An official of the Department of Health, Education and Welfare (HEW) said yesterday that Harvard's new rules on access to educational records protect students' rights more than HEW's proposed rules require.

William Riley, special assistant to the deputy assistant secretary for management planning and technology at HEW, said that although Harvard's rules require more paperwork than the files law does, HEW would probably not rule against the University's regulations because its rules provide extra protection for students.

Dean Whitlock outlined the new procedures in a letter to students Wednesday.

Students must sign a consent form for all letters of recommendation sent from a House or faculty member which contain anything about their educational record or performance, he said in the letter.

Consent Not Required

Riley said current HEW regulations do not require a student's written consent to send a letter of recommendation unless it contains material obtained directly from the student's file.

Douglass S. Gardner '57, associate registrar and access officer, said yesterday that over 260 students have examined their files since the law went into effect on November 19, 1974.