{"id":52,"date":"2024-05-15T17:33:44","date_gmt":"2024-05-15T17:33:44","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.mtsu.edu\/records\/?page_id=52"},"modified":"2026-04-21T15:41:38","modified_gmt":"2026-04-21T15:41:38","slug":"privacy","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.mtsu.edu\/records\/privacy\/","title":{"rendered":"FERPA &amp; Student Privacy"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>Every employee at the University is committed to protecting your confidential student information, both because it\u2019s the right thing to do and because it is the law. For more information about the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 (FERPA), please review our&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/w1.mtsu.edu\/policies\/academic-affairs-students\/318.php\">policy<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-mtsu-blocks-alert-box web_alert_group\"><div class=\"web_alert\"><h2 class=\"alert-title\">Students &#8211; Set Up your Student Privacy PIN on Pipeline!<\/h2><p class=\"alert-text\">If you have not set up your Student Privacy PIN on Pipeline, do so by going to the Registration and Student Records menu and the link &#8220;<strong>Partners in Education (PIE) and Student Privacy<\/strong>&#8221; in the Academic Records box. This PIN is unique to you as the student so that you can verify your identity if you call the MT One Stop for assistance. The MT One Stop may not be able to answer your questions if you have not set this up.<\/p><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-mtsu-blocks-expandable-block accordion expandable-group expandable-group-lightblock\" id=\"newExpandable\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-mtsu-blocks-expandable-item accordion-item expandable-heading expandable-heading-lightblock\"><h2 class=\"accordion-header\" id=\"headinginformation-for-students\"><button class=\"accordion-button collapsed\" type=\"button\" data-bs-toggle=\"collapse\" data-bs-target=\"#collapsenewExpandableinformation-for-students\" aria-expanded=\"false\" aria-controls=\"collapsenewExpandableinformation-for-students\">Information for Students<\/button><\/h2><div id=\"collapsenewExpandableinformation-for-students\" class=\"accordion-collapse collapse expandable-content expandable-content-lightblock\" aria-labelledby=\"headinginformation-for-students\" data-bs-parent=\"#newExpandable\"><div class=\"accordion-body\">\n<p>As an enrolled student at a post-secondary institution you have certain rights pertaining to the privacy of your educational records, as written in <a href=\"https:\/\/www.mtsu.edu\/policies\/p318\/\">MTSU Policy 318 Access to Education Records<\/a>: <\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list is-style-compact-list\">\n<li>The right to inspect and review your education records<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The right to request the amendment of your education records<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The right to provide written consent before the university discloses personally identifiable information from your student records<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The right to file a complaint with the US Department of Education concerning alleged failures by the school to comply with FERPA<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>In general, no one may access your confidential educational records without your written consent. You may choose to allow certain persons (parents, family members, spouses, etc.) access to your confidential information by adding them in the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.mtsu.edu\/one-stop\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/71\/2024\/05\/PIE-Student-Authorization-Release.pdf\">Partners in Education (PIE) Program<\/a>. To start the process, follow these easy steps:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list is-style-compact-list\">\n<li>Login to&nbsp;<a href=\"http:\/\/mtsu.edu\/pipelinemt\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">PipelineMT<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Select the <strong>Registration &amp; Student Records<\/strong> menu<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Select the <strong>Partners in Education (PIE) and Student Privacy<\/strong> link in the Academic Records box<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Select the <strong>Add\/Update\/Remove my Partners in Education or Student Privacy PIN<\/strong> link to add your partners if you want to participate in the program<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>You will need to provide the Partner\u2019s name, email, and phone number, then assign them a PIN to use when they contact the MT One Stop for information<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Note that this program does&nbsp;not&nbsp;provide a Partner with online student access to student information nor allow the Partner to act on behalf of the student. The PIE partnership release does not apply to counseling records, disciplinary records or health information protected by FERPA.&nbsp; Separately, students may grant parents, guardians or others access to view bills, pay balances or view 1098-T statements by creating an&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/mtsu.edu\/tuition\/instructions\/\"><strong>authorized user account<\/strong><\/a>&nbsp;via&nbsp;<a href=\"http:\/\/www.mtsu.edu\/pipelinemt\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">PipelineMT<\/a>.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Also be aware that photographs and other forms of visual media may be taken on campus during various events and activities. Photographs are considered to be directory information under FERPA and MTSU policy. 乐播传媒入口 information includes the student&#8217;s name, photograph, major field of study, dates of attendance, degrees and awards received, and other similar information. As a result, the college may have the right to use and disclose these photographs for various purposes, including but not limited to, promotional materials, college websites, social media platforms, and other marketing initiatives. By attending college events and activities on campus, you acknowledge and understand that photographs and visual media may be taken and used in accordance with applicable laws and college policies, including FERPA regulations.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-mtsu-blocks-expandable-item accordion-item expandable-heading expandable-heading-lightblock\"><h2 class=\"accordion-header\" id=\"headingdirectory-information\"><button class=\"accordion-button collapsed\" type=\"button\" data-bs-toggle=\"collapse\" data-bs-target=\"#collapsenewExpandabledirectory-information\" aria-expanded=\"false\" aria-controls=\"collapsenewExpandabledirectory-information\">乐播传媒入口 Information<\/button><\/h2><div id=\"collapsenewExpandabledirectory-information\" class=\"accordion-collapse collapse expandable-content expandable-content-lightblock\" aria-labelledby=\"headingdirectory-information\" data-bs-parent=\"#newExpandable\"><div class=\"accordion-body\">\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\">乐播传媒入口 Information<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) allows MTSU to disclose certain basic information about you, known as \u201c乐播传媒入口 Information,\u201d without obtaining written consent.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>乐播传媒入口 information includes the following information which may be provided to any requesting party:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list is-style-compact-list\">\n<li>Student name;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>City of permanent place of residence;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Photograph or video when related to a MTSU activity;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Birth year;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Major field of study;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Enrollment status (full-time, part-time, withdrawn);<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Student level (freshman, sophomore, etc.);<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Dates of attendance;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Degree status (expected graduation date and\/or dates conferred);<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>University-recognized honors and awards and dates received;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Participation in officially recognized activities\/sports, including weight and height of members of athletic teams; and<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The most recent educational agency or institution attended by the student.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<p>乐播传媒入口 information also includes the following information that may only be provided to requesters for a legitimate educational purpose or in relation to a MTSU activity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list is-style-compact-list\">\n<li>Email addresses (campus and personal);<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Mailing addresses (campus, primary, and permanent); and<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>University ID Number (M#).<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Student Recruitment Information. <\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>The following information may be released to military recruiters pursuant to the Solomon Amendment, 10 U.S.C. \u00a7 983, a federal law that allows military recruiters to access some addresses, biographical, and academic program information on students age 17 and older. MTSU may release data included in the list of student recruitment infor\u00admation even if it is not included on our listing of directory information.<br><br>Student recruitment information includes:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list is-style-compact-list\">\n<li>Name;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Address;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Telephone listing (not defined as directory at MTSU);<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>MTSU email address;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Age;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Place of birth;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Level of education or class standing;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Most recent educational institution attended; and<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Academic major.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Non-Release of 乐播传媒入口 Information<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>Students may choose to block the release of their directory information by submitting the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.mtsu.edu\/one-stop\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/71\/2024\/05\/nonrelease.pdf\">Request for Non-Release of 乐播传媒入口 Information<\/a> form. This request does not prevent MTSU from disclosing personally identifiable information from a student\u2019s record:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>to school officials as defined in MTSU Policy: 318 Access to Educational Records ;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>to authorized representatives of federal, state and local agencies when that disclosure is in connection<br>with financial aid for which the student has applied or which the student has received;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>for verification of enrollment to lending agencies;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>for disclosure to comply with a judicial order or lawfully issued subpoena;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>or for any of the other exceptions to signed consent found in 99.31 of the FERPA regulations.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>MTSU will make every effort to prevent your e-mail address being released. However, e-mail addresses may<br>be available from sources other than MTSU.In addition, MTSU assumes no liability for honoring your instructions to release no information. In addition, any disclosures that have been made prior to your request are most likely no longer in MTSU\u2019s control. Your request for non-disclosure does not require MTSU to recover prior disclosures that were made prior to your request.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This request is valid indefinitely and will require students to only communicate with the school via their MTSU email, through PipelineMT, or in person. Students who wish to remove their release may email records@mtsu.edu or visit the MT One Stop.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-mtsu-blocks-expandable-item accordion-item expandable-heading expandable-heading-lightblock\"><h2 class=\"accordion-header\" id=\"headingstudent-privacy-pin\"><button class=\"accordion-button collapsed\" type=\"button\" data-bs-toggle=\"collapse\" data-bs-target=\"#collapsenewExpandablestudent-privacy-pin\" aria-expanded=\"false\" aria-controls=\"collapsenewExpandablestudent-privacy-pin\"> Student Privacy PIN<\/button><\/h2><div id=\"collapsenewExpandablestudent-privacy-pin\" class=\"accordion-collapse collapse expandable-content expandable-content-lightblock\" aria-labelledby=\"headingstudent-privacy-pin\" data-bs-parent=\"#newExpandable\"><div class=\"accordion-body\">\n<p>To protect student records MTSU takes many steps to authenticate a student\u2019s identity before releasing information. For students who call the MT One Stop or visit their virtual counter they can set up a <strong>Student Privacy PIN<\/strong> on their Pipeline account so that we can better identify students who are calling to discuss their records. Students may create a PIN for themselves to use when calling about their personal information. <br><br>To set up your Student Privacy PIN simply go to Pipeline &gt; the Registration and Student Records menu &gt; the link \u201c<strong>Partners in Education (PIE) and Student Privacy<\/strong>\u201d in the Academic Records box. From there you click the link at the top of the page to &#8220;Add\/Update\/Remove my Partners in Education or Student Privacy PIN&#8221;.Once you click the link you will simply add your name, phone number, MTSU email, and a chosen 4-digit PIN in the first available slot (some slots may already be in use if you are in the Partner in Education program). <br><br>If you contact the MT One Stop or other offices via phone or virtually, you may be asked for this PIN to verify your identity. The MT One Stop will require this PIN to relay any protected information or records over the phone or on their virtual counter. You may use your MTSU email account without having to provide a PIN since you must use multifactor authentication to access your email account. If you have any questions or need assistance setting up your Student Privacy PIN, please contact <a href=\"mailto:MTOneStop@mtsu.edu\">MTOneStop@mtsu.edu<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-mtsu-blocks-expandable-item accordion-item expandable-heading expandable-heading-lightblock\"><h2 class=\"accordion-header\" id=\"headinginformation-for-parents\"><button class=\"accordion-button collapsed\" type=\"button\" data-bs-toggle=\"collapse\" data-bs-target=\"#collapsenewExpandableinformation-for-parents\" aria-expanded=\"false\" aria-controls=\"collapsenewExpandableinformation-for-parents\">Information for Parents<\/button><\/h2><div id=\"collapsenewExpandableinformation-for-parents\" class=\"accordion-collapse collapse expandable-content expandable-content-lightblock\" aria-labelledby=\"headinginformation-for-parents\" data-bs-parent=\"#newExpandable\"><div class=\"accordion-body\">\n<p>Students have certain rights in accordance with the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 (FERPA) regarding the privacy of their education records.\u00a0You will find full information regarding MTSU\u2019s sharing of student information under\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.mtsu.edu\/policies\/p318\/\">MTSU Policy 318: Access to Education Records<\/a>. MTSU encourages parents to communicate directly with their students regarding their educational records and promotes the use of the Partner in Education (PIE) program with their students.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Students may grant parents, guardians or others access to view bills, pay balances or view 1098-T statements by creating an&nbsp;<strong>authorized user account<\/strong>&nbsp;via&nbsp;<a href=\"http:\/\/www.mtsu.edu\/pipelinemt\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">PipelineMT<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Tax Dependent Students<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>According to federal law, once a student enrolls in an institution of higher education, regardless of age, the student\u2019s parents no longer have automatic access to the student\u2019s educational records.&nbsp; However, if the parent(s) claimed the student as a dependent on the most recent tax return as defined by&nbsp;<a href=\"http:\/\/www.gpo.gov\/fdsys\/pkg\/USCODE-2011-title26\/pdf\/USCODE-2011-title26-subtitleA-chap1-subchapB-partV-sec152.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Section 152 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986<\/a>, they may have access to the student\u2019s MTSU educational records without the student\u2019s prior written consent. If either parent claims the student, regardless of their filing status, both parents have access to the student\u2019s educational records.&nbsp; MTSU encourages strong communication between student and parents and offers the Partnership in Education program for direct access for requesting student educational records.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>For parents who are not PIE Partners, proof of dependency may be filed with the MT One Stop with the completion of the Parent(s) Documentation of Student\u2019s Federal Income Tax Dependent Status&nbsp;form along with a notarized copy of the first page of the most recent filing year tax form.&nbsp; The tax return should be redacted to remove all social security numbers except the student\u2019s last four-digits of their social security number.&nbsp; Income information may also be redacted. Because tax dependency can change, eligibility must be established each year. The tax return must be from the most recent tax year. Tax information entered for filing the student\u2019s FAFSA, information provided to the Financial Aid office for verification, and a federal tax transcript cannot be used as proof of dependency.&nbsp; All information requests using Tax Dependent Student status are fulfilled through the MT One Stop and must be request through the MT One Stop.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>Access by documented tax dependency does not provide a parent with online student access to student information nor allows the parent to act on behalf of the student. Access by documented tax dependency does not apply to protected personal counseling records, disciplinary records or health information.<\/em><strong>&nbsp;<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-mtsu-blocks-expandable-item accordion-item expandable-heading expandable-heading-lightblock\"><h2 class=\"accordion-header\" id=\"headingpartners-in-education-pie-program\"><button class=\"accordion-button collapsed\" type=\"button\" data-bs-toggle=\"collapse\" data-bs-target=\"#collapsenewExpandablepartners-in-education-pie-program\" aria-expanded=\"false\" aria-controls=\"collapsenewExpandablepartners-in-education-pie-program\">Partners in Education (PIE) Program<\/button><\/h2><div id=\"collapsenewExpandablepartners-in-education-pie-program\" class=\"accordion-collapse collapse expandable-content expandable-content-lightblock\" aria-labelledby=\"headingpartners-in-education-pie-program\" data-bs-parent=\"#newExpandable\"><div class=\"accordion-body\">\n<p>An enrolled student at a post-secondary institution has certain rights pertaining to the privacy of their educational records. In general, parents, spouses, family members, and third parties may not access students&#8217; confidential, non-directory educational information without written consent. For parents, spouses, family members, or other parties who may want access to student records, we recommend participating in the\u00a0<strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.mtsu.edu\/one-stop\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/71\/2024\/05\/PIE-Student-Authorization-Release.pdf\">Partners in Education (PIE) Program<\/a>.<\/strong><br><br>The Partners in Education (PIE) Program helps address the needs of students by creating such a partnership, fostering communication between students, their families, and the university. Through the Partners in Education Program, PIE Partners can request academic information and suggestions to help them provide effective support for their student. Students can set up a partner by going to Pipeline &gt; the Registration and Student Records menu &gt; the link \u201c<strong>Partners in Education (PIE) and Student Privacy<\/strong>\u201d in the Academic Records box. From there they must click the link at the top of the page to &#8220;Add\/Update\/Remove my Partners in Education or Student Privacy PIN&#8221;.Once they click the link, they will simply add the partner&#8217;s name, phone number, email, and a chosen 4-digit PIN in the first available slot.<br><br>The assigned PIN is for the purpose of identifying you as a partner when\u00a0emailing\u00a0to request information. Please remind your student to choose a PIN that is easy for you to remember. If you forget your PIN, your student can access this information for you online using their PipelineMT Partners in Education (PIE) link. Students may also remove partners at any time should they choose to do so.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\">To Request Information &#8211; Partners Contact the MT One Stop<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>All information requests are fulfilled through the MT One Stop. When a PIE partner contacts the MT One Stop and places a request for information about issues such as grades, attendance, or financial aid, the MT One Stop will contact the necessary parties to fulfill the request. The information requested is emailed by the MT One Stop to a Partner and the student is always copied.&nbsp; Partners must provide assigned PIN for access.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Email the MT One Stop at&nbsp;<a href=\"mailto:MTOneStop@mtsu.edu\">MTOneStop@mtsu.edu<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Visit the MT One Stop, Student Services and Admission Center 2<sup>nd<\/sup>&nbsp;floor, Monday &#8211; Friday 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><em>Please note that this program does not provide a Partner with online student access to student information nor allows the Partner to act on behalf of the student. The PIE partnership release does not apply to counseling records, disciplinary records or health information protected by FERPA<\/em><em>.&nbsp;<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>Setting up a PIE partner is&nbsp;different from setting up an Authorized User account to make payments for students. For instructions on how to create an Authorize User account, visit&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/mtsu.edu\/tuition\/instructions\/\">mtsu.edu\/tuition\/instructions<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Every employee at the University is committed to protecting your confidential student information, both because it\u2019s the right thing to do and because it is the law. For more information about the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 (FERPA), please review our&nbsp;policy.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":8,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"page-bannernosidebar.php","meta":{"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-52","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.mtsu.edu\/records\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/52","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.mtsu.edu\/records\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.mtsu.edu\/records\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.mtsu.edu\/records\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/8"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.mtsu.edu\/records\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=52"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.mtsu.edu\/records\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/52\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":245,"href":"https:\/\/www.mtsu.edu\/records\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/52\/revisions\/245"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.mtsu.edu\/records\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=52"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}