United StatesColleges would risk federal funds for selling identifying student records without consent
Colleges would need students’ written permission to share identifying information for voting studies or sell identifying education records to remain eligible for covered federal education funds.
What it does
Colleges would lose access to covered federal education funds if they shared identifying student information to measure student voter registration or voting rates without prior, informed, written consent.
Colleges would also lose access to covered federal education funds if they sold education records that identify a student without that student’s prior, informed, written consent.
Argument forTying federal funding to student permission could give students more control over whether colleges sell records that identify them.
Argument againstRequiring written permission could make student voting studies less complete by excluding students who do not respond to consent requests.
More detail
Colleges would need student consent for these disclosures to remain eligible for covered federal education funds. This would cover colleges and other schools beyond high school sharing identifying student information to measure student voter registration or voting rates. Consent would have to be informed, written, and given beforehand under the federal regulation cited in the bill. The rule would cover sales, transfers, and other disclosures, including directory information, or basic student listing information.
Colleges would need student consent before selling identifying education records to remain eligible for covered federal education funds. This would cover colleges and other schools beyond high school, regardless of why they sell the records. Consent would have to be informed, written, and given beforehand under the federal regulation cited in the bill. The rule would include directory information, or basic student listing information.
Where do you stand?
Choose your position
Tell your reps
Take a position to see your representatives and ways to contact them.
Where it stands
- Introduced
- Passed House
- Passed Senate
- To President
- Became Law
Looking ahead
No hearings or votes scheduled.
History
- 2026
- Sep 16Introduced in HouseLatest
- Sep 16Referred to the House Committee on Education and Workforce.Introduced
EducationAI & PrivacyCivil Rights & Voting