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Release of Student Information

The Family Education Rights & Privacy Act (FERPA) forbids releasing any information about a student without the student’s written permission. FERPA covers academic information such as course grades and comprehensive exam results, work performance evaluations, and disciplinary actions such as Honor Code violations. Certain directory information is excepted (see below). For more information, click here.

Certain information about students is considered “directory” information and can be released to any inquirer without special permission, unless the student has explicitly restricted its release. At UNC-Chapel Hill, directory information consists of the following:

  • name
  • address (local and grade/billing address)
  • telephone listing (local and grade/billing numbers)
  • campus e-mail address
  • date and place of birth
  • country, state, and/or US territory from which the student originally enrolled (if a student enrolled from a foreign country, this is not directory information)
  • dates of attendance
  • enrollment status (full-time, half-time, part-time)
  • class (grad, senior, junior, etc)
  • major field of study
  • degrees and awards received
  • anticipated graduation date
  • participation in officially recognized activities and sports
  • weight and height of members of athletic teams
  • most recent previous educational agency or institution attended by the student

NOTE: the following items are examples of data that are not “directory” information and may not be released without express consent of the student:

  • parents’ names, addresses, and telephone numbers
  • marital status; spouse’s identity
  • nationality
  • racial or ethnic group
  • handicap or veteran status
  • job evaluations
  • course grades

If a student wishes to add or remove a FERPA flag to their account, they should contact the main campus Registrar’s office at registrar@unc.edu for assistance. Please note that by adding a FERPA flag to your account we will be unable to verify/confirm your degree/enrollment information with potential employers. If we are contacted by anyone regarding you we will have to say that we have no information available.