FERPA & Student Records

The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974, as amended (“FERPA”), sets out requirements designed to afford students certain rights with respect to their education records. In addition, it puts limits on what information Nobel University may disclose to third parties without receiving prior written consent from the student.

Student Records

The following student records are maintained by Nobel University:

1. Application for admission and all pertinent documents submitted therewith.
2. Record of academic accomplishments at Nobel University such as grades, credits, and grade point average.
3. Change of status or scholastic program.
4. Change of address, employment, and phone numbers.
5. An account ledger sheet showing charges of tuition, fees, and adjustments of fees and payments made.
6. Records of academic or financial suspension, if any.
7. Immigration and Naturalization Service documents for foreign students.

The School’s policy is to maintain the confidentiality of student records. No one outside of Nobel University shall have access to students’ academic records without the written consent from students. Authorized School staff of other institutions in which students seek enrollment, accrediting agencies, or courts of law may have access to such records as appropriate.

Policy on Retention of Student Records

Nobel University maintains all pertinent student records for 5 years from the student’s date of completion or withdrawal. A record is considered current for 3 years following a student’s completion or withdrawal. In addition to the hard copies of the student records, the School stores digitized copies of transcripts and issued degrees indefinitely.

For all student records, Nobel University can immediately reproduce exact, legible printed copies of the digitized records. The digitized record can be accessed with any Internet connected computer at any time by the administrative staff with an access code. Nobel University also has administrative staff that can access the digitized student records present at all times during normal business hours, 9:00 am to 5:00 pm.

Any person authorized by the Bureau for Private Postsecondary Education (BPPE) or other pertinent governmental agencies has immediate access to the digitized student records in order to copy, inspect, and investigate records during normal business hours, 9:00 am to 5:00 pm.

If Nobel University closes, it and its owners will store and safe keep, in California, all records required to be maintained by BPPE. The repository of the records will make these records immediately available for inspection and copying, without charge, during normal business hours by any entity authorized by law to inspect and copy records.

1974 Privacy Act

Nobel University complies with the Family Education Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 (also known as the “Buckley Amendment”). Any questions about the availability of student records or the release of such records should be addressed to the Registrar’s Office.

A student’s academic records, grades, and personal information, in compliance with the 1974 Privacy Act (also known as Public Law 93-380, Section 438), may not be provided to third parties without his/her written consent. Permission must be given by the student in order for the information in his/her file to be used as reference checks for credit or employment evaluation by third parties, and the student must file with the School Registrar a declaration to this effect that will be kept in the student’s file. The provision to release financial data or related information to authorized state and/or federal agencies is not a violation of the 1974 Privacy Act.

Legally authorized officials of State or Federal agencies may have access to student records for audit or evaluation of educational programs.

Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA)

I. Procedure to Inspect Education Records

Students have the right under FERPA to inspect and review their education records. A student who wishes to inspect and review his/her records should submit a written request to the Academic Counselor. The request should identify as precisely as possible the records the student wishes to inspect. If the requested records are subject to inspection and review by the student, arrangements for access will be made within a reasonable period of time but in no case more than 45 days after the request was made, and the student will be notified of the time and place where the records may be inspected. The school may require the presence of a school official during the inspection and review of a student’s records.

Certain limitations exist on a student’s right to inspect and review their own education records. Those limitations include, for example: (i) financial information submitted by parents; (ii) confidential letters and recommendations placed in their files prior to January 1, 1975; (iii) confidential letters and recommendations placed in their files after January 1, 1975 to which the student has waived his or her right to inspect and review and that are related to the student’s admission, application for employment or job placement, or receipt of honors. In addition, the term “education record” does not include certain types of records such as, by way of example, records of instructional, supervisory, administrative, and certain educational personnel that are in the sole possession of the maker thereof, and are not accessible or revealed to any other individual except a substitute.

When a record contains personally identifiable information about more than one student, the student may inspect and review only the information that relates to him/her personally.

II. Disclosure of Educational Records

Nobel University generally will not permit disclosure of personally identifiable information from the records of a student without prior written consent of the student. Personally identifiable information is disclosed (some items are mandatory, some discretionary) from the records of a student without that student’s prior written consent to the following individuals or institutions or in the following circumstances:

1. To Nobel University officials who have been determined by the school to have legitimate educational interests in the records. A school official is a person employed by the school or its corporate parent in an administrative, supervisory, academic or research, or support staff position (including human resources and accounting staff for purposes of the tuition reimbursement plan), or a person employed by or under contract to the school to perform specific tasks, such as an auditor, consultant, or attorney, a person on the Board of Trustees, or a student serving on an official committee or assisting another school official.
2. Any school official who needs information about a student in the course of performing instructional, supervisory, advisory, or administrative duties for Nobel University has a legitimate educational interest.
3. To certain officials of the United States Department of Education, the Comptroller General of the United States, the Attorney General of the United States, and state and local educational authorities in connection with state or federally supported educational programs.
4. In connection with the student’s request for, or receipt of, financial aid necessary to determine the eligibility, amounts or conditions of financial aid, or to enforce the terms and conditions of the aid.
5. To organizations conducting certain studies for or on behalf of the school.
6. To accrediting commissions or state licensing or regulatory bodies to carry out their functions.
7. To parents of a dependent student, as defined in Section 152 of the Internal Revenue Code.
8. To comply with a judicial order or lawfully issued subpoena.
9. To appropriate parties in health or safety emergencies.
10. To officials of another school in which a student seeks or intends to enroll.
11. To an alleged victim of a crime of violence or a non-forcible sexual offense, the final results of the disciplinary proceedings conducted by the school against the alleged perpetrator of that crime or offense with respect to that crime or offense.
12. To persons in addition to the victim of a crime of violence or non-forcible sexual offense, the final results of the disciplinary proceedings described above, but only if the school has determined that a student is the perpetrator of a crime of violence or non-forcible sexual offense, and the student has committed a violation of the institution’s rules or policies with respect to that allegation (the school may only disclose the name of the perpetrator, not any other student, including a victim or witness, without prior written consent). Both the accuser and the accused must be informed of the outcome of any institutional disciplinary proceeding brought alleging a sex offense; compliance with this paragraph does not constitute a FERPA violation (20 U.S.C. 1232g).
13. To a parent regarding the student’s violation of any federal, state, or local law or of any rules or policy of the school governing the use or possession of alcohol or a controlled substance, if the school determines the student has committed a disciplinary violation and the student is under 21 at the time of disclosure.
14. Directory information (see below).
15. Student recruiting information as requested by the U.S. Military — limited to name, address, telephone listing, age or date of birth, class level, academic major, place of birth, degrees received, and most recent educational institution attended. Nobel University will not provide social security numbers, race, ethnicity, nationality, GPA, grades, low-performing student lists, religious affiliation, loan-default status, veteran’s status, or no-longer-enrolled status. Students who opt out of the directory also opt out of student recruiting information.

III. Record of Requests for Disclosure

Except with respect to requests made by the student themselves, disclosures made with the student’s written consent, requests by or disclosures to Nobel University officials with legitimate educational interests, and disclosures of directory information (or other exceptions described in the applicable regulations), Nobel University will maintain a record indicating the parties who have requested or obtained personally identifiable information from a student’s education records and the legitimate interests those parties had in requesting or obtaining the information. This record may be inspected by the student.

IV. Directory Information

Nobel University designates the following as directory information — personally identifiable information which may be disclosed without the student’s consent:

1. Student’s name
2. Address: local, email and website
3. Telephone number (local)
4. Date and place of birth
5. Program of study
6. Participation in officially recognized activities
7. Dates of attendance
8. Degrees and certificates awarded
9. Most recent previously attended school
10. Photograph of the student, if available
11. Enrollment status (enrolled, continuing, future enrolled student, reentry, leave of absence, etc.)
12. Student honors and awards received
13. The height and weight of athletic team members

Notice of these categories and of the right of an individual in attendance at Nobel University to request that his/her directory information be kept confidential will be given to the student annually. Students may request nondisclosure of student directory information by specifying nondisclosure, in writing, to their Academic Counselor, Nobel University, 505 Shatto Pl., Suite 300, Los Angeles, CA 90020. Failure to request nondisclosure of directory information will result in routine disclosure of one or more of the above-designated categories of personally identifiable directory information.

V. Correction of Educational Records

Students have the right under FERPA to ask to have records corrected which they believe are inaccurate, misleading, or in violation of their privacy rights:

1. A student must ask the University Registrar to amend a record, identifying the part of the record they want changed and why they believe it is inaccurate, misleading, or in violation of their privacy rights.
2. Nobel University may either amend the record or decide not to. If it decides not to amend the record, it will notify the student of its decision and advise the student of the right to a hearing to challenge the information.
3. Upon request, Nobel University will arrange a hearing, conducted by an individual with no direct interest in the outcome, and notify the student reasonably in advance of the date, place, and time. The student may present relevant evidence and may be assisted by other people, including an attorney.
4. Nobel University will prepare a written decision based solely on the evidence presented at the hearing, including a summary of the evidence and the reasons for the decision.
5. If the hearing determines the information is inaccurate, misleading, or otherwise in violation of the student’s privacy rights, Nobel University will amend the record accordingly and inform the student in writing.
6. If the hearing determines the information is not inaccurate, misleading, or in violation of privacy rights, the student has the right to place a statement in the record commenting on the contested information or stating why they disagree with the decision.
7. If such a statement is placed in the student’s education records, Nobel University will maintain the statement with the contested part of the record for as long as the record is maintained, and will disclose the statement whenever it discloses the portion of the record to which it relates.

VI. Student Right to File a Complaint

A student has the right to file a complaint with the United States Department of Education concerning alleged failures by Nobel University to comply with FERPA. The governmental office that administers FERPA is:

Family Policy Compliance Office
U.S. Department of Education
400 Maryland Avenue, SW
Washington, D.C. 20202-5920

Right to Refuse Release

Nobel University reserves the right to refuse directory information to anyone not granted access by law. It will not knowingly provide information to landlords, creditors, collection agencies, or sales personnel.

Transcript Requests

Transcripts are available from the date the student enrolls in his/her first semester. To request transcripts, the student must make a request to the Registrar’s office. Official transcripts are $20.00 each and can be picked up in person or mailed (additional mailing fee applies) to the student within 7-10 business days after the request has been submitted and all financial obligations are met.