Reply to Q re: the wisdom behind FERPA

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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]I think you’re more of a helicopter parent than you realize. I’m guessing you’re paying for all or most of college and that’s why you feel entitled?

I graduated from college in the mid-aughts, and I was a true adult. I paid my own tuition and rent with money I made working (attended a very cheap in-state, probably one of the last places in America where this is still possible without major loans or grants). Nothing about college was any of my parents’ business and they certainly had no entitlement to information from the school.

Maybe instead of worrying so much about the fact that FERPA recognizes that your children are adults, you should worry more about the fact that you do not.

And I get it. Since you have the wealth to pay for college, the system puts you in this role of still being “daddy” for check-writing purposes. But if your wealth has, to date, emotionally stunted your children to the point that you really do not believe they are independent and autonomous adults (clearly happens, see the threads about college freshman who don’t even have their own checking accounts) maybe you should ask them to take a gap year and come back when they are truly adults. [/quote]

I don't think you learned much in college.  You don't seem to realize that the chip on your shoulder is blocking your view of most kids' college experiences.  Most kids have parental help paying for college expenses.  It is not unreasonable for a parent to want information about the outcomes related to those expenses.  My parents paid 100% of my tuition, room and board, expenses and spending money while I was in college.  Of course I would not begrudge them the ability to know how I was doing with that support.  When you mature perhaps you'll understand more about things like this.[/quote]

+ 1.  I'm not sure who even asked for FERPA and HIPPA.  Protecting my and my families information from other corporate entities and government is one thing (which they don't seem to be able to do a good job of) but preventing me from accessing my child's information without jumping through hoops is not what it should be.

And yes, if I'm paying 70K for my kid to go to an expensive school, I expect certain outcomes (e.g. course of study that would result in certain career paths) that make the 70K/yr. an investment rather than an expenditure.  If my kid wants to study gender studies or political science, I'm not necessarily opposed to that.  They could use Google for that or the local community college.  Money doesn't grow on trees.[/quote]

That’s between you and the adult child you’re indulging to the tune of $70k/yr, not you and the college. [/quote]

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