What right does FERPA provide to students regarding directory information?

FERPA, or the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act, grants students certain rights concerning their educational records, including directory information. Directory information typically includes information that is generally not considered harmful or an invasion of privacy if disclosed. This may encompass items like a student's name, address, phone number, email address, date of birth, and major field of study.

One of the critical rights provided by FERPA is the ability for students to restrict the disclosure of this directory information. This means that institutions must notify students about what constitutes directory information and give them the option to opt-out of having that information released publicly. By choosing to restrict this information, students can protect their privacy and control who has access to certain data about them.

In contrast, the other options presented either describe rights that are not granted by FERPA or involve aspects not related to the management of directory information. For example, selling personal information for research is not aligned with FERPA’s protections and requirements, while requesting changes to grades pertains to a student's rights regarding their academic performance rather than directory information. Allowing full access to all personal data would undermine the protections FERPA aims to provide. Thus, the correct choice emphasizes students' rights to limit the exposure of their directory information, affirming their