Frequently Asked Questions

FAQ: PennWest California's Parent/Guest Portal

Why use the Parent/Guest Portal?

The Parent/Guest Portal is the exclusive way for PennWest California students to create an account and authorize trusted adult(s) to view their FERPA-protected records. Those records may include the student's billing and financial aid information, grades, course schedules and transfer credits. Under the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act, the student controls who sees those records, and which records an authorized person can view.

Can a parent/guest update student information through the portal?

No, a parent/guest may only VIEW the information a student has authorized you to see.

What is a 'passphrase'?

A student must assign a word or phrase to a parent/guest account; if the parent/guest calls a PennWest California office to inquire about student records that are protected by the FERPA privacy law, the passphrase will be used to verify the parent's/guest's identity. A student is responsible for communicating the passphrase to the parent/guest authorized to access his/her records.

I'm a parent, but I can't log in to the Parent/Guest Portal. What can I do?

First, confirm with your student that he/she created an account for you. Have him/her check that the start date and stop date are set properly. These dates determine when a parent/guest account is active. Also, confirm that you are using the correct username (email address) to log in.

What happens if a parent/guest forgets the PIN/password?

A student can reset the PIN for a parent or guest by clicking the 'Reset Pin' button on the 'Profile' tab for that parent/guest. The parent/guest can reset the PIN by clicking the 'Forgot PIN' button on the login page. To change your password, log in to the portal and click the 'Change your PIN' link.

Can a student revoke authorizations that were given?

Yes. To disable the page, click on the 'Authorization' tab for the parent/guest, and uncheck the box beside the page you wish to disable. Students can also delete a relationship by clicking on the 'Delete Proxy Relationship' button on the 'Profile' tab.

What if the wrong email address was used when creating the parent/guest account?

Set the stop date on the 'Profile' tab to yesterday's date to disable the account immediately.

The parent/guest can change his/her email address or other information by updating the 'Profile' tab. (If you change your email address, the system will send two messages - one to the old email address with a link to decline the change, and another to the new email address with a link to accept the change.)

I see a warning message: 'The proxy PIN is disabled.' What does it mean?

This message appears after a student establishes a relationship with a parent/guest on the 'Profile' tab. It will disappear once the parent/guest (proxy) logs in and sets a PIN/password for the first time.