The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 protects the privacy of student education records. The Act provides for the right to inspect and review education records, the right to seek to amend those records and to limit disclosure of information from the records. The intent of the legislation is to protect the rights of students and to ensure the privacy and accuracy of education records. The Act applies to all institutions that are the recipients of federal aid administered by the Secretary of Education.

Disclosure of Directory Information

Ramapo College recognizes the importance of maintaining certain records for each student which contribute to and confirm the student’s educational progress.

To protect the rights of students regarding these records, the College has established policies and guidelines that describe the records maintained, provisions for releasing information, provisions for student inspection and review of records, and provisions for changes in records when warranted. These rules generally conform to State and Federal laws (the U.S. Department of Education has guidelines for the “Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 as amended”, known as the Buckley Amendment or FERPA). These policies are generally supervised by the Office of the Registrar. The following are the rules that relate to these student records:

Directory Information
The following information is considered part of the public record and may be disclosed upon request without consent of the student, unless the student has filed an objection with the Office of the Registrar.  Ramapo College of New Jersey will not release Directory Information for solicitation purposes to 3rd parties from outside the college.  This includes outside vendors, businesses and organizations unless the college has entered into a contract or agreement with the organization to supply specific service to the college or its students that requires the use of this information. (The student’s home address or on-campus address is not directory information and may not be disclosed.)

• Student’s Name
• Class Level
• Ramapo College E-mail Address
• School and Major field of study
• Participation in officially recognized activities and sports
• Photograph
• Honors, by town
• Dates of Attendance
• Degrees and Awards received
• Current Enrollment Status (full/part time)

Confidential Information
All personally identifiable information other than that described in Directory Information is considered confidential information and may be disclosed by the College only as provided below. This information includes the following:

• academic records
• address (campus or home)
• disciplinary records (except as provided by laws such as the Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Public Safety Policy and Campus Crime Statistics Act)
• financial aid records
• placement records
• letters of recommendation
• medical records (may be reviewed by student’s doctor only)
• telephone numbers (campus or home)
• test scores
• Veteran’s records, etc.

Disclosure of Confidential Information
With the student’s written consent, any confidential information on file may be disclosed to any individual or agency named by the student. There may be a cost to the student if duplication of materials is involved. Disclosure without the student’s consent may take place only under the following conditions, except as required by law:

• When requested by College faculty and staff, when there is legitimate need in the student’s educational interest to have the requested information.
• When required by judicial order (an attempt will be made to notify student where that is permitted by law).
• When required by evaluation agencies in connection with a financial aid application.
• When requested by an accrediting organization to carry out accrediting functions.
• When requested by Federal or State officials to audit and evaluate Federally- and State-supported programs.
• When needed for research purposes to improve educational programs.
• When, in the opinion of the Chief Student Affairs Officer or his/her designee, there is a threat to a student’s life or physical well-being which may necessitate disclosure to public safety officials, the student’s family members or another designated emergency contact.

Disclosure as described in this section will be recorded by the person responsible for the files, and this record also will be open to the student concerned. Disclosure to others at the student’s request will not be made if any payments due the College by the student are in arrears.

When College officials disclose confidential information to authorized parties, the following message will be attached: “The attached information has been forwarded to you with the understanding that it will not be released to other parties. The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 as amended prohibits release of this information without the student’s written consent. Please return this material to us if you are unable to comply with this condition of release.”

College Official is defined as those members of the College community who act in the student’s educational interest within the limitations of their “need to know.”  These may include faculty administration, clerical and professional employees and other persons who manage student educational information including student employees or committee members and agents.

Student Access to Confidential Information
The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) affords students certain rights with respect to their education records. They are:

The right to inspect and review the student’s education records within 45 days of the day the College receives a request for access. Students should submit to the Registrar, written requests that identify the record(s) they wish to inspect. The College official will make arrangements for access and notify the student of the time and place where the records may be inspected

The right to request the amendment of the student’s educational records that the student believes are inaccurate or misleading. Students may ask the College to amend a record that they believe is inaccurate or misleading. The student must put his/her request in writing to the Registrar, clearly identify the part of the record they want changed, and specify why it is inaccurate or misleading. If the College decides not to amend the record as requested by the student, the College will notify the student of the decision and advise the student of his or her right to a hearing regarding the request for amendment. Additional information regarding the hearing procedures will be provided the student when notified of the right to a hearing.

The right to consent to disclosures of personally identifiable information contained in the student’s education records, except to the extent that FERPA or other laws authorize disclosure without consent.
One exception which permits disclosure without consent is disclosure to school officials with legitimate educational interests. A school official is a person employed by the College in an administrative, supervisory, academic or research, or support staff position (including law enforcement unit personnel and health staff); a person or company with whom the College has contracted (such as an attorney, auditor, or collection agent); a person serving on the Board of Trustees; or a student serving on an official committee, such as a disciplinary or grievance committee, or assisting another school official in performing his or her tasks.

The right to file a complaint with the U.S. Department of Education concerning alleged failures by Ramapo College to comply with the requirements of FERPA. The name and address of the office that administers FERPA can be found below:

Family Policy Compliance Office
U.S. Department of Education
400 Maryland Avenue, S.W.
Washington, DC 20202-5920

NOTICE: This statement of policy is published so College students may be aware of its provisions. Any student who wishes the College not disclose any part of the information classified as directory information (see Directory Information above) should complete the FERPA Non-Disclosure form in the Office of the Registrar.

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Residency Requirements For In-State Tuition

There are two ways that an enrolled student may be eligible for in-state tuition rates outlined below.  All Ramapo College of New Jersey decisions on residency are governed by New Jersey State Law.

A.)  If a student is a US citizen or the holder of a permanent resident card;

• A student is presumed to be a resident of New Jersey for tuition purposes if the student, or parent or legal guardian upon whom the student is financially dependent, is domiciled in New Jersey for a period of 12 months before first enrolling at the College. This student will be assessed the in-state tuition rate.
• A student is NOT presumed to be a resident of New Jersey for tuition purposes if the student, or parent or legal guardian upon whom the student is financially dependent, is domiciled in New Jersey for a period of less than 12 months before first enrolling at the College. This student will be assessed the out-of-state tuition rate.
• Residence solely for the purpose of attending the College does not constitute domicile for tuition purposes.
• If a dependent student’s supporting parent(s) or legal guardian(s) change their domicile to another state, the dependent student is not eligible for in-state tuition unless the student officially establishes a permanent New Jersey residence for each calendar year of enrollment. A campus or local off-campus address, which is not a student’s permanent residence, does not constitute domicile for tuition purposes.

Note: Domicile is defined as the place where a person has his or her true, fixed, permanent home and principle establishment, and to which, whenever he or she is absent, he or she has the intention of returning.

Students must demonstrate evidence of domicile when requesting in-state resident status.  Evidence of Domicile is outlined on the Registrar’s Office website.

Students must request for any semester a change in status by completing the affidavit and providing all necessary documentation by the end of the 100% refund deadline as published on the college’s academic calendar. 

B.)  Effective January 1, 2014, non-resident students enrolled at Ramapo College of New Jersey who meet the established New Jersey criteria will qualify to be charged in-state tuition.  All students wishing to pursue this eligibility must complete an application and affidavit as outlined in NJ state bill, P.L. 2013, c.170 (or as amended).

Newly admitted or enrolled students wishing to qualify for in-state rates must complete the New Jersey Status Affidavit for In-State Tuition Request form posted on the undergraduate admissions website.

Continuing students wishing to qualify for in-state rates must complete the appropriate form posted on the Registrar’s Office website or available in the Registrar’s Office.

Students determined to be eligible will continue to receive the exemption as long as they fulfill the requirements or the College no longer offers the exemption, whichever occurs first.  Applying for the exemption does not in any way alter a student’s responsibility to pay on time any nonresident tuition and fees that may be due before eligibility is determined.

Students must request for any semester a change in status by completing the affidavit and providing all necessary documentation by the end of the 100% refund deadline as published on the college’s academic calendar. 

Evidence of Domicile

First-time Matriculated Students –First-time matriculated students must certify their domicile on the Admissions Application Form. Students may be required to provide additional proof upon request to qualify for in-state tuition.

First-time Non-matriculated Students  –First-time non-matriculated students must provide the Admissions office with a valid New Jersey driver’s license or a valid New Jersey Voter Registration card before first enrolling at the College to qualify for in-state tuition.

The College’s policy on legal residency is governed by New Jersey Administrative Code 9A:5, which requires that individuals be domiciled in the state for 12 months before becoming eligible for in-state tuition.  Any student who falsifies information regarding his/her domicile will have his/her residency status changed to out-of-state and the student will be responsible to pay the out-of-state tuition rate for all prior terms in which he or she was erroneously charged the in-state rate.  If a student is erroneously charged the in-state rate, the College will correct the error, assess the appropriate charge, and collect the outstanding balance.  Students must be either a U.S. citizen, have a Permanent Resident Card or eligible visa classification to be considered for in-state tuition.

• In State Tuition Residency Form (DOC) (PDF)

Limited opportunities to enroll for course work on an Independent Study basis are available. A student interested in this option should obtain an Independent Study Registration Form from the Registrar; have it completed by the instructor,  the dean of the school sponsoring the Independent Study, and, in the case of a graduate independent study, the graduate program director; and return it to the Registrar’s Office.

• Undergraduate students may not enroll for more than FOUR (4) credits of Independent Study during any semester, including summer or winter.
• Normally, undergraduate students may not exceed eight credits of Independent Study over the course of a student’s career.
• Graduate students may enroll up to six (6) credits of independent study towards graduation requirements with the permission of the program director. Graduate students may petition the dean to allow enrollment in additional independent study credits.
• Students on academic probation or academic warning are eligible for Independent Study only with the Dean’s permission.
• Students may not take an Independent Study for a course that is offered within the regular schedule for that semester.
• Students must complete a contract form for Independent Study as well as the Independent Study Registration Form. This form will indicate the purpose, objective, grading criteria, guidelines for hours of work required, discipline and level, and title/credits for the Independent Study.
• Independent Study registrations will not be accepted after the last day of add/drop as indicated in the academic calendar.
• Students may appeal the provisions in this policy to the dean sponsoring the independent study course.