Inviting Teens to Become Adults - Responsibilities & Adult Paperwork

by Katherine O'Brien, ThD Candidate, Certified College Planning Specialist, Founder of Celtic College Consultants

One trait that distinguishes children from adults is that of being responsible. Age is a factor, but not a determining one.

In the US, there are a number of legal changes that happen when a person turns 18. Accepting these responsibilities is part of becoming adults. Let's look at them from the perspective of the paperwork involved. Please note that, since most of these are specific to the US state, students attending college out of their home state will need some of these documents for each state.

FERPA Release – Once you are a college student, no matter your age, you are an adult!

The Family Education Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 (FERPA) is a federal law that affords parents the right to have access to their children’s educational records, the right to seek to have the records amended, and the right to have some control over the disclosure of personally identifiable information from the education records. When a student turns 18 or enters a postsecondary school (no matter their age), FERPA rights transfer from the parents to the student.

 

For more information, please see: https://studentprivacy.ed.gov/faq/what-ferpa

 

Most colleges will invite you to sign a FERPA release. This allows parents to talk with the bursar’s office about the student’s accounts and bills. It also allows people the student designates to access certain academic information or to attend meetings with deans, professors, or advisors. It’s important

 

Each college or university is required to issue an annual notice, sometimes called the annual privacy notice or annual FERPA notice. These typically appear on the college’s website. These notices tell parents if and in what circumstances colleges may release some information without a student’s consent. This often includes directory information such as the student’s name, graduation year, major, and, possibly, address information. Students in therapy will not find their therapist’s treatment notes, nor law enforcement records, if they were not shared with the college. However, some colleges have a policy that parents will be notified in the event a student is felt to be a safety risk to him or herself or others.

 

Parents and students need to have a conversation to reach an understanding about what personal educational information students will share in college. The conversation should include grades, continued scholarship eligibility, drugs, alcohol, sex, roommates, finances and more. Students need to take responsibility for reading their email in a timely manner, asking for help as needed to handle the various tasks required of them by their college. Both students and parents need to keep in mind that, from the college’s perspective, the student is the primary person.

 

This might be challenging since the pandemic restrictions eliminated a number of opportunities for young people to learn and grow and make the kinds of mistakes young people learn so much from. 

 

HIPAA Release 

HIPAA is a federal law (the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996). HIPAA regulates the disclosure of patient health information. A HIPAA release is a narrow document in that it only permits healthcare providers to disclose your student’s healthcare information to you or anyone they specify.

Once a child turns 18, s/he is a legal adult. Therefore, s/he has privacy rights and healthcare providers are limited regarding their ability to share that information. In short, should your adult child have a health problem and land in the hospital, for example, without a HIPAA release, the hospital is unable to even tell you whether your child is under their care. This document alone will often suffice to get information from the healthcare institution treating your adult child. In a HIPAA authorization or release, young adults can stipulate that they don’t want to disclose information about sex, drugs, mental health, or other details that they prefer to keep private. As with the broader healthcare proxy, a HIPAA release can include a Living Will.

 

Living Will/ Advance Medical Directive

A living will is a legal document that details how you prefer to receive medical treatment in the event you are not able to make decisions for yourself. This document instructs healthcare providers about your wishes and shields your loved ones from having to make difficult choices about your care. Each state has a living will form or defines specifics to be included in a living will. Abiding by your state's requirements is essential in order to ensure that your living will be enforceable.

 

Medical Power of Attorney/Health Care Proxy

 

A Medical Power of Attorney or Health Care Proxy authorizes someone to make medical decisions on someone else's behalf, giving the person appointed access to medical records and the ability to converse with their healthcare providers. By appointing you as their healthcare proxy, your adult child is enabling you to act on their behalf in making medical decisions in the event that they are unable to make those decisions for themselves.

Each state has different laws that govern the execution of a medical POA or healthcare proxy; for example, state laws differ on whether a medical proxy has to be notarized or merely witnessed. Therefore the legal form you sign will be specific to the state where it will be used. HIPAA authorization is rolled into the standard medical proxy form in many states. In addition, a healthcare proxy can include a Living Will, or you can execute a separate document stating your wishes for end-of-life medical treatment.

Voting

Now that your child is 18, s/he should register to vote in their state of legal residence. Should s/he choose to vote in their home state and district, register there. Students can alternatively register to vote where they live while at college. Arranging to vote by mail is important.

 

 

Traveling

At age 18, a ten-year US passport can be issued. Students who hope to study abroad or go on a mission or service trip outside the US are advised to get a passport when they start college. Getting a passport takes time; it is not a task that can be completed last minute.

 

20 Things to Take Care of Before Your Student Leaves for College, Even if They're Staying Home

 

Let's touch on a few practical matters to consider and tend to before they head off (or don't!).  Not all of these will be relevant for every family and many are personal choices.

1. Documents regarding medical records. Once our teens turn 18, their medical information is protected. It's important that your teen set these up for each state (your home state and the state s/he will live in for college): medical proxy or power of attorney. This document allows someone to make medical decisions on his/her behalf in the event s/he cannot make them. In many states, the HIPAA authorization is part of this document. Having a living will is also important for your child (and you!) to give directions for end of life decisions.

2. HIPAA Authorization or HIPAA Release. This document gives permission to healthcare workers to share your information with the people you authorize.

3. Continuing care. For those on medications or seeing counselors, arrange for a continuation of care be fore arriving on campus. Make arrangements for prescriptions and follow up visits. The student health center can be a useful resource to find local professionals who provide the needed services. The student should have a list of prescriptions for any medications, as well as for their glasses or contacts.

4. Medical facilities. Students need to know where the local urgent care and hospital are, along with pharmacies, opticians, and other providers. Check your insurance to find in network providers. Add urgent care phone numbers and addresses in their phone contacts.

5. Insurance cards. Students need to carry their own card(s) for health, dental, and auto insurance cards. While best to have actual cards, having photos of them, front and back, on their phones is another option.

6. Medical history. Students need to know their own history, including vaccinations, surgeries, hospitalizations, allergies, and major injuries and illnesses. If it's complicated, make sure they have a way to access the details, if the need arises.

7. First aid. Have a small first aid kit for their dorm room and/or backpack. Common medications for cold, flu, cuts, etc. should be included. On a related note, for some, the inclusion of sunscreen to avoid and aloe vera to cope with sunburn would be in order.

8. Money. Students need to have ways to access cash, make purchases with a card, and receive paychecks. Have them put locations of no fee ATMs in their phone contacts. Bank routing and account numbers will be needed for direct deposit of paychecks for students who will work while at school. If they are smart, they should arrange a way for parents to transfer funds to their accounts, too.

9. Budget. Sit down with your student and establish a budget for the term, month, week. What will s/he be responsible for? What will you be covering? What happens if something comes up or they spend too much?

10. Social Security Number. Students need to have this number memorized. It will be needed. Teach them to guard it carefully and only give it out when absolutely necessary. Explore identity theft and how thieves get your data so you and your student will know how to protect yourselves.

11. Renter's Insurance. Explore with your student the potential benefits of having it as well as the costs and make a decision about it. Don't forget to decide who will pay for it.

12. Car care. Auto insurance cards will be needed and the company contacted to ensure that everything is in place to cover the student to and from and all around campus. Discuss maintenance such as oil changes and tire rotations as well as larger maintenance needs. Again, who will be financially responsible for which of these costs will need to be discussed.

13. Transportation. Discuss ways to get off campus. Is there a transit system? Does your student know how to use it? Do you need to buy a pass or pay with exact fare? What are the other options? Take time to explore and discuss these options with your student. S/he may not remember everything but will have some idea where to start to look when the need arises.

14. Alcohol. Discuss drunk driving and options for getting home if the friend who drove them is not able to drive them home. Have him or her put an ride-sharing app on his or her phone so there are options if needed. Discuss under age drinking, the impact on relationships, and grades.

15. Grades. As an adult, per FERPA, parents do not have access to student grades. (Be aware that FERPA defines all college students as adults, no matter their age.) For some families, this is not a problem since the child freely shares his or her grades. For others, having the student sign the appropriate documents giving parental access to grades.

16. Financial Aid. Again, per FERPA, school officials cannot speak to parents regarding a student's situation. The financial aid office has a form students can sign which gives them permission to discuss the financial side of things with you. Discuss this with your student.

17. Travel. If flying, consider arranging to expedite their way through security checks. Have a discussion and clearly define who is responsible for arranging and paying for flights. Explore together the options for traveling from the airport to campus. Be sure your student has a "real ID" (in many states, it is denoted by a star on the driver's license or state ID card.). If study abroad is part of his or her college plan, be sure to procure a passport well ahead of time.

18. Emergency contacts. Share your contact information with your student's roommate(s). That way, if there is an emergency, they will know how to reach you (and what your names are!) In turn, get theirs, for exactly the same reason.

19. Stay in Touch. Set up a weekly phone call time or some other routine for checking in with your student. Keeping the lines of communication open will help ground a new student while s/he gets settled in a new place and will enable you both to handle unexpected challenges or needs more smoothly. It will also help set boundaries for those (students and parents!) who want to be in touch all the time. Students need roots; they also need wings.

20. If they are staying home. Have a meeting to discuss the new rules. As a college student, their lifestyle will change. If this is their first year of college, work hard with them to help them sort out how online classes are going to work on their campus, how to organize their time, where they can reach out for help. Create some routines and strategies to help everyone cope with the continued stress of isolation. An exercise and prayer routine as well as regular episodes out in the sun are very helpful. While s/he isn't moving out, they are entering a new chapter of life. Together decide what will change and what won't. Having responsibilities around the house is certainly reasonable; s/he will have responsibilities on campus, once it's open. While some things will change, some things will remain the same. Normally, for example, college students have to determine their own sleep time. However, while living at home, consideration needs to be given for all the members of the family. Work with your student to establish boundaries. S/he needs to learn to use time well. They can't be treated like they were as seniors in high school.

21. One more thing. Files. Teach your child what to keep and how to sort their important papers, both those that come in an envelope and those that are online. Medical information and bills, bank statements, tax information, employer information. Track passwords and websites for key accounts, too.