FERPA Notice

The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) affords eligible students certain rights with respect to their education records. (An “eligible student” under FERPA is a student who is 18 years of age or older or who attends a postsecondary institution at any age.) These rights include:

1. The right to inspect and review the student's education records within 45 days after the day Valar Institute receives a request for access. A student should submit to support@quantic.edu a written request that identifies the record(s) the student wishes to inspect. An institute official will make arrangements for access and notify the student of the time and place where the records may be inspected.

2. The right to request the amendment of the student’s education records that the student believes is inaccurate, misleading, or otherwise in violation of the student’s privacy rights under FERPA.

   
   

   A student who wishes to ask Valar to amend a record should write Valar Institute, clearly identify the part of the record the student wants changed and specify why it should be changed.

   
   

   If Valar decides not to amend the record as requested, Valar will notify the student in writing of the decision and the student’s right to a hearing re­garding the request for amendment. Additional information regarding the hearing procedures will be provided to the student when notified of the right to a hearing.

3. The right to provide written consent before Valar Institute discloses personally identifiable information (PII) from the student's education records, except to the extent that FERPA authorizes disclosure without consent.

   
   

   Valar Institute discloses education records without a student’s prior written consent under the FERPA exception for disclosure to institute officials with legitimate educational interests. An institute official typically includes a person employed by the institute in an administrative, supervisory, academic, research, or support staff position (including law en­forcement unit personnel and health staff); a person serving on the board of trustees; or a student serving on an official committee, such as a disciplinary or grievance com­mittee. An institute official also may include a volunteer or contractor outside of the institute who performs an institutional service of function for which the institute would otherwise use its own employees and who is under the direct control of the institute with respect to the use and maintenance of PII from education records, such as an attorney, auditor, or collection agent or a student volunteering to assist another institute official in performing his or her tasks. An institute official typically has a legitimate educational interest if the official needs to review an educa­tion record in order to fulfill his or her professional responsibilities for the institute.

   
   

   Upon request, the institute also discloses education records without consent to offi­cials of another institute in which a student seeks or intends to enroll.

4. The right to file a complaint with the U.S. Department of Education concerning alleged failures by the institute to comply with the requirements of FERPA. 

Valar Institute designates the following information as directory information. Directory information is personally identifiable information, which may be disclosed without the student’s consent:

• Student’s name
• Home address
• State or Country of residence
• Program(s) of study
• Dates of attendance
• Course Schedules
• Dates of admission
• Degrees, certificates and awards granted
• Award dates for degrees or certificates
• Enrollment status (i.e., enrolled/active, future enrolled student, reentry, leave of absence, withdrawn)
• Honors or awards received
• Participation in activities officially recognized by the institution

FERPA permits the disclosure of PII from students’ education records, without consent of the student, if the disclosure meets certain conditions found in § 99.31 of the FERPA regulations. Except for disclosures to institute officials, disclosures related to some judicial orders or lawfully issued subpoenas, disclosures of directory information, and disclosures to the student, § 99.32 of FERPA regulations requires the institution to record the disclosure. Eligible students have a right to inspect and review the record of disclosures. A postsecondary institution may disclose PII from the education records without obtaining prior written consent of the student —

• To other institute officials, including staff, within Valar Institute whom the institute has determined to have legitimate educational interests. This includes contractors, consultants, volunteers, or other parties to whom the institute has outsourced institutional services or functions, provided that the conditions listed in § 99.31(a)(1)(i)(B)(1) - (a)(1)(i)(B)(3) are met. (§ 99.31(a)(1))
• To officials of another institute where the student seeks or intends to enroll, or where the student is already enrolled if the disclosure is for purposes related to the student’s enrollment or transfer, subject to the requirements of § 99.34. (§ 99.31(a)(2)) 
• To authorized representatives of the U. S. Comptroller General, the U.S. Attorney General, the U.S. Secretary of Education, or State and local educational authorities, such as a State postsecondary authority that is responsible for supervising the university’s State-supported education programs. Disclosures under this provision may be made, subject to the requirements of §99.35, in connection with an audit or evaluation of Federal- or State-supported education programs, or for the enforcement of or compliance with Federal legal requirements that relate to those programs. These entities may make further disclosures of PII to outside entities that are designated by them as their authorized representatives to conduct any audit, evaluation, or enforcement or compliance activity on their behalf. (§§ 99.31(a)(3) and 99.35)
• In connection with financial aid for which the student has applied or which the student has received, if the information is necessary to determine eligibility for the aid, determine the amount of the aid, determine the conditions of the aid, or enforce the terms and conditions of the aid. (§ 99.31(a)(4))
• To organizations conducting studies for, or on behalf of, the institute, in order to: (a) develop, validate, or administer predictive tests; (b) administer student aid programs; or (c) improve instruction. (§ 99.31(a)(6)) 
• To accrediting organizations to carry out their accrediting functions. (§ 99.31(a)(7)) 
• To parents of an eligible student if the student is a dependent for IRS tax purposes. (§  99.31(a)(8)) 
• To comply with a judicial order or lawfully issued subpoena. (§ 99.31(a)(9)) 
• To appropriate officials in connection with a health or safety emergency, subject to § 99.36. (§  99.31(a)(10)) 
• Information the institute has designated as “directory information” under § 99.37. (§ 99.31(a)(11)) 
• To a victim of an alleged perpetrator of a crime of violence or a non-forcible sex offense, subject to the requirements of § 99.39. The disclosure may only include the final results of the disciplinary proceeding with respect to that alleged crime or offense, regardless of the finding. (§ 99.31(a)(13)) 
• To the general public, the final results of a disciplinary proceeding, subject to the requirements of § 99.39, if the institute determines the student is an alleged perpetrator of a crime of violence or non-forcible sex offense and the student has committed a violation of the institute’s rules or policies with respect to the allegation made against him or her. (§ 99.31(a)(14)) 
• To parents of a student regarding the student’s violation of any Federal, State, or local law, or of any rule or policy of the institute, governing the use or possession of alcohol or a controlled substance if the institute determines the student committed a disciplinary violation and the student is under the age of 21. (§99.31(a)(15))