FERPA POLICY

Avon College complies with the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 as amended (FERPA), which is designed to protect the confidentiality of the records that educational institutions maintain on students and to give students access to their records to assure the accuracy of their contents. A student is any person who attends or who has attended the College. An education record is a record maintained by the College which is directly related to a student, with the following exceptions:

The Act affords students certain rights with respect to their education records. These rights include:

1. ACCESS TO EDUCATION RECORDS

Provided that they have not previously waived the right of access and after enrollment at the College, students have the right to inspect and review their education records within 45 days of the day the College receives a written request for access. Students should submit their written request, identifying as precisely as possible the record(s) they wish to review, to the Registrar or the appropriate official records custodian listed above. If the record(s) requested is not maintained by that official, he or she will advise the student of the correct official to whom the request should be addressed. Otherwise, the official will make arrangements for students to review the education record(s). A minimum charge of $10 per page will be made for copies of records whether authorized by student consent or otherwise allowed by the Act.

RECORDS NOT OPEN TO STUDENT REVIEW

In accordance with federal regulations, students do not have the right to review the following records:

RIGHT OF THE COLLEGE TO REFUSE TO PROVIDE COPIES

Avon College reserves the right to deny copies if the transcripts or other records are not required to be made available under FERPA, if the student has an overdue financial obligation to the College, or if there is an unresolved disciplinary action against the student.

2. REQUEST FOR AMENDMENT OF EDUCATION RECORDS

Students have the right to request amendment of their education records if they believe the records are inaccurate or misleading. Students should write the College official responsible for the specific record clearly identifying the part of the record they want changed and specifying why it is inaccurate or misleading. That College official will reach a decision and inform the student in a reasonable amount of time after receiving the request. If the request to amend the record is denied, the college official will advise the student of his or her right to a hearing on the requested amendment, and provide information on hearing procedures. The student may appeal to the college management submitting a copy of the challenge and record to the management. The management must consult both with the student and the custodian of the record in any such appeal. Students will be afforded a full and fair opportunity to present evidence relevant to the issue raised. The management will determine the validity of the challenge and make it a part of the student record.

DESTRUCTION OF RECORDS

Nothing in this policy requires the continued maintenance of any student record for any particular length of time. However, if under the terms of this policy a student has requested access to his or her education record, the record will not be destroyed before the custodian has granted access to the student.

3. DISCLOSURE OF EDUCATION RECORDS

Students have the right to consent to disclosures of personally identifiable information in their education records, except to the extent that FERPA or any superseding law authorizes disclosure without consent. Consent for the disclosure of a student's education records must be in writing, signed and dated by the student, specifying the records to be released, the reasons for such release, and to whom the records are to be disclosed. Records of students classified as dependents of their parents by the IRS code can be revealed to parents of such dependents at the discretion of the College.

DIRECTORY INFORMATION

Avon College designates the following categories of personally identifiable student information as public or "Directory Information." The College may disclose such information at its discretion. Currently enrolled students may withhold disclosure of directory information by submitting written notification on an annual basis (usually prior to the beginning of the fall semester) to the Registrar's Office. Directory information will then be withheld until the student releases the hold on disclosure. Students should understand that, by withholding directory information, some information considered important to students may not reach them.

4. COMPLIANCE

Students are encouraged to contact the Registrar if they have questions about this policy. The Registrar may be reached by emailing at registrar@avoncollege.com, or writing to 16262 Whittier Blvd. #01, Whittier, California - 90603. Under FERPA, students have the right to contact the Family Policy Compliance Office, U.S. Department of Education, Washington, DC, with a complaint about the College’s compliance with FERPA.