Does FERPA / Buckley Amendment prevent me from seeing my son's financial aid?

[mack82]

What is the name of your state? TX

I could be wrong, and I hope I am, but I just find it hard to believe my son obtained a full needs based scholarship based on my income.

Does FERPA / Buckley Amendment prevent the school from disclosing what income and assets the student submitted of me (I'm the dad)? He's 22 and in college.

 

[adjusterjack]

FERPA gives parents access to their child's education records, an opportunity to seek to have the records amended, and some control over the disclosure of information from the records. With several exceptions, schools must have a student's consent prior to the disclosure of education records after that student is 18 years old. The law applies only to educational agencies and institutions that receive funds under a program administered by the U.S. Department of Education

Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act - Wikipedia

Options:

Ask the school.
Ask your son.

 

[quincy]

What is the name of your state? TX

I could be wrong, and I hope I am, but I just find it hard to believe my son obtained a full needs based scholarship based on my income.

Does FERPA / Buckley Amendment prevent the school from disclosing what income and assets the student submitted of me (I'm the dad)? He's 22 and in college.

After your child turns 18, you must get consent from your child to access his/her records.

How do you know your son received a needs-based scholarship as opposed to a merit-based scholarship?

 

[zddoodah]

Your adult child's financial information is legally none of your business, unless he chooses to make it your business.

 

[Zigner]

Did you complete the FAFSA form?
Does your son qualify for independent status on the FAFSA application?
Edit: Refer to https://studentaid.gov/sites/default/files/fafsa-dependency.pdf for help on answering the second question.
Further Edit: You may also refer to this page for more information on independent vs dependent status for students: https://studentaid.gov/apply-for-aid/fafsa/filling-out/dependency

 

[quincy]

Most students applying for graduate schools will not need to include their parents financial information on the FAFSA application. Most students are considered independent from, rather than dependent on, their parents. Not including their parents information on a grad level FAFSA, in other words, generally will not limit the type or amount of financial aid they qualify for.

 

[mack82]

He's in undergraduate college, not grad school.

I called and they told me he's on a "needs based assistance scholarship". Rep saw I was confused and emailed me billing statements. When I asked how that came about rep said based on our income and assets. Son did ask me to send him all my assets because the school needed it prior to enrollment. When I asked the rep what he put as my income and assets, she got suspicious and started saying she couldn't discuss without the student present.

Confused how she told me about tuition, sent me tuition statements but refused to tell me my own income and assets that was submitted?

Private school, the needs based scholarship I am certain is from the endowment and not federal, I am unsure if the school gets federal/state funding.

 

[LdiJ]

He's in undergraduate college, not grad school.

I called and they told me he's on a "needs based assistance scholarship". Rep saw I was confused and emailed me billing statements. When I asked how that came about rep said based on our income and assets. Son did ask me to send him all my assets because the school needed it prior to enrollment. When I asked the rep what he put as my income and assets, she got suspicious and started saying she couldn't discuss without the student present.

Confused how she told me about tuition, sent me tuition statements but refused to tell me my own income and assets that was submitted?

Private school, the needs based scholarship I am certain is from the endowment and not federal, I am unsure if the school gets federal/state funding.

She shouldn't have provided you any of that information. That is why she stopped.

However, dad, what are you trying to accomplish here? Are you trying to get your son's scholarship money stopped? What is your agenda?

 

[Just Blue]

He's in undergraduate college, not grad school.

I called and they told me he's on a "needs based assistance scholarship". Rep saw I was confused and emailed me billing statements. When I asked how that came about rep said based on our income and assets. Son did ask me to send him all my assets because the school needed it prior to enrollment. When I asked the rep what he put as my income and assets, she got suspicious and started saying she couldn't discuss without the student present.

Confused how she told me about tuition, sent me tuition statements but refused to tell me my own income and assets that was submitted?

Private school, the needs based scholarship I am certain is from the endowment and not federal, I am unsure if the school gets federal/state funding.

I, too, am wondering what your purpose is... Are you trying to get your child's tuition rescinded?

 

[quincy]

For FAFSA, you submitted your tax returns, correct?

 

[Zigner]

For FAFSA, you submitted your tax returns, correct?

It sounds to me like FAFSA may not be involved. If this is a private scholarship offered through the schools directly, then they are allowed to use whatever qualification criteria they wish.

(As long as it isn't illegally discriminatory, of course.)

 

[quincy]

It sounds to me like FAFSA may not be involved. If this is a private scholarship offered through the schools directly, then they are allowed to use whatever qualification criteria they wish.

(As long as it isn't illegally discriminatory, of course.)

I see now that “private school” is what he said.

With the son starting a college education at age 22, I am surprised the father has any involvement at all at this point.

 

[paddywakk]

I see now that “private school” is what he said.

With the son starting a college education at age 22, I am surprised the father has any involvement at all at this point.

Per the FAFSA, students are generally considered dependent on their parents unless they are 24, married, a veteran, were in foster care til 18, or have a dependent of their own.

 

[Zigner]

Per the FAFSA, students are generally considered dependent on their parents unless they are 24, married, a veteran, were in foster care til 18, or have a dependent of their own.

I shared the information regarding the FAFSA and its exceptions above.

 

[quincy]

Per the FAFSA, students are generally considered dependent on their parents unless they are 24, married, a veteran, were in foster care til 18, or have a dependent of their own.

I specified “graduate students.”