Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA)

Education Abroad adheres to NMSU’s policy regarding communicating with parents under the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), the federal law that protects the privacy of student education records. While Education Abroad is happy to answer questions from a student’s support network, in many cases we are not able to share information due to FERPA regulations. Should a student wish to allow Education Abroad to talk to an individual about their program, the student should complete the FERPA Release Questionnaire that can be found in the questionnaire section of the online program application. The FERPA Release will allow Education Abroad to share the following information:

• the contents of financial records including financial aid, financial assistance, financial statements, and billing information
• the contents of academic records, which includes grade reports, transcripts, registration, and graduation records
• the contents of disciplinary/student conduct records

NMSU students may also provide Proxy Access to parents, guardians, spouses, and friends to certain information in the NMSU system such as the tuition bill, financial aid requirements, academic grades, or schedule. The NMSU Proxy Access does not apply to Education Abroad and as such, will not allow Education Abroad staff to talk to individuals about a student’s education abroad program or process.

Medical Power of Attorney

Students may consider selecting a person to take care of their medical needs should they become incapacitated while participating in an Education Abroad or National Student Exchange program.  This can be done by signing a Medical Power of Attorney. Some instances when a Medical Power of Attorney may be necessary are:

• decisions relating to medical treatment, surgical treatment, nursing care, medication and hospitalization;
• expeditiously consult with appropriate health care decisions, which that person believes the student would have made under the circumstances;
• give any consent in writing using the appropriate consent forms;
• have access to clinical records and have authority to release of information regarding income and assets to the extent required to make application for medical services or assistance;
• authorize transfer and admission to or discharge from any hospital, hospice, nursing home, assisted care facility or other health care facility;
• arrange for and consent to medical, therapeutic, and surgical procedures including the administration of drugs, whether or not the student is in a health care facility;
• to employ or discharge health care providers; and
• to grant waiver, indemnity or release of liability on behalf of the student to health care providers or health care facilities, and to obligate the student for payment of all fees and charges incurred in providing  health care.

Assigning a Medical Power of Attorney is a legal process that involves the drafting of a document which assigns another person to act as a legal representative  in specific situations. Please contact an attorney if you are interested in signing a Medical Power of Attorney. Your attorney will be able to provide more advice on who may be suitable as your Medical Power of Attorney. NMSU faculty and staff are prohibited, unless they are a parent or legal guardian to the student, from being a Medical Power of Attorney. Nothing on this website is intended to be nor should be considered legal advice. If you need legal advice, please contact an attorney.