Are there any conditions under which student education records may be disclosed without the student's consent?
Yes, FERPA does contain some exceptions to the written consent rule. Those exceptions allow disclosure without consent:
To School Officials (including third parties under contract) with legitimate educational interests
To comply with a judicial order or lawfully issued subpoena
To appropriate parties in a health or safety emergency in order to protect the student or others
To parents in cases of drug or alcohol violation when the student is under the age of 21
To the provider or creator of a record to verify the validity of that record (e.g. in cases of suspected fraud)
To organizations conducting research studies on behalf of the University, provided there is a written agreement between the University and the research organization
To officials at an institution in which the student seeks or intends to enroll or is currently enrolled