Related links
Update your personal and contact information
- Your address and contact details
- Your personal details
Your personal details
Find out how to update your personal details in Sydney Student and how your information is used.
Government records
It's important that your personal details and addresses listed in Sydney Student match government records, such as the Unique Student Identifier (USI) Registry and myGov. You may need to update your information.
If your details don't match, you could encounter problems with government payments (eg. HELP loan or Austudy).
Legal name
You'll need to ask us to update your details if:
- you've changed your legal name
- your legal name is recorded incorrectly in Sydney Student.
Log in to Sydney Student, go to ‘My details’, ‘Personal details’, then select ‘ask to update’. Attach the necessary supporting documents to your request.
Your legal name includes your first or given name, middle name, family name, surname or last name.
Please note, for non-Australian citizens, we can only record your name as it appears on the first page of your passport, in the name order that it appears.
Supporting documents
You'll need to attach one supporting document to your request.
If you are an Australian citizen:
- Valid Australian driver's licence photo card
- Valid Australian proof of age card that contains your photograph
- Current passport.
If you are not an Australian citizen:
- Current passport.
Student cards, digital driver's licences, local library cards, or Medicare cards are not accepted.
Student card
Once your name change is approved you’ll need to apply for a replacement student card.
You won’t need to pay if you’re requesting a replacement card due to a name change.
Academic records
You have the option to order an academic record or document displaying your updated legal name once approved. For example a certificate of current enrolment, transcript, or a replacement testamur in the case of graduates.
If you don't see your legal name changes
We're aware of a problem affecting some students where legal name changes made in Sydney Student are not appearing in all our systems. We acknowledge this is frustrating and we appreciate your patience while we're working on a solution.
After we've updated your legal name in Sydney Student, it can take up to two weeks for the change to display in other systems. If your updated name isn't displaying after this time, contact ICT in the Shared Services Centre so that we can investigate for you. Please provide us with a list of each system that hasn't been updated, so that we can fully explore the issue.
Date of birth
You'll need to ask us to update your date of birth if it's recorded incorrectly in Sydney Student.
Log in to Sydney Student, go to ‘My details’, ‘Personal details’, then select ‘ask to update’. Attach the necessary supporting documents to your request.
Supporting documents
Provide one of the following:
- Valid Australian driver's licence photo card or proof of age card that contains your photograph
- Current passport
- Birth certificate.
Student cards, digital driver's licences, local library cards, or Medicare cards are not accepted.
Preferred (or chosen) name
You can update your preferred name at any time in Sydney Student (go to ‘My details’, ‘Personal details’). You don't need to provide supporting documents.
Your preferred name in Sydney Student is what you'd like us to call you. It can be your chosen name, if you have one, or your legal name if you wish. Generally, you don't need to include your family name/surname/last name or full name unless you'd like us to use that name when we communicate with you.
The name you record will display in your Sydney Student portal and in-tray, on certain emails we send you, in Canvas and on class lists. It won't appear on your official academic documents such as your academic transcript, letter of completion or testamur, as we are required to use your legal name on these documents.
We're working towards sharing this information from Sydney Student across our other systems.
Pronouns
You can update your pronouns at any time in Sydney Student (go to ‘My details’, ‘Personal details’).
Your pronouns are how you'd like us to refer to you, when we don't use your name. In Sydney Student you can tell us your pronouns by selecting a gendered option (e.g. 'he/him', 'she/her') or a gender-neutral option (e.g. 'ey/em', 'zie/zim'). You can also choose 'none'.
We're working towards sharing your pronouns from Sydney Student across our systems so that we'll be able to use your pronouns in our internal communications, such as when you submit an online enquiry. At the moment, you can also add your pronouns in Canvas. Log in to Canvas; in ‘Global Navigation’ go to ‘Account’, select ‘Settings’, then ‘Edit Settings’.
Find out more about pronouns on the Pride Training website and the TransHub website.
Gender
You can update your gender at any time in Sydney Student (go to ‘My details’, ‘Personal details’). You don't need to provide supporting documents.
Gender refers to your current gender. This may be different to your sex recorded at birth and what's indicated on legal documents, such as your passport. The University is required to collect and report information about gender to the government, but is not required to report on students' sex recorded at birth.
In Sydney Student you can select the option that best decribes your current gender identity from a list that includes binary options (e.g. man, woman) or gender-diverse options (e.g. genderqueer, nonbinary). You can also choose 'prefer not to say'.
Authorised academic and administrative staff can see your gender selection when accessing your records as part of their duties.
Find out more about:
- gender on the Gender Centre Inc website
- gender affirmation at Sydney
- the University's commitment to creating a welcoming, safe and inclusive environment for all students.
Gender recorded on HELP loan applications
Due to Australian Government requirements, gender is recorded on HELP loan applications (also called eCAF) as F - Female, M - Male or X - Indeterminate/Intersex/Unspecified.
This will not affect the gender you have nominated in your personal details in Sydney Student.
Title
You can update your title by selecting from a list of commonly used terms in Sydney Student (go to ‘My details’, ‘Personal details’). If your title is not in the list, you can ask us to update your details by selecting 'Ask to update'. You'll need to provide supporting documents to complete your request.
Emergency contacts
You are asked to provide emergency contact information when you enrol, which is the first person medical personnel will get in touch with if you are in an emergency. The person you list will only be contacted if you are personally involved in a health or safety emergency. You should review your emergency contact details and update this information if details change.
Log in to Sydney Student, go to ‘My details’, ‘Personal Details’, then select 'Update' under 'Emergency Contacts'.
Privacy
Your information is managed according to relevant privacy legislation. Read more about your privacy at the University.
Last updated: 23 February 2024
