FERPA Compliance in Education Marketing

Education marketing operates under strict privacy rules. The most important is the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA). This federal law protects student records and limits how this information can be used in recruitment and marketing.

Why Privacy Matters in EDU Marketing

FERPA is often described as the “HIPAA for schools.” Just as HIPAA safeguards medical records, FERPA safeguards student education records. These include names, email addresses, grades, transcripts, disciplinary files, and financial aid information.

For marketers, FERPA extends beyond schools. It applies to marketing vendors, recruitment partners, and third-party platforms that work with student data. If your campaigns involve student information, you are part of the compliance framework.

Marketing Impact

• Build trust – Families expect their information will be used only with consent and for legitimate educational purposes.

Build trust – Families expect their information will be used only with consent and for legitimate educational purposes.

• Avoid risk – FERPA violations can result in federal investigations, financial penalties, and even loss of Title IV financial aid funding.

Avoid risk