s and accept his or her praise. (Or something like that).
But, for those of you who have normal kids, this can be a tricky time. Although one can't fail out of elementary school or even high school that easily nowadays, that's not the case for college. And occasionally, extracurricular activities can get in the way of some otherwise studious children. So, if you're thinking you might want to have a little more authority about keeping an eye on how your child is doing in college, you might consider getting a FERPA form on file. What the heck is a "FERPA" form? I'm glad you asked. Here's what the California Department of Education says:
"FERPA gives parents/guardians certain rights regarding their child(ren)'s education records. These rights transfer to the student when he or she reaches the age of eighteen or attends a school beyond the high school level. Students to whom the rights have transferred are considered "eligible students."
Except under certain specified circumstances, FERPA affords parents/guardians or eligible students the right to inspect and review the student’s education records. Parents/guardians or eligible students have the right to request that a school correct records that they believe to be inaccurate or misleading. If the school does not amend the record as requested, the school must offer the parent/guardian or eligible student a hearing on the matter."
In short, when your "child" leaves for college, he or she is deemed to be an adult for legal purposes. This means you will have no authority to check in on his or her progress without the requisite legal authorization. The FERPA form gives you the ability to check on your child's school situation. (And you thought that merely paying thousands of dollars quarterly would be enough to get you in the door). I've attached a standard FERPA form for you to review and complete if this is of any interest to you.
Remember, you might want to consider getting health care and financial powers of attorney in place for your child too because adulthood means you could be locked out of a lot of decisions you might think you get to make simply because you're a parent. Don't hesitate to call me if you have any questions here.
More importantly, I hope this doesn't lead to any awkward Christmas dinners. Merry Christmas and I'll be in touch next year!
Jason Ebert
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