Compliance & Privacy
Privacy is the foundation of academic trust.
ReadMyStudent is built to align with the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA). We provide the digital infrastructure to manage rights waivers, consent, and data security—protecting both students and institutions.
AES-256 Encryption • Digital Waivers • Audit Logs
The "Right to Inspect" vs. Confidentiality
Under FERPA, students have the right to inspect their education records, including letters of recommendation. However, to ensure candor, faculty often require students to waive this right before writing a letter.
Managing these waivers via email is risky and ambiguous. "Did the student actually say they waived it?" "Where is that email saved?" "What if the student changes their mind later?"
ReadMyStudent solves this by making the waiver declaration a mandatory, immutable step in the request process.
How it works
Clear, Digital Consent
Before a request is sent, the student must explicitly select: "I waive my right to access this letter" or "I retain my right." This selection is stamped onto the request card for the faculty member to see immediately.
DATA SECURITY STANDARDS
- Digital WaiversImmutable records of student choices regarding their right to inspect letters.
- Strict Access ControlIf a waiver is signed, the student platform is technically blocked from ever displaying the letter content.
- End-to-End EncryptionData is encrypted at rest (AES-256) and in transit (TLS 1.2+).
- Data SovereigntyAll data is stored in secure, compliant US-based data centers.
Common Questions
What is FERPA?
The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) is a federal law that protects the privacy of student education records. It gives parents and eligible students certain rights over their records.
Do students see the letters?
If a student waives their right to view the letter (which implies confidentiality), our system strictly prevents them from accessing the document. If they do not waive their right, faculty are notified before they accept the request.
Who owns the data?
The users own their data. We act as a data processor. We do not sell data to third parties, advertisers, or recruiters.
Is this compliant for University use?
Yes. ReadMyStudent is designed to meet the data handling and privacy requirements of higher education institutions.
Secure & Compliant
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