Any student, regardless of age, who is or has been in attendance at Georgia Tech has the right to inspect and review his or her educational records within a reasonable period of time (not to exceed forty-five days) after making a request. “Educational records” means generally any record maintained by or for Georgia Tech that contains information directly related to the student. However, the student shall not have access to the following information:

  • Financial records of parents.
  • Confidential letters and recommendations placed in the record prior to January 1, 1975.
  • Letters of recommendation concerning admission, application for employment, or honors for which the student has voluntarily signed a waiver.
  • Educational records that contain information about another student. Students may only see the part of the record that pertains to the inquiring student.
Release of personally identifiable information without student consent will be allowed to the following:
  • Institute personnel who have a legitimate educational interest
  • Representatives of federal, state, or local education entities authorized by law to have access to educational records, including members and staff of the Board of Regents of the University System of Georgia
  • Appropriate persons in connection with a student’s application for or receipt of financial aid
  • Organizations conducting studies for the Institute or with whom the Institute has contracted
  • Accrediting organizations
  • Persons designated in a judicial order or lawfully issued subpoena, including ex parte orders under the USA Patriot Act
  • Necessary persons in emergency situations to protect health and safety as defined by FERPA
  • Parties requesting information the Institute has defined as “directory information”
  • Necessary persons in certain disciplinary, crime of violence, and sex offender situations as defined by FERPA
  • State and local officials to whom information must be released pursuant to a state statute adopted prior to November 19, 1974

Students have the right to obtain copies of information contained in their educational records; however, there is a fee for an official transcript. Records will be released in compliance with a judicial order or lawfully issued subpoena; however, every reasonable effort will be made by the Institute to notify the student in advance of compliance.

Georgia Tech maintains several types of educational records on students. Official academic records related to admissions and academic performance (transcripts) are maintained in the registrar’s office. Records related to academic and program advising are maintained in the office of the academic dean and within the individual academic colleges and schools. Discipline records are maintained in the Office of Student Integrity in the dean of students’ office.

Nonacademic records related to housing, fraternity affairs, women students, and those records that may affect a student’s status are kept within the Office of the Vice President for Student Affairs. The Office of the Executive Vice President for Administration and Finance maintains student financial records. The Career Services office maintains records of students who use that office for employment placement assistance, while the Division of Professional Practice maintains records on students enrolled in the co-op and internship programs.

When a student and the official responsible for a particular record are unable to resolve questions as to the accuracy of information contained therein, the student shall have an opportunity for an impartial hearing to challenge the content of his or her record.

Challenges to the official academic record should be initiated by the student concerned and submitted in writing to the registrar’s office.

Disclosure of Student Records

The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) affords students certain rights with respect to their education records. They are:

  1. The right to inspect and review the student’s education records within forty-five days of the day the Institute receives the request for access
  2. The right to request the amendment of the student’s education records that the student believes are inaccurate or misleading
  3. The right to consent to disclosures of personally identifiable information contained in the student’s education records, except to the extent that FERPA authorizes disclosure without consent
  4. The right to file a complaint with the U.S. Department of Education concerning alleged failures by the Georgia Institute of Technology to comply with the requirements of FERPA
  5. In compliance with this law, a listing of specific records kept by the various departments of the Institute will be published in revisions of the Student Handbook each year.
About FERPA