Oct. 6, 2026

The University of Rhode Island complies with the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) of 1974. This act was designed to protect the privacy of education records, to establish the right of students to inspect and review their education records, and to provide guidelines for the correction of inaccurate or misleading data through formal and informal hearings.

As a general rule, students attending a college or university, regardless of age, have the right under FERPA to control disclosure of information from their educational records.

FERPA generally requires the university to obtain written consent prior to the disclosure of personally identifiable information from a student’s education records. The university may disclose “directory information” without such consent, unless you have notified the school otherwise.

As of January 1, 2026, the University of Rhode Island has implemented a Policy on the Rights of Students Pursuant to FERPA.

What is directory information?

Directory information is basic information related to a student that the school may include in certain school publications such as yearbooks, graduation programs, sports activity sheets, honor roll or other recognition lists, etc.

As of January 2026, the University of Rhode Island designates the following as directory information:

• Student’s full name
• City and state (only) of a student’s campus, local, and/or home address
• University email address
• Major field of study
• Full/part-time status
• Participation in officially recognized activities and sports
• Weight and height of members of athletic teams
• Date(s) of attendance
• Degrees, honors, and awards received
• The most recent previous educational institution attended
• Class year
• Graduation dates

Additionally, the following are considered Directory Information for the purposes of disclosures made internally within the University or to the URI Foundation:

• Date of birth
• Home mailing address
• Information related to a public facing presence (e.g. LinkedIn)
• Personal email
• Telephone number

May I opt-out of directory information disclosure?
Yes. Directory information is considered public information and may be released upon request unless the student activates a “privacy hold” in e-Campus. If you do not want the University to disclose directory information from your education records without your prior written consent you can manage your FERPA restrictions through e-Campus. To do so, log in to e-Campus and go to Main Menu, then Self Service, then Campus Personal Information, then FERPA Restrictions.

Can I grant a third party, like parents, access to my information?
Yes. As a student, you may assign guest access to e-Campus to a third party to view your billing, academic records, and/or financial aid information. A guest can be a parent, guardian, grandparent, sibling, employer, or other third-party payer. Details to grant third-party access can be found here.

All other information is considered private, and will not be released outside the University without the written permission of the student, unless a specific exception under FERPA applies. Additional information about student records can be found in the Student Handbook.

When does FERPA permit disclosure of personally identifiable information (PII) without student consent?
Personally Identifiable Information from an Education Record(s) may be released by a Records Custodian in accordance with FERPA and in its implementing regulations. The following are some of the permissible release conditions without consent under FERPA:

1. To a School Official if they have a legitimate educational interest, or legal right to know. The University has defined a School Official as a person employed by the University in an administrative, supervisory, academic, research, or support staff position, as well as a trustee or outside contractor, consultant, volunteer, or other party acting as an agent for the University. Examples of School Officials include, but are not limited to: attorneys, auditors, collection agents, health or medical staff, officials of the National Student Clearinghouse, members of the University of Rhode Island Board of Trustees; Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (“ROTC”) cadre members (limited to their relationship with students enrolled in the ROTC program and/or enrolled in ROTC courses), and students serving on an official committee, such as a disciplinary or grievance committee, or assisting another School Official in performing their tasks.
   These situations are limited to:
   • Performing a necessary or appropriate task or activity to fulfill their assigned institutional duty for the University and specified in their position description or in a contract agreement or other official appointment;
   • Performing a task related to a student’s education or to student discipline;
   • Maintaining safety and security on campus; or
   • Providing a service or benefit directly relating to the student or student’s family, such as healthcare, counseling, job placement, or financial aid.
2. To officials of other schools in which the Student seeks or intends to enroll or has enrolled, as long as the disclosure is for purposes related to the Student’s enrollment or transfer. The Student shall receive notification of the disclosure unless the student initiated the disclosure and they may, upon request, have a copy of the records transferred
3. To a third party in connection with determining eligibility, amounts, and conditions, or enforcing terms of financial aid for which the Student has applied or that which the student has received.
4. To a third party in connection with Directory Information for a student directory, commencement program, yearbook, sports publicity materials, honors announcements, the manufacture of class rings, or other similar uses;
5. To an appropriate third party if the information is necessary to protect the health or safety of the Student or other individuals.
6. To a Student’s parent or legal guardian, information regarding the Student’s violation of any federal, state, or local law (or of any rule or policy of the University) governing the use or possession of alcohol or a controlled substance, provided that the Student is under the age of 21 and either
   • The Student is found responsible for a second violation of the alcohol or drug policy; or
   • The incident was of such a serious nature that the University decides that the parent/guardian will be notified.

How do I request to inspect and review my student educational records?
In accordance with FERPA, students have the right to inspect and review their education record(s) upon written request to the appropriate Records Custodian. To request access to a record, a student may submit a written request to review education record either in person or via email to:

Registration and Records Office
Green Hall
6 Rhody Ram Way
Kingston, RI 02881
FERPA-group@uri.edu

The School Official will arrange for access and notify the student of the time and place where the records may be inspected within forty-five (45) calendar days as mandated by FERPA. If a student requests a copy of the education records, the University may assess a reasonable copy fee. Copy fees of up to $0.15 per page for copies on business or legal-size paper. A student may be required to present proper government issued identification or otherwise verify their identity in a manner deemed appropriate by the Record Custodian.

A student may request clarification or explanation of information within their Education Record. After inspecting the record(s), a student may submit a request for explanation or interpretation to the Registration and Records Office, either in person or via email. The School Official will respond within fifteen (15) calendar days to schedule a meeting or provide a written explanation of the record.

How do I request to amend my student educational record?
A student who wishes to request an amendment to their education record may submit a request to amend or remove education records to the Registration and Records Office, either in person or via email. By law, the University is required to consider only requests to amend information that is inaccurately recorded. The FERPA amendment process does not apply to: (a) academic grades or decisions (except for clerical errors in recording); (b) subjective opinions or evaluations; or (c) outcomes of disciplinary or conduct proceedings. The written request should clearly identify the part of the record the student is requesting be changed and specify why the record is inaccurate or misleading. Upon receipt of a completed request for amendment, the Registration and Records Office or applicable School Official will make a prompt informal determination within a reasonable time, but not more than thirty (30) calendar days, as to whether the proposed correction is accepted or rejected. The student will be notified in writing that the amendment has occurred or that the request is denied. A letter denying the request will state the reasons for the decision and notify the student of the right to request a formal hearing.

Can I request a formal hearing if my amendment request is denied?
Yes. Upon denial of an eligible record correction request, students may request a formal hearing by submitting a request to the Registration and Records Office, either in person or via email. Note that FERPA amendment rights do not extend to: (a) substantive academic grades or decisions (clerical recording errors excepted); (b) subjective opinions or evaluations; or (c) outcomes of disciplinary or conduct proceedings. The request for a hearing should include (a) copies of the contested record(s) or a description of the contested record(s) with enough specificity that they can be identified and located by the Registration and Records Office;

• A statement that the student has attempted to resolve the matter informally including the identity of the School Official(s) with whom the student worked toward informal resolution, or an explanation as to why informal resolution was not appropriate; and
• A statement explaining why the student believes the record(s) is inaccurate, misleading, or in violation of the student’s privacy rights.

The Registration and Records Office will acknowledge receipt of a written request for a hearing within five (5) business days. The hearing will be scheduled and conducted within a reasonable period, ordinarily within forty-five (45) calendar days of the written request. The student will receive written notice of the date, time, location, and procedures of the hearing at least fourteen (14) calendar days in advance whenever reasonably practicable, to provide a reasonable opportunity for preparation.

Who can I contact if I have more questions?

Questions concerning student rights under FERPA should be directed to:

Executive Director of Enrollment Services or
Registration and Records Office
Green Hall
6 Rhody Ram Way
Kingston, RI 02881
(FERPA-group@uri.edu)

How can I file a complaint?

Students may file a complaint with the U.S. Department of Education concerning alleged failures by the University to comply with the requirements of FERPA. The name and address of the Office that administers FERPA is:

Family Policy Compliance Office
U.S. Department of Education
400 Maryland Avenue, SW
Washington, D.C. 20202-8520