Printable NIC Guide for U.S. Military Recruiters
Recruiters from the U.S. military may request student information that is otherwise protected under the Family Education Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA).
FERPA is a federal law that defines the rights of students, including the right to privacy in education records and the right to have some control over the disclosure of personally identifiable information in education records, according to the U.S. Department of Education.
However, there is an exception to FERPA specifically for military recruiters - a federal law called the Solomon Amendment.
Solomon Amendment
The Solomon Amendment requires any education institution that receives federal funding to allow military recruiters access to campus, as well as access to student recruiting information that is otherwise protected under FERPA.
Under the Solomon Amendment, military recruiters may request student recruiting information for all students 17 years or older registered for at least one credit, according to the American Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers.
Public Records Requests
To request student recruiting information from North Idaho College, recruiters must contact NIC Communications and Marketing to submit a public records request. To submit a request, access the public records request form, send directly to publicrecords@nic.edu or contact NIC Communications and Marketing at (208) 929-4059
In your public records request, you must identify yourself as a recruiter and cite the Solomon Amendment. Please also specify what information you are requesting, including the semester. Typical requests are for students' names, emails, phone numbers, mailing or physical addresses, degree program and year of study (first year or second year).
NIC staff will work to fulfill your public records request within the 10 working days allowed by Idaho public records law (Idaho Code § 74-102).
NIC Guidelines for Student Communications
When contacting NIC students with information provided by NIC:
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Be sure to identify yourself as a military recruiter, including your military branch and recruiting office location. To avoid confusion, please DO NOT identify yourself as a representative of the college or as affiliated with NIC.
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Be prepared to let the student know you legitimately acquired their contact information through the college's official process following state and federal law.
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Keep in mind that students are encouraged to report unfamiliar contacts and/or suspicious messages received via their NIC email accounts as phishing attempts. Clearly identify yourself and be professional in your word choice and presentation.
NIC Contact Information