Notification of Social Security Number Collection and Use

Public Act No. 08-167 is specifically designed to protect the confidentiality of Social Security Numbers (SSNs) and requires other personal information to be safeguarded against misuse.  In compliance with this Connecticut state law, the Lyme Academy College of Fine Arts issues this notification regarding the purpose for the collection and use of Social Security Numbers.
The Lyme Academy College of Fine Arts collects SSNs in order to perform specific duties and tasks necessary to the College.  Pursuant to federal legislation, the College is required to report to the Internal Revenue Service the name, address, and SSN of any person from whom tuition and related payments are received. 
Collection, access, and use of Social Security Numbers are limited to the following departments, which will carefully safeguard the information:  Admissions, Registrar, Financial Aid, Bursar, and Payroll.  Like other private data, SSNs will be stored in a secure manner, should not be stored on portable storage devices, and will be shredded before discarding. SSNs will not be used as identification numbers on student ID cards or elsewhere and will not be required to access an unsecure internet or website.  All Social Security Numbers are protected by federal regulations and are not released to unauthorized parties or disclosed unlawfully.

Access To Records
Family Educational Rights And Privacy Act (FERPA):

The College complies with The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 (FERPA).  This act affords students certain rights with respect to their educational records.  All Admissions and academic records of enrolled students are stored in the Office of the Registrar.  Financial Aid records are stored in the Office of Financial Aid /Registrar. Students who may wish to review their records must request to do so in writing. Once the written request is received by the Office of the Registrar, access will be granted within a 45-day period. Please note that email may not be used for this purpose, and the student must provide current contact information in the written request. A student has the right to request an amendment to his/her record. If the request is denied, a hearing may be requested. For more information, please see FERPA filed in the Registrar’s Office.

In order to ensure that the College is protecting each student’s right to privacy, any and all information regarding a student’s academic life at the College including course and project grades, course schedule, attendance, and classroom participation will not be released to anyone other than the student without the student’s direct permission.  When permission is granted, it will only apply to the specific request at hand, it will not be accepted as blanket permission. Please note, however, that parents or guardians who are formally indicated on both the College’s documents of record and the individual’s tax returns as the financial responsible party (have declared the student as a dependent) may receive course grades and personal-use copies of the student transcripts upon request. Such requests will require presentation of the last Federal Income Tax Report. Billing and payment information may be released to a parent or third party once a release form has been signed by the student in the Bursar’s office.