University of Illinois System

Student Records Retention Schedule

NOTICE

The information contained on this schedule is the minimum State-required retention period for each specific category. This does NOT authorize disposal action. State approval is expressly required prior to each disposal of records, regardless of format or volume, unless the documents are specifically categorized as non-records. Contact the RIMS office to initiate a records disposal or for the State approved retention period of any items not listed below.

 

No record should be held for more than one (1) year beyond its listed mandatory minimum retention period. If further retention is needed and there is a documented business need, please contact RIMS for a variance. However, if your records are subject to a legal hold or pending legal action, you will need to follow the retention recommended by legal counsel. RIMS should be notified of any decisions to keep records past their minimum retention.


Upon completion of the retention period for student records they will either be deleteddestroyed, or transferred to the University Archives. Before the retention period expires, please follow the records storage guidelines. For questions or more clarification about the correct process for these actions, please contact the RIMS office.


The categories of Student Records are:

Admissions Records - Non-Enrolled

Admissions Records - Non-Enrolled are part of the Admissions file for applicants who do not subsequently enroll, or for students who request to defer enrollment or delay admission. Document types in Admissions Records - Non-Enrolled and Admissions Records - Enrolled may repeat, but they are treated differently according to the applicant's status.

Examples of Admissions Records - Non-Enrolled include, but are not limited to: applications for admission or readmission, admission letters, copies of visas, departmental notes on applicants, employment authorizations or work permits, letters of recommendation, lists of admissions committee members, medical records, placement test records/scores, samples of work, and transcripts.

Retain for 1 year after application period has ended, then obtain State approval to dispose:

  • All admissions records for students who do not enroll.

Admissions Records – Enrolled

Admissions Records - Enrolled are part of the Admissions file for applicants who subsequently enroll and are considered enrolled students. Document types in Admissions Records - Non-Enrolled and Admissions Records - Enrolled may repeat, but they are treated differently according to the applicant's status.

Examples of Admissions Records - Enrolled include, but are not limited to: applications for admission or readmission, admission letters, copies of visas, departmental notes on applicants, employment authorizations or work permits, letters of recommendation, lists of admissions committee members, medical records, placement test records/scores, samples of work, and transcripts.

Retain until admitted, then obtain state approval to dispose:

  • Letters of recommendation for admission
  • Waivers of right of access (admissions).

Retain for 5 years after the start date of the term for which they were submitted, then obtain state approval to dispose:

  • All other admissions records for enrolled students.

General Student Academic Records

General Student Academic Records are academic and administrative documents that are used to support enrolled students and track student progress, or lack thereof, towards completion of a course, a program, or a degree.

Examples of General Student Academic Records include, but are not limited to: academic advisement records, academic dismissal records, academic expulsion records, athlete academic records, athlete verification reports, class schedules, degree audit records, disciplinary action records, enrollment changes, graduation lists, hold authorizations, major changes, name change authorizations, residency verification records, theses, transcript requests, transfer credit evaluations, and withdrawal/cancellation of enrollment records.

To be considered for permanent retention, see RIMS for guidance:

  • Class lists
  • Grade change forms/supplemental grade report forms
  • Graduation lists
  • Theses.

Retain for 50 years from date of decision, then obtain state approval to dispose:

  • Academic dismissal records
  • Academic expulsion records
  • Academic suspension records.

Retain for 10 years after term submitted to the university, then obtain state approval to dispose:

  • Data change logs
  • Name change authorizations.

Retain for 7 years from final decision, then obtain state approval to dispose:

  • Academic warning records
  • Disciplinary action records.

Retain for 6 years after semester submitted to governing authority, then obtain state approval to dispose:

  • Athlete verification reports
  • Residency verification records.

Retain for 1 year after verification, then obtain state approval to dispose:

  • Student enrollment verification.

Retain for 1 year after request is filled, then obtain state approval to dispose:

  • Transcript requests.

Retain for 1 year after release of hold, then obtain state approval to dispose:

  • Encumbrance authorizations
  • Hold authorizations.

Retain for 5 years after term submitted to university, then obtain state approval to dispose:

  • All other general student records.

Health Profession Student Records - Supplemental Files

Health Profession Student Records - Supplemental Files support the clinical and academic work of medical students by providing a record of their experiences and performance as it relates to their academic achievements specifically related to health professions.

Examples of Health Profession Student Records - Supplemental Files include, but are not limited to: clerkship information, dates of enrollment, documents signed by students, institutional technical standards forms, licensing scores, notices of award, personal identification photographs, promotion committee letters, publications of journal articles and abstracts.

Retain for 75 years, then obtain state approval to dispose:

  • Dates of enrollment
  • Dates of leaves of absence
  • Documentation of dismissal or withdrawal
  • Licensing scores
  • Performance evaluations
  • Personal identification photographs
  • Promotion committee letters.

Retain for 5 years after date of graduation or determination of non-attendance, then obtain state approval to dispose:

  • Clerkship information
  • Documents signed by students
  • Institutional technical standards forms
  • Notices of award.

Retain for 2 years after date of creation, then obtain state approval to dispose:

  • Letters of recommendation from the college.

Retain for 1 month after date of graduation or determination of non-attendance, then obtain state approval to dispose:

  • Publications of journal articles and abstracts
  • Student CVs.

Professional Education Student Records - Supplemental Files

Professional Education Student Records - Supplemental Files are used to track certification processes for students enrolled in a teaching or professional field that is outside the domain of the medical schools such as students enrolled in a program in the College of Education or the School of Social Work.

Examples of Professional Education Student Records - Supplemental Files include, but are not limited to: acceptance emails, application and admission record sheets, candidate tracking sheets, clinical practice agreements, licensure exam scores, notice of certificate program decisions, student petitions, and training forms.

Retain for 10 years after term submitted, then obtain State approval to dispose:

  • Candidate tracking sheets from teacher certification paperwork (i.e “rap” sheet).

Retain for 50 years after date of graduation or determination of non enrollment, then obtain State approval to dispose:

  • All other Professional education student records.

Community Program Participant Files

Community Program Participant Files provide participant information indicating personal contact information and dates and times of programs for which each participant has been enrolled.

Examples of Community Program Participant Files include, but are not limited to: adult programming files, summer camp applications, and youth programming files.

Retain for 20 years after the end of term of the program, then obtain State approval to dispose:

  • Summer camp applications
  • Youth programming files.

Retain for 10 years after program, then obtain State approval to dispose:

  • Adult programming files.

Student Financial Aid Records

Student Financial Aid (SFA) Records are those that the University must maintain to show that SFA funds are disbursed in the correct amount to eligible students.

Examples of Student Financial Aid Records include but are not limited to: accrediting and licensing agency review, approvals and reports, audit reports, borrowers eligibility records, date and amount of disbursements, documentation of student’s program of study and enrolled courses, financial aid history for transfer students, records of student accounts, self evaluation reports, and state agency reports.

Retain for 3 years from end of award year, then obtain State approval to dispose:

  • All student financial aid records.

Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) Compliance Records

FERPA Compliance Records relate to a student's ability to consent to disclosure of their records and the right under FERPA to request amendment of their academic records.

Examples of FERPA Compliance Records include requests for formal hearings, request for nondisclosure of directory information, waivers for rights of access, and written consent for records disclosure.

Retain for 100 years or until death of the student or until terminated by student, whichever occurs first, then obtain State approval to dispose:

  • Requests for nondisclosure of directory information
  • Waivers for rights of access.

Retain for 75 years or upon death of the student, whichever occurs first, then obtain State approval to dispose:

  • Requests for formal hearings
  • Written consent for records disclosure.

University of Illinois Laboratory High School Records

University High School (Uni) maintains records for its students in accordance with State and University regulations. For additional details and information on accessing these records, please view the Student-Parent Handbook. The Associate Director is responsible for the maintenance, retention, or destruction of a student’s permanent or temporary records.

Examples of University of Illinois Laboratory High School Records include, but are not limited to: academic records, attendance records, elementary and secondary achievement level test results, high school state assessment test scores, information regarding discipline, recommendation letters, special education files, and standardized test scores.

Retain for 60 years after student has transferred, graduated, or otherwise permanently withdrawn, then obtain State approval to dispose:

  • Academic transcripts
  • Accident reports and health records
  • Attendance records
  • Basic identifying information (name, date of birth, address, parent’s names, date of enrollment, etc.)
  • High school state assessment scores
  • Record release of permanent record information.

Retain for 5 years after student has transferred, graduated, or otherwise permanently withdrawn, then obtain State approval to dispose:

  • Record of release of temporary record information
  • Admissions files of students who are accepted and enrolled
  • Completed home language survey forms
  • Elementary and secondary achievement level test results
  • Family background information
  • Honors and awards received
  • Information provided under the Abused and Neglected Child Reporting Act
  • Information regarding serious infractions that resulted in discipline
  • Other disciplinary information
  • Other verified information of clear relevance to the education of the student
  • Participation in extra-curricular activities or athletics
  • Reports of Psychological evaluations
  • Special education files
  • Teacher anecdotal records
  • Uni admissions applications materials.

Retain for 2 years after application term has ended, then obtain State approval to dispose:

  • Records of sixth grade applicants who are not enrolled and not accepted.

Retain for 1 year after application term has ended, then obtain State approval to dispose:

  • Records of seventh grade applicants who are not enrolled and not accepted.

Retain until after admissions session, then obtain State approval to dispose:

  • Notes and drafts of decisions of the admissions committee.

Retain until the enrollment of the student, then obtain State approval to dispose:

  • Recommendation letters.

Course Evaluations

Course Evaluations consist of forms containing student comments and evaluative ratings of courses and instructors submitted at the time of course completion. These may be completed on paper or via an electronic system.

Retain for 5 years past the end of the course for which they were created, then obtain state approval to dispose, (or transfer Promotion and Tenure files if needed for consideration in review of faculty*):

  • Course evaluations.

* If course evaluations are included in dossiers as part of the Promotion and Tenure process, they need to be retained along with other Promotion and Tenure files.

Graded Work & Supporting Documentation

Graded Work and Supporting Documentation are important University documents, categorized as non-records, which do not need state approval prior to disposal.

Examples of Graded Work and Supporting Documentation include, but are not limited to: exams, grade books, grade lists, and graded coursework

Retain for 1 year after submission before secure disposal:

  • Grade lists.

Retain for 3 years from the end of the academic term before secure disposal:

  • All other graded work and supporting documentation.

Primary Audience

This schedule will specifically help those with federal and state compliance requirements such as staff from the following areas:

  • Admissions
  • Financial Aid
  • Academic Advisors
  • Information Technology
  • Administrators dealing with the Higher Education Opportunity Act and the Family Education Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA)