The rapid expansion of online learning platforms has intensified concerns about the protection of student data, particularly in higher education contexts where personal and academic information is routinely collected, processed, and shared. This study examined the awareness and compliance of students with data privacy policies as communicated through institutional documents, platform guidelines, and consent mechanisms. Guided by a document-based research design, the study analyzed institutional policies, legal frameworks, and scholarly literature to identify prevailing practices, gaps, and strategies related to student data privacy in digital learning environments.

Findings reveal that while privacy statements, consent forms, and platform policies are consistently present, they are often written in legalistic or technical language that limits accessibility and reduces consent to a superficial formality. Compliance with major frameworks such as the Philippine Data Privacy Act of 2012, GDPR, and FERPA is acknowledged but unevenly operationalized, with many institutions meeting only minimum legal requirements. Governance mechanisms – including training, monitoring, and enforcement – exist but are inconsistently applied, further complicated by the reliance on third-party vendors. Ethical and human factors, particularly students’ digital literacy and behavioral practices, critically shape compliance outcomes but are insufficiently addressed in institutional documents.

The study concludes that current approaches to student data privacy remain largely compliance-driven rather than student-centered. It recommends simplifying privacy communication, integrating structured privacy education, sustaining awareness campaigns, and adopting privacy-enhancing technologies. These strategies can foster a holistic privacy culture that balances regulatory compliance with ethical responsibility, institutional transparency, and student empowerment in digital learning.

Keywords: Data Privacy, Compliance, Online Learning, Higher Education, Digital Literacy, Institutional Governance.

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