USA One Stop

The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) is a federal law that protects the privacy of student education records. At the University of South Alabama, this means that a student’s academic, financial aid, scholarship, and billing/account information cannot be shared with anyone, including parents or guardians, unless the student provides FERPA authorization.

Students can manage this access through the South Alabama Family Connection, a secure online platform that allows them to authorize specific individuals to view selected records.

---

Releasing Student Financial Information

In order for the Division of Student Financial Services (SFS) to discuss a student’s financial records with a parent, guardian, or other supporter, the student must grant FERPA authorization through the South Alabama Family Connection.

When a parent or supporter contacts SFS, they must:

1. Be listed as an approved connection in the South Alabama Family Connection,
2. Provide the student’s full name and Jag Number, and
3. Verify their identity using the PIN created during the authorization process.

The Division of Student Financial Services includes the Office of Student Accounting, the Office of Financial Aid, the Office of Scholarship Services, and the USA One Stop.

---

What Information Can Be Shared?

When a student grants FERPA authorization through the South Alabama Family Connection, they can choose to share some or all of the following information with approved individuals:

• Financial aid and scholarship records, including award types, amounts, processing status, and eligibility (Note: This does not include parental income or asset details)
• Student account activity, such as charges, payments, and any refunds issued
• Housing and meal plan details, including amounts billed and paid
• Holds on account, which may impact registration or services

Please note: The Division of Student Financial Services does not discuss grades or academic records. For questions related to grades or class schedules, please contact the Office of the Registrar.

Students control what records are shared and can update or revoke access at any time. The University may not release any records not specifically authorized by the student.

---

How Do I Grant FERPA Authorization?

The University of South Alabama uses the South Alabama Family Connection to manage FERPA-authorized access to student records. Both students and their supporters have a role in the process:

For Students: Granting or Approving Access

When someone initiates a connection request, you will receive an email notification. If you’d like to share information with that person, simply click the “Click here to approve this request” button in the email.

You can also approve or manage requests directly through your South Alabama Family Connection account:

To add a new connection or approve a pending request:

1. Go to South Alabama Family Connection
2. Click “Are you a student or staff? Log in here.”
3. Sign in using your JagMail email address and password
4. To approve a request:
   
   • Click the connection request you’d like to review
   • Select the records you want to share
   • Click “Grant Access”
5. To add a new connection:
   
   • Click “Add My First Connection” (or "Add Another Connection")
   • Enter the person’s email address and select their relationship
   • Choose the records you want to share
   • Click “Grant Access”

You can update or revoke access at any time through your account.

---

For Parents, Guardians, or Supporters: Requesting Access

1. Visit South Alabama Family Connection
2. Create a free account and complete your profile
3. Click the graduation cap icon to start a connection request
4. Enter your student’s JagMail email address
5. Select the information you'd like to request access to
6. Create a PIN (you’ll use this to verify your identity when contacting the university)
7. Wait for your student to approve the request.

Once your student approves the request:

• You may immediately call the university and discuss the authorized information using your PIN
• You will gain view-only access to your student’s shared records in your South Alabama Family Connection account within 24 hours

You can also update your notification preferences to receive alerts when changes are made to your student’s records.