Which educational records can an unaccompanied youth obtain without a parent/guardian?
Schools can give unaccompanied youth full access to their own records, even when the youth are under age 18. (Once they turn 18, students have the right to access their records.) FERPA permits elementary and secondary schools to provide students under 18 the opportunity to inspect and review his or her education records. Although FERPA does not require schools to provide unaccompanied homeless youth under 18 with access to these records, schools may use their judgment to determine “whether an unaccompanied minor is responsible enough to exercise certain privileges, such as inspecting and reviewing education records and providing consent for disclosure.” (“US Department of Education Issues New Guidance on Accessing Student Records Under FERPA,” The Beam, (National Association for the Education of Homeless Children and Youth, Jul. 2010), quoting “Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) and the Disclosure of Student Information Related to Emergencies and Disasters.” (Jun. 2010),
