Personal Information Updates

Active students may update their personal information at any time. Some updates may be completed via Axess self-service while others may require staff assistance. Review the information below to determine how to update your personal information. Graduated or discontinued students are unable to update their personal information with the university.

Make these updates yourself

You are able to update the following information yourself via Axess. To update any of the below information, log into Axess and navigate to your My Information drop-down menu.

• Address
• Email Address
• Emergency Contact
• Ethnicity
• Preferred Name (See additional details below.)
• Privacy Settings
• Pronouns 
• Social Security Number (SSN) or Individual Taxpayer Identification Number (ITIN). Please note: if you have already submitted this information and need to request a correction, please make an appointment with the Student Services Center.

Updating your Preferred Name 

The “preferred name” appears in documents such as the unofficial transcript and is used as the display name in various campus systems including Axess, class/grade rosters, email, StanfordWho (the Stanford directory), Stanford Profiles, and help tickets. 

You may update your preferred name in Axess to be different from your legal name of record. As examples, a student whose legal name is “Mary Jane Poe” might use the preferred name “MJ Poe," and a student whose legal name is “Frederick Andrew Wright” might use the preferred name “Andy Wright.”

You may request your ID card printed in your preferred name. There is a charge for reprinted ID cards. For more information, and to request a new ID card, contact the ID Card Office. 

If you have updated your preferred name in Axess, you may also wish to update your preferred name in the following systems:

• Gradescope
• Stanford Gmail
• Zoom

Request these updates 

Students must request staff assistance to update these personal information fields:

• Primary name/legal name of record (This appears for instance on your official transcript or enrollment certification.)
• Date of birth
• Marital status
• Sex

To update one or more of the following fields, you must complete this Personal Information Update request form. 

Required documentation

When submitting your request form, be sure to include the required documentation. The documentation required for each request can be found below:

Primary Name / Legal Name of Record (Two documents required)

• Choose one: birth certificate, passport (current), driver’s license (current), marriage license, court order, divorce decree
• 2nd photo ID (e.g. student ID card)

Date of Birth (Two documents required)

• Choose one: birth certificate, passport (current), driver’s license (current)
• 2nd photo ID (e.g. student ID card)

Marital Status (Two documents required)

• Marriage license or divorce decree
• Photo ID (e.g. student ID card)

Sex (One document required)

• Photo ID (e.g. student ID card)

Please note:  If a student becomes a student employee at the university, information about the student’s “Sex” (Male or Female) is required to comply with the benefits tracking system, even if they are not currently receiving benefits (as they may in the future).  So, even though students (both undergraduate and graduate) may not have been asked to provide this information on their admissions application, should they become a student employee, they will be asked to provide it for employment.  For additional information, you may contact the University Human Resources Service Team.

Updates for international students

For international students, approval from Bechtel International Center is required to update some of the fields above. Please discuss your personal information update with a Bechtel Advisor and obtain written approval prior to submission of your request. Submissions that do not include approval from Bechtel may not be processed.

Updates for students receiving financial aid 

For students receiving financial aid, you are strongly encouraged to discuss your personal information change with a Financial Aid Counselor and understand any potential impacts before submitting your request.