Which entity has the authority to enforce compliance with FERPA?

The authority to enforce compliance with FERPA, the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act, lies with the U.S. Department of Education. This federal agency is responsible for overseeing the implementation of FERPA regulations, which protect the privacy of student education records and ensure that students' and parents’ rights related to those records are upheld. The Department of Education monitors compliance by educational institutions that receive federal funding and has the power to withhold federal funds from institutions that fail to comply with FERPA standards.

Alternatively, the U.S. Department of Defense and the U.S. Federal Trade Commission do not have the authority to enforce FERPA, as their roles are focused on different areas—national security and consumer protection, respectively. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services oversees HIPAA, which deals with healthcare privacy, rather than educational records. Thus, only the Department of Education is specifically tasked with the compliance and enforcement of FERPA regulations.