How Educational Platforms Can Keep Student Data Safe and FERPA-Compliant with Isara
Schools, universities, and education technology providers are entrusted with some of the most sensitive information imaginable: student identities, grades, academic records, and behavioural notes. This data falls under the protection of the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) — a U.S. federal law that grants students and parents control over how their educational records are accessed and shared.
While most institutions secure their learning management systems (LMS) and databases, one area often escapes attention: customer support and helpdesk operations.
Every support ticket, chat, or email between a student, parent, or faculty member can include personal information covered by FERPA. Without oversight, these communications can easily create compliance risks.
That’s where Isara helps — by enabling educational institutions and EdTech companies to audit their support data for FERPA compliance, detect sensitive student information, and maintain privacy across all interactions.
Understanding FERPA and its implications for support operations
FERPA applies to all educational institutions and third-party service providers that receive funding from the U.S. Department of Education. Its main requirements include:
Protecting personally identifiable information (PII) in student education records.
Controlling who can access or share those records.
Providing students and parents the right to review and correct their data.
Ensuring written consent before disclosing information to unauthorised parties.
In today’s digital environment, “education records” extend well beyond official gradebooks or enrollment files. They can appear anywhere personal or academic information is stored — including in support platforms, chat logs, and communication archives.
The overlooked compliance challenge in educational support
When students contact support, they often share details like:
Names, email addresses, and student IDs.
Course enrolment or grade inquiries.
Financial-aid or tuition information.
Health or disability accommodations.
Helpdesk systems like Zendesk, Intercom, or HubSpot are designed for efficiency and transparency, but not necessarily for FERPA oversight. Over time, thousands of messages may accumulate containing student data — and unlike centralised databases, support channels rarely have formal data-classification or deletion policies.
For compliance teams, this creates a blind spot in the institution’s privacy framework. Without proper review, these systems can unintentionally store or expose educational records in violation of FERPA.
Manual review isn’t enough
Reviewing tickets manually is inefficient and unreliable. Student information can appear in attachments, screenshots, or message threads — not just in structured fields. Even the most diligent staff can miss sensitive details or inconsistently apply redaction practices.
In addition, FERPA requires institutions to demonstrate that data access and disclosure controls are working in practice, not just written in policy. That’s nearly impossible without a clear, data-driven view of what’s inside your support systems.
That’s where automation makes all the difference.
Introducing Isara: intelligent audits for FERPA compliance
Isara allows educational institutions and EdTech providers to audit customer support tickets for compliance with FERPA and related student privacy laws.
Using AI-based classification models, Isara analyses support conversations and attachments within systems like Intercom, Zendesk, and HubSpot, detecting:
Personally identifiable information (PII) related to students or parents.
Academic details such as grades, course progress, or assessments.
Sensitive contextual data (e.g., disciplinary issues, accommodations, or financial aid).
Retention risks, where student data remains stored beyond policy limits.
Audits can be run for any time range — weekly, monthly, or by semester — giving compliance officers a structured, repeatable way to verify how student information is being handled in support communications.
Instead of relying on manual spot-checks, institutions can generate measurable evidence of their privacy safeguards in action.
Mapping Isara to FERPA compliance principles
FERPA PrincipleHow Isara Supports ComplianceData Protection and Access ControlIdentifies where student PII appears in tickets, helping ensure only authorised staff have access.Record Accuracy and AccountabilityProvides visibility into how educational records are discussed or modified in support systems.Consent and Disclosure ControlFlags instances where private information might have been shared improperly.Retention and DisposalHighlights tickets or attachments containing outdated or unnecessary data.Continuous OversightEnables periodic audits that demonstrate active management of student data privacy.
With these insights, institutions can demonstrate compliance not only with FERPA, but also with overlapping state and institutional privacy standards.
Integration and security by design
Isara integrates directly with the systems educational institutions already use. Through official app-store integrations with Intercom, Zendesk, and HubSpot, Isara operates securely within your environment — there’s no need to export or upload student data elsewhere.
This design ensures:
Security: Student and parent data never leaves your trusted systems.
Ease of use: Compliance teams can configure and launch audits quickly.
No disruption: Support operations continue seamlessly during audits.
For educational organisations subject to strict privacy expectations, this approach delivers assurance without introducing new data-handling risks.
From compliance obligation to privacy culture
FERPA compliance isn’t just about avoiding violations — it’s about fostering trust among students, parents, and educators.
By running regular Isara audits, institutions can:
Demonstrate accountability to regulators and stakeholders.
Identify training opportunities for staff who handle student data.
Track improvement over time as controls mature.
Embed privacy awareness into everyday operations.
This proactive approach turns compliance from a checkbox activity into part of your institution’s culture of responsibility.
Building trust in education technology
For EdTech providers, FERPA compliance is a key differentiator. Schools and universities need assurance that their vendors handle data with the same care they do.
By using Isara, EdTech teams can give their clients — and auditors — clear, data-backed evidence that student records are handled securely across support operations. This transparency helps build long-term partnerships and trust.
This capability is currently available for early access and private demos as we prepare for public release. Early adopters in the education sector are already using Isara to improve their data-governance visibility and strengthen their FERPA compliance posture.
Protect student privacy with Isara
Educational institutions have a duty to protect student information at every stage of their journey — from enrollment to alumni communications. Isara helps you uphold that duty, giving you the visibility and confidence to manage support communications responsibly.
Get in touch today to request a demo and see how Isara helps you audit, protect, and prove FERPA compliance across your support operations.