<p>Throughout this whole application process, one of my biggest pet peeves is the reluctance of the admission and financial aid office to make information regarding admission and financial aid transparent and accessible to all interested parties. i.e. PARENTS. While the primary focus should be and is on the student, it irks me to no end that for me to find out any information regarding my child's status, I've got to go through the child. Yet i'm required to disclose all my information to the adcoms, just short of my blood type and DNA composition! When there is more financial info that is needed, documents missing, signatures required, verification forms etc, I'm the last to know. I could just insist the DS gives me all the passwords and links but this process is at the insistance of the colleges and universities. College is a family decision for most and since colleges may consider them adults, but not independent till they're 24 years old or some other off the wall situation, it appears to be a double standard. I'm not a control freak, but this is a very involved and complex process, and for most young adults and parents, can be easily overwhelming.</p>
<p>Am I being ureasonable? Is there something amiss about this process? If this has been addressed ad naseum, please forgive the duplication.</p>
<p>I agree, I think it is completely hypocritical to say a student is a dependent until 20-something and parents have to share every bit of their financial information, but don't even have a right to see their kid's grades in the classes they are paying for. Insane.</p>
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Talk to your congressperson. It's the federal government's law, not the colleges'.
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<p>I understand post matriculation but during the admissions process is what gets my goad. I don't know if those polices are mandated by state or federal law.</p>
<p>AND.... in addition to privacy regarding grades, in case of a God-forbid (medical, psychological, disciplinary), they will also not tell us. That is pretty scary, as far as I am concerned.</p>
<p>S will start college when he's 17; are the colleges to which he applies really going to try to do everything through him? If so, he will probably not start college when he's 17!</p>
<p>yep - even if he is 17 he probably will have to sign a release for you to see his grades.<br>
It is simple - have your child sign a release. The colleges (at least my kids' do) make them available to the kids.</p>
<p>The Federal law is called FERPA. google it. know it. you don't have to love it.
Parents - communicate with your children. There should be nothing hidden from them - perhaps except finances if you choose. Teach them to be responsible and get the forms signed etc.
I can't imagine any information a parent would need in the admissions process that they can't get from their child - unless it is financial.</p>
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in addition to privacy regarding grades, in case of a God-forbid (medical, psychological, disciplinary), they will also not tell us.
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<p>yes - not sure why this is scary.<br>
Grades fall under FERPA - get your children to show you.
At 18 your children are adults. If they have a medical issue that they would like you to not know about it there is not much you can do. Even if you take a 15 year old to a psychiatrist/psychologist they won't tell you what they talked about and you probably can't get those records.</p>