Hi, so I am done with submitting apps for colleges. Right now I am looking into applying for scholarships. Can you use the same letters of recommendation for scholarships that you used for the college admissions process? Some of these scholarships I am looking at have me directly upload the letters of recommendation, with no link to send to the teacher. I am wondering if this would be not following the FERPA, even though I am done with applying to colleges. Thanks!
I have three teachers I asked for letters of rec for the college admissions process, I’ve used all three of them for college apps. I’d hate to ask them to write another letter- they’ve worked so hard on the current ones.
Do you have access to the letters that you used for the applications? If not, you are not going to be able to get them from the schools. If you do have the letters, and if what is said on those letters makes sense, there is no reason you shouldn’t be able to use them. As soon as a recommender gives you a letter, there is no law covering what you can/cannot do with the letter in terms of using it for other purposes.
FERPA doesn’t apply to this situation. FERPA covers what others can do with your info, not what you can do with your own info.
If you need to have letters, I am sure the recommenders would be happy to provide them again. As @thumper1 points out, they surely have them saved on their computers - it won’t be difficult for them to help you out.
@kelsmom I waived my rights to read my letter (that’s the part of FERPA I am worried about), but I’m not sure if it still applies after I’m done applying to colleges.
My teachers all have them saved, their on my Naviance and they can send me a PDF. I just wasn’t sure if I was allowed to have them or if I had to ask them to modify them or something.