Should Students Agree to the FERPA Waiver for College Recommendations?

Last Updated on July 28, 2023 by Jill Schwitzgebel

Most families have never been asked to waive their FERPA rights for any reason throughout their children’s years of school. And then suddenly, college applications contain a FERPA waiver that asks students to specifically give up their right to see a piece of their college application – their teacher recommendations. It may seem alarming. The acronym “FERPA” stands for The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974. FERPA gives parents with students under the age of 18, and students over the age of 18, access to all of their educational records. Schools and their representatives may not release information about the student to outside parties without specific permission from parents or students.

Why Do Colleges Ask Students to Sign a FERPA Waiver on Applications?

Colleges believe that counselors and teachers are more likely to give truthful assessments of students if they know that the students themselves will not ever see them. It is simply a matter of protecting the confidentiality of the letter-writer.

Should Students Waive Their FERPA Rights?

Yes. If a student does not agree to a FERPA waiver, it could actually cause the admissions committee to be suspicious about why the student felt they needed to retain the right to see the recommendation; it may call into question whether the teacher felt able to be fully honest in their evaluation of the student.

From the teachers’ perspective, not agreeing to the waiver may make them feel that you do not trust them to write a quality recommendation. Most teachers won’t agree to write a college recommendation unless they feel they can write a good one, but it is possible they may not agree to write one at all without confidentiality.

The Bottom Line

I always counsel my students to carefully consider who they ask for teacher recommendations anyway, to ensure that the letter writer will portray them in the best light. If a student chooses a recommenders that they trust, they should not need to worry about what their recommendation says.

Often, a letter writer will offer to share their recommendation with the student. Sometimes, they will offer to show them even before it is officially submitted. Students should certainly not expect them to do that, but be appreciative if they do.

For more information about how to get great teacher recommendations, go to: What You Need to Know About Teacher Recommendations
For more information about other parts of the Common App, be sure to check out 6 Common App Mistakes to Avoid