Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA)
What is FERPA?
The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) (20 USC §1232g, 34 CFR Part 99) is a federal law that protects the privacy of student education records.
Who Does FERPA affect?
FERPA applies to all U.S. educational agencies and institutions that receive funding under any program administered by the U.S. Department of Education.
What does FERPA have to do with document destruction?
FERPA regulates access to and disclosure of student education records. It gives students and parents the right to inspect and review the students’ education records maintained at the institution, and request corrections if they believe the records are inaccurate or misleading.
Another important FERPA obligation is that the educational institution must obtain a signed and dated written consent from a parent or student before personally identifiable information is disclosed unless certain limited exceptions apply. The educational institution must keep a record of each disclosure of personally identifiable information from student records.
These obligations are set out in 34 CFR §99.30 through §99.39. Improper disposal of student records may constitute an unauthorized disclosure under FERPA.
What do Schools and colleges have to do to comply with FERPA?
To avoid inadvertent unauthorized disclosures, educational institutions should ensure that student records are disposed of securely.
If an educational institution does not comply with FERPA, 34 CFR §99.67(a) states that the government may:
- Withhold further payments under any applicable program;
- Issue a complaint to compel compliance through a cease-and-desist order; or
- Terminate eligibility to receive funding under any applicable program.
PROSHRED’s® role in compliance
Improper disposal of a student’s records may constitute an unauthorized disclosure under FERPA. PROSHRED®‘s secure shredding procedures assure educational institutions that student records are destroyed in a secure manner. PROSHRED® provides a Certificate of Destruction after every shred – an educational institution’s record of the secure destruction process. For more information visit: Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act.
What Are People Saying About PROSHRED®
Pro-Shred is the greatest thing ever, best $$$$ ever spent. The guy who shredded my documents was courteous, friendly and professional. Years of paper clutter... read morePro-Shred is the greatest thing ever, best $$$$ ever spent. The guy who shredded my documents was courteous, friendly and professional. Years of paper clutter was gone within minutes, as I stood and watched. Thank you Pro-Shred! read less
Elaine9/01/2016The service is reasonably priced. The staff is professional and thorough. In the past we spent lots of hours shredding documents at our medical practice... read moreThe service is reasonably priced. The staff is professional and thorough. In the past we spent lots of hours shredding documents at our medical practice and the ProShred service has saved us thousands of dollars. I highly recommend ProShred for large and small ongoing shredding jobs. read less
Maura Oreilly12/05/2014Highly recommend; always courteous and professional
Sherry Pawlus12/05/2016ProShred is a great company to work with! They are very helpful and the people working there are nice people. We have been... read moreProShred is a great company to work with! They are very helpful and the people working there are nice people. We have been a customer for several years and they have never disappointed us. Give them the opportunity to help you!Dawn NowakQuestcor read less
Dawn Nowak12/05/2014ProShred is reliable, efficient and gets the job done. They are affordable and took care of all my needs. We were able to... read moreProShred is reliable, efficient and gets the job done. They are affordable and took care of all my needs. We were able to reorganize and properly discard documents so that information was securely destroyed. We have already set up another date for shredding. Great service and friendly employees. read less
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Audrey8/21/2018Working with Greg was a great experience! Between the call-backs, rescheduling due to weather and making sure I knew when his team would be at... read moreWorking with Greg was a great experience! Between the call-backs, rescheduling due to weather and making sure I knew when his team would be at my home was all very professional. Hi team came on time, did what they told me they would do and did it in a very professional manner. I highly recommend Proshed! Will definitely use them again! read less
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Diane11/01/2016Thank you Proshred for an amazing service this morning. Scotty and Ryan we're pleasant, professional and fast! They made the experience enjoyable at... read moreThank you Proshred for an amazing service this morning. Scotty and Ryan we're pleasant, professional and fast! They made the experience enjoyable at an emotional time. Mary in the office was extremely gracious and helpful, as well. Thank you all for being a local business with integrity and care. read less
Debz6/15/2018Very easy to setup an account, very professional and courteous staff, always on time and deliver great service at a great price! Would Recommend... read moreVery easy to setup an account, very professional and courteous staff, always on time and deliver great service at a great price! Would Recommend especially for small businesses! read less
Michael Bohm12/05/2016Everything with Proshred is easy, peasy, lemon squeezy. They show up, take the stuff off our hands and shred it. Shortly thereafter they... read moreEverything with Proshred is easy, peasy, lemon squeezy. They show up, take the stuff off our hands and shred it. Shortly thereafter they email me an invoice and a Cetificate of Destruction that we can file away digitally for future reference. Their rates are good too - we did a lot of research before choosing Proshred and are very happy with their service. read less
Deborah Meade12/05/2014Highly recommended. Fast professional service.
Rose Simone Bradford12/05/2016We visited ProShred in Tinley Park. We had about 97 lbs. of paper to shred. We called ahead to be sure we could just... read moreWe visited ProShred in Tinley Park. We had about 97 lbs. of paper to shred. We called ahead to be sure we could just walk in. The tech was friendly, service was efficicient, and the price was very reasonable. Definitely recommend! read less
joann p11/05/2019Cannot say enough good things about Proshred. Professional, timely service. Excellent customer service. Top-tier security that not only provides peace of mind... read moreCannot say enough good things about Proshred. Professional, timely service. Excellent customer service. Top-tier security that not only provides peace of mind but also helps keep our firm compliant with regulatory requirements. Great pricing and a local company! Highly recommended! read less
Meredith Oliver12/05/2016I recently signed up my company, The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, to receive monthly service from Proshred. I could not have made a better decision.... read moreI recently signed up my company, The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, to receive monthly service from Proshred. I could not have made a better decision. They are always timely and secure and, most importantly for a nonprofit, are incredibly well priced. I used to put off cleaning out my locked file cabinet due to the amount of time I would spend sitting by the shredder. With Proshred, I can ensure that all of our constituent's sensitive information is treated with care and security, and I don't even have to think twice about it. Thank you, Proshred! read less
Ashleigh Ross12/05/2014
