Updating Personal Information
Name Changes
Your name of record is the name listed in the Columbia University Student Information System. If you are no longer a current student at the University and would like to change your name of record, you must mail a notarized Name Change Affidavit along with photocopies of the required forms of ID to the Office of the Registrar to the address below.
- Government-issued photo ID
- Another form of ID
- Proof of use of the old name (credit card, University ID Card, marriage certificate, bank statement, etc.)
Registration & Student Financial Services
Columbia University Irving Medical Center
650 W. 168th Street
Unit 45, Black Building Room 141
New York, NY 10032
Social Security Numbers
Social Security Number updates must be made in person at the Office of Registration & Student Financial Services located at 141 Black Building. You must bring your original Social Security card along with a government-issued photo ID.
Address Change
You can update your address on Student Services Online.
Directory Release
Students and former students may choose to request that the Office of the Registrar not release directory information about them without their prior written consent. Directory information includes name, local and permanent address, email, phone number, date and place of birth, major field of study; participation in officially recognized activities and sports; weight and height of members in athletic teams; dates of attendance at Columbia and school, department, or institute attended; degrees conferred, awards received, and their dates; and other educational institutions attended.
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.
Questions about the University's interpretation of the FERPA guidelines should be referred to the University's General Counsel in 412 Low Library.