FERPA and Student Data Safety in Mentoring Software

FERPA is the federal law that protects the privacy of student education records, and any mentoring software that touches student data has to handle it correctly. For programs serving minors, the bar is higher still. The short version: your vendor should protect student data by design, give you full ownership of it, and never sell or mine it. This guide explains what to check and the exact questions to ask.

What FERPA means for mentoring software

FERPA gives students rights over their education records and limits how institutions and their vendors share that data. When a mentoring platform stores names, contact details, engagement, and outcomes, it is handling records that fall under FERPA. The institution stays responsible, so the software has to make compliance easy, not risky.

What to look for

Data protection built in from the start, not bolted on. Clear data ownership, so the institution owns and can export its data. A commitment not to sell or mine student data. Specific safeguards for minors where programs serve under-18 students. Security documentation such as SOC 2 that your IT team can review. Role-based access so people only see what they should.

Questions to ask any mentoring vendor about data

Who owns the data, and can we export it in full at any time? Is the platform FERPA-aligned, and how? Do you sell, share, or use student data to train models or for advertising? What specific protections exist for minors? Do you have SOC 2 or equivalent, and can we see the report? How is access controlled, and how are breaches handled?

Why this is a MentorPRO strength

MentorPRO was built by researchers who work directly with students and youth-serving programs, so privacy and safety are treated as core features, not afterthoughts. For programs serving minors and high-need students, that design-first approach is exactly what institutional and IT reviewers are looking for. MentorPRO is SOC 2 compliant, and we are happy to share security documentation with your IT team.

Make your data review easy

If data privacy is a gating question for your program, book a demo and we will walk your team through how MentorPRO protects student and minor data.

FAQ

Is mentoring software required to be FERPA compliant? If it handles student education records on behalf of an institution, it must align with FERPA. Ask the vendor how they support compliance.

How is student data protected in mentoring software? Through data ownership and export rights, no selling or mining of data, minor-specific safeguards, security certifications like SOC 2, and role-based access.

What should I ask a vendor about data safety? Ask who owns the data, whether it is ever sold or used to train models, what protects minors, and whether they hold SOC 2.