Student Names
Your name is how you will be referred to and identified during your time at Columbia University.
A legal name is the name that appears on your passport, driver’s license, birth certificate, or U.S. Social Security Card. Your name of record is the name listed in the Columbia University Student Information System.
Columbia University recognizes that some students prefer to identify themselves by a first name, middle name, chosen name, or nickname other than their legal name. The University will enable students to use a “preferred/chosen name” where possible in the course of University business and education.
This page addresses policy concerning legal names and preferred/chosen names, frequently asked questions students may have about their names, and instructions for how to make changes if a legal or preferred/chosen name changes.
Updating Student Names
Update In Person
If your legal name has changed, you may request an update to your student record information in person at the Student Service Center at Kent Hall or at CUIMC Registration and Enrollment Services.
Copies of the following documents are required:
- government-issued photo ID such as a passport, state ID, or driver's license;
- a second form of ID showing the new name; and
- proof of use of the retired name (credit card, university ID Card, marriage certificate, bank statement, etc.)
Please note: If you use a preferred name in Vergil and submit a subsequent legal name change, you must delete your preferred name in Vergil in order for the new legal name to appear.
Update by Mail
If you are no longer a current student at the University and would like to change your name on record, you must mail a notarized Name Change Affidavit along with photocopies of the above required forms of ID to the Office of the University Registrar.
Mail the completed form and the required documents to the appropriate address below:
Morningside/Manhattanville
Office of the University Registrar: Student Service Center
Columbia University
210 Kent Hall, MC 9202
1140 Amsterdam Avenue
New York, NY 10027
CUIMC
Office of the University Registrar: CUIMC Registration & Enrollment Services
Columbia University
154 Haven Avenue, Room 402
New York, NY 10032
Under Columbia’s Preferred/Chosen Name Policy, any student may choose to identify a preferred/chosen first and/or middle name in addition to a legal name. Students may request this service via a link on Vergil. The student’s preferred/chosen name may be used in many University contexts, including Vergil, class rosters, CourseWorks, Canvas, and on ID Cards.
However, for some other records, the University is legally required to use a student’s legal name. Whenever reasonably possible, a student’s preferred/chosen name will be used.
If you are a Vagelos, Dental, or Nursing student interacting with patients, or another student who may be in an internship or placement in a patient care area governed by New York State health law, then New York State health law, licensing regulations, and related policies may restrict the use of preferred/chosen names in place of a legal names.
Before entering a preferred/chosen name in Vergil, you must speak with your Dean of Students regarding these potential regulatory limitations.
Barnard and Teachers College students should contact their own Office of the Registrar about inquiries into name changes.
FAQ for Columbia’s Preferred/Chosen Name Policy
No. Use of a preferred/chosen name is optional.
- University ID Card
- Class Rosters
- Vergil
- CourseWorks/Canvas
- CourseWorks discussion groups
- Public Directory, unless a FERPA information block has been requested
Your legal name will be used in business and other processes that require use of a legal name. These include:
- International Students and Scholars Office (ISSO) Documentation
- Student Financial Services Documentation
- Financial Aid
- PowerFAIDS
- Federal Requests for Information
- National Student Clearinghouse
- Transcripts
- Academic Certifications
- Diplomas
- Athletics Rosters
- Department of Public Safety
Preferred/chosen names may not be used for purposes of fraud or misrepresentation. The University reserves the right to remove a preferred/chosen name if it contains inappropriate or offensive language.
Yes, your preferred/chosen name will appear in the University Directory unless you request a FERPA block.
No. An approved preferred/chosen name does not change your legal name.
Students may request this service via a link on Vergil. Students may designate a first and/or middle preferred/chosen name. All requests are reviewed by the University Registrar’s Office.
Students may go to Vergil and select the “delete preferred/chosen name” button. It may take seven or more business days for the request to be completed through all University information systems.
University administrators, the Department of Public Safety, and your supervisor (if you are employed in a campus job) will have access to your legal and preferred names.
Yes, incoming students should login to Vergil when they arrive at Columbia to request a preferred/chosen name.
No. Use of a preferred/chosen name identification card is only an option for students – in no way is it a requirement. A student can specify a preferred/chosen name via Vergil that will then cause the name to display on Vergil and course enrollment rosters without generating a preferred/chosen name ID Card. Only when the preferred/chosen name is activated in the student database, an action that your Dean of Students will authorize the Registrar’s Office to transact, will the Name feed to IDM and make possible a new preferred/chosen name ID Card.
In order to receive a University ID Card with your preferred/chosen name, follow these steps:
- Submit your preferred/chosen name request in Vergil for review by the Registrar’s Office.
- It will take approximately 7 business days to process your request. Before you arrive to pick up your new ID Card with your preferred/chosen name, call the ID Center on your campus to confirm that your preferred name is appearing in the ID system (Morningside: +1-212-854-7225; Medical Center: +1-212-305-0238).
For students on the Morningside/Manhattanville campus, the ID Card with the Legal Name should be returned to the ID Center at 204 Kent Hall.
Students on the Medical Center campus should return their ID Card with Legal Name to the CUIMC ID Card Office at the Medical Center ID Center Office, 630 West 168 St. Room. 1-405C. Hours: 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m., Monday – Friday.
Yes, please inform the staff at the ID Card Center that you would like a new photograph to be taken before your new card with preferred/chosen name is issued.
It is advisable to carry a government-issued form of ID such as a driver’s license or passport with you in order to access resources that are not on the Columbia campus.
If you have a preferred/chosen name in Vergil and submit a subsequent legal name change, you must delete your preferred/chosen name in Vergil in order for the new legal name to appear. Please contact the Student Service Center with any questions.