Your Privacy (FERPA)
The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA)
The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) (20 U.S.C. § 1232g; 34 C.F.R. Part 99) is a federal law that protects the privacy of educational records of all students enrolled in schools beyond the high school level. FERPA requires that information, written or verbal, regarding student education and financial aid records cannot be released to any person or agency other than the student without prior written consent. Schools must maintain that privacy, primarily by restricting the release of documents and the access provided to those records. Any educational institution that receives funds under any program administered by the U.S. Secretary of Education is bound by FERPA requirements.)
You are under no obligation to authorize the release of your financial aid information and you may request at any time that individual(s) previously given authorization be removed.
If you do not authorize release of your information to your parents, spouse and/or third party, we may provide only general financial aid information such as the application process, general program eligibility, and deadline dates.
How to authorize the release of information
To release information to anyone other than the student, i.e. parent, grandparent, other agencies or friend, the MSJC financial aid Consent to Release Form (CRF) must be completed by the student in person with a picture ID each academic year. For student confidentiality, a picture I.D. will be required when a student is requesting information from his/her financial aid file. All documents contained in student files are the property of the MSJC financial aid office and will not be returned. Please request and retain copies of all your paperwork before submitting it to our office.
What your authorization allows
Your authorization allows us to speak to your parents, spouse, and/or third party about information related to your financial aid such as:
- Details of your financial aid application and aid award
- Grades and your academic status as it affects your eligibility to receive financial aid
- Debts owed to the college for overpayment of financial aid
To protect the student’s privacy, no detailed student information will be given over the phone, email, or via the internet.
What your authorization does not allow
Your authorization will not allow your parents or spouse to make certain changes to your financial aid record, such as:
- Changes to your address
- Correcting your income or household information
- Canceling your financial aid
Verification of Aid Forms
To request verification of your financial aid package and the amount of aid disbursed to an outside agency, the MSJC Financial Aid Verification of Aid Form must be completed by the student in person with a picture ID. For student confidentiality, a picture I.D. will be required when a student is requesting or picking up information from his/her financial aid file. The student may print out a PDF copy of their Offer Letter in Self Service.
Student Email Accounts
Mt. San Jacinto College students are assigned a free student email account through Microsoft’s Office 365 for Education. An MSJC email account is the only approved method of formal communication between MSJC and students. It is important that students check their student email daily because the financial aid department will use the MSJC student email to communicate with students regarding their financial aid applications, steps to complete their financial aid file, as well as updates and workshop offerings.