The Registrar of the University of Tasmania has expressed concern about the potential impact of the FOI Act on access to student records by members of the public. This issue is investigated through interviews with the registrar, and analysis of possible safeguards against abuse. The effectiveness of legislation such as the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act 1974 (US) as a solution to this difficulty is analysed, with particular reference to the experience of the University of New Mexico.The paper argues that concerns of unscrupulous third party access can be played down by a combination of a sensible policy on student privacy operating in harmony with the object of the FOI Act and the specific privacy provisions it contains. It submits that a specific legislative provision dealing with the educational situation is unnecessary, because the words of the Tasmanian FOI Act are flexible enough to adapt to this context. The measures adopted by the University of Tasmania are based on a common sense interpretation of the Act, and would almost certainly protect sensitive student records from disclosure.