Under FERPA, noncustodial parents have the full rights as parents for access to student records.

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Under FERPA, access to a student’s records is tied to the student’s status and parental relationship, not to custody alone. Parents have rights to inspect records for students who are considered dependents for tax purposes, and those rights exist alongside the student’s own rights once they turn 18 or attend a postsecondary institution. If the student is claimed as a dependent, a noncustodial parent can generally access records; if the student is not a dependent, a noncustodial parent does not automatically have that access. Schools may disclose information to both parents unless there is a court order or state law restricting it, or unless the student (as an adult) or the dependent status changes who can view the records. So the idea that noncustodial parents always have full rights is not universally true; access depends on dependent status and any legal restrictions.