Turning 18: the paperwork families handle before college

What changes

• School records: under FERPA, rights move from parents to the student at 18 or when the student starts college, whatever the age. A college may share records with parents if the student is a dependent for tax purposes, without the student's consent; otherwise it generally needs the student's written consent. Many colleges have their own release form.
• Health information and decisions: under HIPAA, someone with legal authority to make health care decisions for an adult, such as a health care power of attorney, can act as that adult's personal representative. HHS adds that state law should be consulted on that authority.

Documents families often sign

• A health care proxy or advance directive naming a parent.
• A HIPAA authorization letting doctors talk with named family members.
• A durable power of attorney for finances, so a parent can handle a bank or a lease issue.
• The college's own FERPA release form.

Which documents fit your family, and what goes in them, is a question for an attorney; we can't draft or choose legal documents. Once they're prepared, we notarize them: at your home in New Jersey or online by video when the documents allow it, with the student and parents each joining from where they are.

Sources

• U.S. Department of Education: parent access to an eligible student's education records
• HHS: Personal representatives under the HIPAA Privacy Rule

General information, checked November 10, 2026. Not legal or medical advice. We are notaries, not lawyers.

Questions