diff --git a/app/controllers/api/v1/participants_controller.rb b/app/controllers/api/v1/participants_controller.rb
index 75f982f44..12b6bdf9b 100644
--- a/app/controllers/api/v1/participants_controller.rb
+++ b/app/controllers/api/v1/participants_controller.rb
@@ -174,7 +174,7 @@ def find_participant
   # Validates that the authorization parameter is present and is one of the following valid authorizations: reader, reviewer, submitter, mentor
   # Returns the authorization if valid
   def validate_authorization
-    valid_authorizations = %w[reader reviewer submitter mentor]
+    valid_authorizations = %w[participant reader reviewer submitter mentor]
     authorization = params[:authorization]
     authorization = authorization.downcase if authorization.present?
 
@@ -184,7 +184,7 @@ def validate_authorization
     end
 
     unless valid_authorizations.include?(authorization)
-      render json: { error: 'authorization not valid. Valid authorizations are: Reader, Reviewer, Submitter, Mentor' },
+      render json: { error: 'authorization not valid. Valid authorizations are: Participant, Reader, Reviewer, Submitter, Mentor' },
              status: :unprocessable_entity
       return
     end
diff --git a/app/helpers/participants_helper.rb b/app/helpers/participants_helper.rb
index 6a3e7011a..eb2292eba 100644
--- a/app/helpers/participants_helper.rb
+++ b/app/helpers/participants_helper.rb
@@ -17,6 +17,7 @@ def retrieve_participant_permissions(authorization)
     }
 
     permissions_map = {
+      'participant' => {},
       'reader' => { can_submit: false },
       'reviewer' => { can_submit: false, can_take_quiz: false },
       'submitter' => { can_review: false, can_take_quiz: false },
diff --git a/db/seeds.rb b/db/seeds.rb
index b6de376f2..19a82eeea 100644
--- a/db/seeds.rb
+++ b/db/seeds.rb
@@ -112,6 +112,11 @@
         user_id: student_user_ids[i],
         assignment_id: assignment_ids[i%num_assignments],
         team_id: team_ids[i%num_teams],
+        authorization: :participant,
+        can_review: true,
+        can_submit: true,
+        can_take_quiz: true,
+        can_mentor: false,
       ).id
     end
 
diff --git a/spec/requests/api/v1/participants_controller_spec.rb b/spec/requests/api/v1/participants_controller_spec.rb
index d974640a3..d1f1b90ad 100644
--- a/spec/requests/api/v1/participants_controller_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/requests/api/v1/participants_controller_spec.rb
@@ -264,7 +264,7 @@
       consumes 'application/json'
       produces 'application/json'
 
-      parameter name: :authorization, in: :path, type: :string, description: 'Authorization level (Reader, Reviewer, Submitter, Mentor)'
+      parameter name: :authorization, in: :path, type: :string, description: 'Authorization level (Participant, Reader, Reviewer, Submitter, Mentor)'
       parameter name: 'Authorization', in: :header, type: :string, required: true, description: 'Bearer token'
       parameter name: :participant, in: :body, schema: {
         type: :object,
@@ -325,7 +325,7 @@ def fetch_username(user_id)
         let(:participant) { { user_id: studentb.id, assignment_id: assignment1.id } }
 
         run_test! do |response|
-          expect(JSON.parse(response.body)['error']).to eql('authorization not valid. Valid authorizations are: Reader, Reviewer, Submitter, Mentor')
+          expect(JSON.parse(response.body)['error']).to eql('authorization not valid. Valid authorizations are: Participant, Reader, Reviewer, Submitter, Mentor')
         end
       end