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Four-Year and Other Postgraduate Institutions

Connect to the world of higher education

With AACRAO membership you'll be connected to more than 11,000 members from institutions around the world. Facilitate your professional development by attending discounted meetings, gaining complimentary subscriptions to our College & University journal and more.

Why should you join? From professional development opportunities to forging connections that will help you in setting down career stones, there's more than one reason. 

Annual Membership Price: Starting as low as $604

Prices are variable with enrollment. Requirements: Membership is open to all four-year and other postgraduate institutions. 

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Work on your skills like change management, technical knowledge, and leadership. We have the tools for you.

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From free webinars to self-paced on-demand learning, AACRAO's online learning covers a variety of subjects—technology, strategic enrollment management, admissions, FERPA, transfer, credential evaluation, and international education—and allow you to engage with the presenters and instructors.

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AACRAO's Career Navigator is a wealth of job postings and resources for training. 

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AACRAO's professional journals College & University and SEM Quarterly are always accepting articles and have a wide circulation base.

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Leverage the expertise of our over 11,000 members and contribute to one of the premier sources of practice related research within the global higher education community. 

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Do work you're passionate about, with support and mentoring from fellow members. From Caucuses to specialized topics, it's all one community, no matter where in the world your institution is located. 


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AACRAO's bi-weekly professional development e-newsletter

Ask the FERPA Professor

Jun 24, 2022, 17:00 PM
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Summary : Understanding the difference between "registered" vs. "enrolled."
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Dear FERPA Professor,

I’m an Associate Director and I’ve been asked to do a little research for our institution to try to find an AACRAO definition of what a registered student vs. enrolled student is.  I’ve found various definitions searching online but haven’t been able to locate anything solid or from a “credible” source.

I was reaching out with hopes that one of you could possibly help with this or point me in the direction of the information. I apologize in advance if this is totally out of your realm, but if you’re able to point me to someone else, that would be greatly appreciated as well.

Thank you so much for your time, have a great evening!

Ms. Pearl

Dear Ms. Pearl,

The term "student" is defined in FERPA as "any individual who is or has been in attendance at an educational agency or institution and regarding whom the agency or institution maintains education records."  See § 99.3"Student" in the FERPA regulations.  FERPA does not define "enrolled student," but if the student is in attendance at the College and records are being created, then that person is a student.  You can find the above cited regulation on page 155 of the 2012 AACRAO FERPA Guide.  You can also find a letter about when a student might be considered "in attendance" on page 247 of the Guide.

I hope this is helpful in answering your question.

The FERPA Professor
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  • FERPA
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  • FERPA Professor
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AACRAO's weekly e-newsletter delivering policy and industry news

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Questions? Contact us at membership@aacrao.org or (202) 355-1040