Deceased Students - Records
- Upon a student’s death, education records are not protected under FERPA. University of Northwestern maintains full discretion in deciding whether, and under what conditions, education records of deceased students should be disclosed.
- In general, the Registrar’s Office, on behalf of the University, will not release education records but may do so under the following conditions:
- The Registrar’s Office will release such records if the University receives a valid subpoena requesting such records.
- The Registrar’s Office may choose to release such records with the written authorization of the executor of the deceased student’s estate or next of kin, if an executor has not been appointed. Such individual would need to provide proof of the student’s death (i.e., death certificate or obituary notice).