Students can add “delegate access” to their student account, which will allow other individuals to access certain aspects of their account that are otherwise protected.
Protections under the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA)
The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) is a federal law that protects the privacy of student records and prohibits university staff from disclosing certain information to parents or other individuals without the permission of the student. Students may grant access to parents, guardians, or spouses to talk with Cal Student Central staff about their financial aid in person, by telephone, or by email.
To grant FERPA access to a parent, guardian, or spouse, update your access setting on CalCentral under “Profile.”
Delegating access to student accounts
Delegating access allows you to grant access to certain aspects of your student account. Delegates can be parents, guardians, spouses, or any other person.
You have the ability to grant permission to view:
- enrollment information,
- enrollment information plus grades,
- and/or financial information (e.g., pay bills, view financial aid).
This allows parents or guardians to pay your tuition/fees, view enrollments, view grades, or any combination of the three. Based on permissions granted, delegates can speak to Cal Student Central regarding those topics.
How do you share access with your delegate? When authorizing a new delegate, you will create a unique Code Phrase for that individual. Please share this with them, as the delegate will need it for identity verification purposes when calling our office.
How do you access an existing delegate code? To look up a Code Phrase for an existing delegate, select the Delegate Access option from your CalCentral profile, click the “Create or Manage Delegates” link, then edit the desired delegate to view their information, including their Code Phrase. Please note this can only be located under the student’s CalCentral profile, not the delegate’s.
Follow this delegate access step-by-step guide on how to get started. You can find troubleshooting suggestions in the FAQ section.