The U.S. Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) (20 U.S.C. § 1232g; 34 CFR Part 99) is a federal law that protects the privacy of student education records. College policy also protects the privacy of education records and personally identifiable information from a student's education records (other than directory information). For more complete information regarding FERPA, please visit the U.S. Department of Education's Student Privacy Policy Office's Privacy Technical Assistance Center website. The law applies to all schools that receive funds under an applicable program of the U.S. Department of Education. A description of students' rights under FERPA is set forth within more detail in the College Catalog and on the College Registrar's webpage.
Release of Education Records to Third Parties
Eligible students wishing to authorize the release of specific education records to a third party, such as an attorney, law firm, or court, may complete and sign the College's U.S. Family Educational Rights & Privacy Act Authorization to Release Education Records form. The form needs to be completed in its entirety and enclosed with any request from an attorney, law firm, or similar entity to release education records to them. These types of requests for records should be directed to Office of Legal Affairs.
In order for a request for student records to be processed, requests must be submitted in writing and accompanied by a signed authorization from the student that allows release of specific education records to a named third party, such as an attorney, background check investigator, court or other similar entities. Written records requests should be sent with a signed release to the Office of Legal Affairs:
Mail: 533 College Road – NFL 230, Selden, NY 11784
Fax: 631-451-4974
Email: LegalAffairs@sunysuffolk.edu
Once requests are reviewed, they are transmitted to the appropriate office(s) within the College for processing and response. Please allow up to 14 days to receive a response. We request that you do not call to check status before 14 days.
The College does not provide verbal responses to requests for student records or student information.
Students seeking copies of their own records should first review the records they can access via the student portal, where students can obtain copies of their bills, class schedules, and unofficial transcripts. Students needing an official transcript can order their transcripts online on the College website. Students needing other records should consult the Student Records Policy on the College website.
