Educational institutions are undergoing a rapid digital transformation. From admissions and registration to student surveys and parental consent, the need for efficient, digital data collection has never been greater. However, for every school, college, and university in the United States, this move to digital is governed by one critical regulation: the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA).

Choosing the right tools is paramount. A simple, unsecured form can expose an institution to significant legal and reputational risk. Schools need more than just a form builder; they need a partner committed to the principles of student data privacy.

At Walla, we built our platform with the strictest compliance requirements in mind. Here’s a detailed look at how Walla’s features are specifically designed to help your institution meet and exceed FERPA’s requirements.

1. Data Scope and Security by Design

FERPA mandates the protection of student education records and any Personally Identifiable Information (PII) within them. Our platform is built on a foundation of security.

• Data Minimization: Walla’s flexible form builder allows you to collect only the data that is absolutely necessary for a specific purpose.

• End-to-End Encryption: We ensure all data is protected at every stage. Data is encrypted in transit using industry-standard HTTPS/TLS and encrypted at rest in our secure databases. Your backup data is protected with the same rigorous standards.

2. Granular Access Control & Auditing

FERPA requires that student data is only accessible to authorized "school officials" with a legitimate educational interest.

• Role-Based Access Control (RBAC): Walla empowers your administrators to implement the Principle of Least Privilege. You can create custom roles and permissions, ensuring a teacher can only access their students' data, while an admissions officer can only view applicant information. We also recommend and support SSO and MFA for an added layer of security.

• Comprehensive Audit Trails: With Walla, you have a complete record of who accessed, viewed, or modified student data, and when. These audit logs are critical for accountability and for responding to any internal or external inquiries.

3. Your Contractual Partner in Compliance

When using a third-party service like Walla, schools must ensure the vendor can act as a designated "School Official". We take this responsibility seriously.

• Data Protection Addendum (DPA): Our DPA is specifically written to support your FERPA obligations. We contractually guarantee that Walla acts as a Data Processor under the school's direct control. We will only use the data for the purposes authorized by your institution and will never use student data for our own commercial purposes or re-disclose it to other parties.

4. Empowering Student Rights and Data Lifecycle Management

FERPA gives students the right to inspect, review, and request amendments to their education records. Walla provides the tools to help you honor these rights efficiently.

• Easy Access & Deletion: An authorized administrator can easily search, export (to provide for review), and securely delete student data from the Walla platform upon request, ensuring you can comply with student rights and your institution’s records retention policy.

5. A Commitment to Incident Response

In the unfortunate event of a data breach, transparency and speed are critical.

• Robust Incident Response Plan: Walla maintains a comprehensive plan to address any potential security incidents. We are committed to notifying your institution promptly, allowing you to fulfill your own reporting and notification duties under FERPA and other applicable laws.

A Partner for the Modern Digital Campus

FERPA compliance in the cloud era requires more than just good intentions; it requires the right tools and the right partner. Walla is more than a form builder—it’s a secure data collection platform designed to give educational institutions the peace of mind they need to operate efficiently and ethically.

Focus on what you do best—educating students—and let Walla handle the complexities of secure and compliant data collection.

Further Reading:

• FERPA-Compliant Form Builder: A Secure Online Form and Survey Solution for Educational Institutions

• Walla and HIPAA: Building Healthcare-Ready Forms with Compliance in Mind

• A 5-Point Checklist for Collecting Sensitive Health Data with Online Forms

• GLBA Compliance and Walla: Enabling Financial Institutions to Collect Data Securely

• COPPA Compliance with Walla: Building Safer Forms for Children’s Data

• Building FERPA-Compliant Surveys: A Practical Guide for Educational Institutions Using Walla

• CCPA Compliance with Walla: Privacy-Centered SaaS Infrastructure for California Consumers

• VCDPA in Virginia: What Every SaaS Company Needs to Know

• Understanding the Colorado Privacy Act (CPA): What SaaS Companies Like Walla Need to Know

• Navigating the Connecticut Data Privacy Act (CTDPA): A SaaS Compliance Blueprint for Companies Like Walla

• Understanding Utah’s UCPA: A Practical Guide for SaaS Platforms Like Walla

• Understanding the Texas Data Privacy and Security Act (TDPSA): What It Means for SaaS Companies Like Walla