Higher Education · Research Compliance · Export Controls · Data Protection

FERPA. ITAR. NIST.
41,854 obligations scored.

Research university compliance: student privacy, export controls, cybersecurity for defence-funded research, campus safety, and equal opportunity requirements. AuditDSS decomposes 89 regulations into 41,854 individually testable obligations across 18 jurisdictions with 4-axis risk scoring.

Student privacy enforcement is accelerating

The FTC, Department of Education, and EDPB are all targeting student data practices. COPPA fines are hitting nine figures, FERPA complaints are surging, and EdTech vendor breaches are putting institutions at risk.

$520M

FTC — Epic COPPA fine

The largest COPPA enforcement action in history — the FTC is making children's privacy a top priority

3,500+

FERPA complaints annually

The Student Privacy Policy Office receives thousands of complaints each year — improper disclosures and access failures lead the list

1,600+

Student data breaches (2023)

K-12 and higher education institutions face a rising tide of data breaches exposing student records and personally identifiable information

Loss of funding

FERPA penalty

The ultimate FERPA sanction is loss of all federal funding — no fine schedule, just a binary threat to institutional viability

89

Regulations covered

4,458

Rules decomposed

41,854

Obligations scored

18

Jurisdictions

Geographic coverage

18 jurisdictions, 89 regulations

Complete education regulatory coverage

From FERPA student records and COPPA children's privacy to Title IX compliance and GDPR student data provisions — AuditDSS decomposes every education regulation into independently testable obligations.

Key coverage areas

FERPA student records
COPPA children's privacy
Title IX compliance
GDPR student data
State student privacy laws
Accessibility (Section 508)
Research data governance
EdTech vendor obligations

Purpose-built for education compliance

K-12 school districts

Score your FERPA program across student records, directory information, and disclosure policies in a single assessment. Identify the gaps before a parent complaint triggers a federal investigation.

  • Validate student record access and amendment procedures
  • Score directory information opt-out policies
  • Prioritise remediation by enforcement risk

Universities & research institutions

Higher education FERPA compliance scored at the obligation level. Know exactly which disclosure exception, consent requirement, or record-keeping obligation your registrar's office is missing.

  • Score all FERPA disclosure exceptions and consent rules
  • Validate institutional research data sharing agreements
  • Federal audit readiness and gap identification

EdTech companies

FERPA "school official" designation obligations and COPPA requirements scored individually. Ensure your platform meets every contractual and regulatory obligation for student and children's data.

  • School official exception compliance requirements
  • COPPA verifiable parental consent obligations
  • Risk-scored obligation-level reporting

Regulatory coverage

All 89 regulations applicable to higher education & research, grouped by theme. Every regulation links to its detailed obligation breakdown.

Student Privacy & Records

International Data Protection

Privacy laws for universities with international students and research partnerships

Research Export Controls

ITAR, EAR, and national export controls for defence-funded research

Cybersecurity & Defense Research

Cybersecurity requirements for universities handling CUI or government-funded research

Campus Safety & Civil Rights

Higher Education Standards

Workplace & Lab Safety

Environmental (Labs)

Corporate Governance & Anti-Corruption

ESG & Climate

Employment & Modern Slavery

Saudi Education

Audit & Assurance Frameworks

AI Governance

Saudi Education Governance

Compliance Program Builder

Generate your higher education & research compliance program

Answer a few questions about your business. Get a complete compliance program — policies, procedures, and operational forms — tailored to your risk profile and mapped to every obligation. Ready in minutes.

  • AI-guided questionnaire adapts to your entity type
  • Every clause traces to specific regulatory obligations
  • Export to PDF — ready for board review or audit

Higher Education & Research Compliance Policy

Risk-calibrated · 10–15 sections

Policy

Operational Procedures

Step-by-step · Staff-ready

Procedures

Forms & Checklists

Operational forms · Ready to use

Forms

Score your higher education & research compliance

Score your existing policies against 41,854 obligations — or generate a complete compliance program tailored to your business in minutes.