Hazelden Betty Ford Graduate School Student Records Privacy Notice

Last Updated: July 2026

This Notice is intended as a public-facing supplement to the Hazelden Betty Ford Website Privacy Policy and does not replace the Graduate School's annual FERPA notification or Student Handbook procedures. This Notice addresses Graduate School webpages and related Graduate School website forms or services. Information collected through other Hazelden Betty Ford services, including treatment services, is addressed in separate privacy notices.

The Hazelden Betty Ford Graduate School ("Graduate School") is committed to protecting the privacy of its applicants, students, alumni, and former students. This Student Records Privacy Notice supplements the Hazelden Betty Ford Website Privacy Policy and explains how the Graduate School handles student education records and related information in accordance with the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act ("FERPA"). FERPA is a federal law that protects the privacy of student education records and provides eligible students with certain rights regarding those records.

This Notice explains how the Graduate School collects, uses, discloses, and protects Personal Information about users of the Graduate School webpages, applications, forms, events, and services.

Relationship to the Hazelden Betty Ford Website Privacy Policy

Information collected through the Graduate School's webpages is subject to the Hazelden Betty Ford Website Privacy Policy. This Student Records Privacy Notice provides additional disclosures regarding applicants, students, alumni, and education records maintained by the Graduate School.

Where information constitutes an education record under FERPA, FERPA and this Notice govern the processing and disclosure of that information.

Applicant Information and FERPA-Covered Education Records

FERPA rights apply to eligible students as defined by FERPA and applicable Graduate School policy. Information submitted by or about an applicant may not constitute a FERPA-protected education record unless and until the applicant becomes a student in attendance at the Graduate School and the information is maintained by the Graduate School as part of the student's education records.

For purposes of this Notice, "education records" are records that are directly related to a student and maintained by the Graduate School or by a party acting for the Graduate School. Education records may include academic, enrollment, registration, financial aid, student account, advising, clinical placement, disciplinary, and other records maintained as part of a student's participation in Graduate School programs. Education records do not generally include records that are kept in the sole possession of the person who made them and are not shared with others, certain law enforcement unit records, employment records that are not based on student status, treatment records as defined by FERPA, or alumni records that are created or received after the person is no longer a student and are not directly related to the person's attendance as a student.

The Graduate School nevertheless protects applicant information as described in this Notice and the Hazelden Betty Ford Website Privacy Policy. Applicant information may be used to process and evaluate applications, communicate with applicants, support admissions and enrollment activities, meet legal and accreditation obligations, and perform related Graduate School functions. If an applicant becomes a student in attendance, information maintained by the Graduate School as part of the student's education records will be handled in accordance with FERPA, this Notice, and applicable Graduate School policies.

Information We Collect

Depending on your relationship with the Graduate School, we may collect and maintain:

• Applicant Information
• Name and contact information
• Educational history and transcripts
• Application materials and supporting documents
• Demographic information
• Financial aid information
• Other information necessary to evaluate applications and admissions decisions
• Student Information
• Enrollment and registration information
• Academic records, grades, and evaluations
• Course participation and attendance information
• Financial account information
• Student services records
• Clinical, internship, practicum, and field placement information, where applicable
• Communications concerning your education and participation in Graduate School programs
• Website Information

Public Graduate School website forms generally collect inquiry and contact information. Certain application-related information, including sensitive identifiers or academic records, may be collected through a secure applicant portal or other designated application system rather than through public website forms.

Information collected through Graduate School webpages, including website usage information, cookies, analytics, and related technologies, is governed by the Hazelden Betty Ford Website Privacy Policy.

FERPA Rights

FERPA provides eligible students with certain rights regarding their education records. These rights generally include the right to:

• Inspect and review their education records.
• Request amendment of education records believed to be inaccurate, misleading, or maintained in violation of privacy rights.
• Provide consent before personally identifiable information from education records is disclosed, except where FERPA authorizes disclosure without consent.
• File a complaint with the U.S. Department of Education concerning alleged failures to comply with FERPA.

Information regarding procedures for exercising these rights is available through the Student Handbook and the Graduate School's annual FERPA notification process.

How We Use Student Information

The Graduate School may use applicant and student information to:

• Process admissions applications.
• Administer academic programs and student services.
• Maintain student records.
• Award degrees and certificates.
• Administer financial aid and scholarships.
• Support academic advising and student success initiatives.
• Meet accreditation, regulatory, and legal obligations.
• Communicate with applicants, students, alumni, and former students.
• Protect the security and integrity of institutional systems and records.

How We Share Information

The Graduate School does not disclose personally identifiable information from student education records except as permitted by FERPA or other applicable law.

Information may be disclosed:

• With the student's consent.
• To school officials with legitimate educational interests.
• To service providers acting on behalf of the Graduate School to perform authorized institutional functions.
• In connection with financial aid administration.
• To accrediting organizations and regulatory agencies where authorized by law.
• Pursuant to subpoenas, court orders, or other legal requirements.
• In health and safety emergencies as permitted by FERPA.
• In other circumstances specifically authorized by FERPA.
• Graduate School inquiry forms, application-related forms, communications, and related website services may be supported by third-party service providers, including customer relationship management, marketing automation, application, hosting, analytics, and communications platforms. These providers may process information on behalf of the Graduate School only for authorized purposes and subject to applicable contractual, privacy, and security requirements. The Graduate School requires authorized service providers to maintain appropriate privacy and security protections for information entrusted to them.

Definitions: School Officials and Legitimate Educational Interests

For purposes of this Notice, school officials may include Graduate School faculty, administrators, staff, employees, contractors, consultants, volunteers, service providers, and other parties who perform institutional services or functions for or on behalf of the Graduate School. A school official has a legitimate educational interest when the official needs to access or use education records or related student information in order to perform a task or service for the Graduate School, including admissions, registration, academic instruction, advising, student services, financial aid, accreditation, compliance, institutional research, information technology, safety, or other administrative or educational functions.

The Graduate School may disclose personally identifiable information from education records to school officials with legitimate educational interests, consistent with FERPA and applicable law. Service providers and other third parties acting as school officials may use student information only for authorized Graduate School purposes and may not redisclose such information except as permitted by FERPA, applicable law, and their agreement with the Graduate School.

Directory Information

FERPA permits educational institutions to designate certain information as "Directory Information" and disclose such information without prior consent unless the student has exercised any applicable right to restrict disclosure.

The Graduate School's annual FERPA notification identifies:

• The categories of information designated as Directory Information;
• Any available rights to restrict disclosure; and
• Procedures for exercising those rights.

Record Retention

The Graduate School retains applicant, student, and alumni records in accordance with institutional record retention requirements, accreditation standards, legal obligations, and business needs.

Security

The Graduate School maintains reasonable administrative, technical, and physical safeguards designed to protect applicant and student information from unauthorized access, use, disclosure, alteration, or destruction.

Contact Us

Questions regarding this Student Records Privacy Notice or FERPA-related matters may be directed to:

Dean of Student Affairs

Hazelden Betty Ford Graduate School 15251 Pleasant Valley Road

Center City, MN 55012

Email: GraduateSchool@HazeldenBettyFord.edu

For general privacy inquiries, you may also contact: Email: privacyofice@hazeldenbettyford.org