<p>Maybe I’m missing something, but it seems to me that a notarized power of attorney that directs the release of any and all info to intparent upon intparent’s request should get the desired result - whether the school likes it or not.</p>
<p>We pay for DD’s schooling and expect to see the online grades at the end of the semester. We had her take out the $5500 student loan with the proviso that we would pay for it if she maintained a 3.0 or better average. Many people told us to make sure your kid has some “skin in the game” so this way she sort of did but then didn’t if she did well (which she did).
If she had floundered half way through the semester, yes, we wouldn’t have known (and I have seen some kids of friends do this) but it worked out for us.</p>
<p>Like it or not, FERPA is intended to protect the rights of the student - not the parent. Schools have to make decisions as to how they can best protect those rights. What seems “simple” in theory is not always so simple in practice.</p>
<p>I think a Power of Attorney is a lot different than a simple letter placed in the student file…as Intparent has done.</p>
<p>We had a POA for DD while she was in the Peace Corps so we could handle situations from a gazzillion miles away. This was on file with Peace Corps, as well as her bank, credit card company, and student loan servicer. I carried a copy with me in case I needed it. </p>
<p>Way different than a letter signed by both parties!</p>
<p>I actually didn’t sign the letter, only D2 did.</p>
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<p>It is different . . . in that the college doesn’t get to decide whether or not it wants to comply. It’s obligated to. And a power of attorney can be as limited (or as broad) as the drafter intends, so it can say quite specifically what information Mom is or is not allowed to access.</p>