Personal Information

Updating Personal Information

You can update your address on Vergil and your social security number on Student Services Online. Legal name changes must be made in person at the Student Service Center. You can also choose to withhold (or release) your directory information by filling out this form and returning it to the Student Service Center in 210 Kent Hall.

Federal Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA)

Columbia University strictly follows the privacy regulations outlined in the Federal Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) of 1974 which regulates a wide range of privacy related activities including:

  • Management of student records maintained by the University
  • Regulations regarding who has access to student records
  • For which purposes access to student records is granted

The act also:

  • Permits the University to release limited directory information without a student's consent
  • Guarantees students access to their records, and allows them to restrict such access to others

Students may request full non-disclosure of their educational records, an action that will prevent the Student Service Center and the Registrar’s Office from releasing information about their enrollment at Columbia to any external units or individuals. Likewise, students already on full non-disclosure status can request that this restriction be removed so that directory information can be provided freely to external requesters. In order to request non-disclosure status or have it disabled, students should write directly to the Registrar’s Office, making sure to indicate their full name, school of enrollment, and the action they would like taken regarding setting of the non-disclosure flag. This letter should be submitted and received by the Registrar’s Office no later than the end of the change of program period.

For additional information regarding access to student records, please consult Essential Policies: Access to Student Records.

Questions about the University's interpretation of the FERPA guidelines should be referred to the University's General Counsel in 412 Low Library.

For more information on FERPA, visit the Department of Education website.