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, for example HELP loan or Austudy.
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If you've changed your legal name, or if your legal name is recorded incorrectly in Sydney Student, ask us to update it.
Your legal name includes your first or given name, middle name, family name, surname or last name. For citizens of a country other than Australia, we can only record your name as it appears on the first page of your passport, in the order that it appears.
You'll need to attach one supporting document to your request. Note that only the following are accepted – student cards, digital driver's licences, local library cards or Medicare cards are not accepted.
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.
You also 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, for graduates, a replacement testamur.
If your date of birth is recorded incorrectly in Sydney Student, ask us to update it.
Provide one of the following:
Student cards, digital driver's licences, local library cards, or Medicare cards are not accepted.
Your preferred names are what you'd like us to call you. They can be your chosen names if you have any, or your legal names.
You can update your preferred names at any time, including your:
To update, log in to Sydney Student > My details > Personal details and enter your preferred names in English – our system does not support non-English characters.
You don't need to provide supporting documents.
The preferred first 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.
Preferred names 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.
You can also update your preferred names in other places:
Your pronouns are how you'd like us to refer to you, when we don't use your name.
You can update your pronouns at any time by logging in to Sydney Student > My details > Personal details. You can select:
You don't need to provide supporting documents.
You can also add your pronouns in Canvas by logging in to Canvas > Global Navigation > Account > Settings > Edit Settings.
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.
Find out more about pronouns on the Pride Training and TransHub websites.
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.
You can update your gender at any time by logging in to Sydney Student > My details > Personal details. You can select the option that best decribes your current gender identity from a list that includes:
You don't need to provide supporting documents.
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. 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 and the University's commitment to creating a welcoming, safe and inclusive environment for all students.
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 is what you generally use outside the University, for example when completing government forms. Your preferred title is what you’d like us to use when we refer to you during your studies.
For many students, your title and preferred title will be the same. However, you have the option for them to be different. For example, you could select one related to your qualification or career (such as ‘Dr’ or ‘Chaplain’) and select the other to be gendered (such as ‘Mr’ or ‘Mrs’) or non-gendered (such as ‘Mx’).
You can update your title and preferred title at any time by logging in to Sydney Student > My details > Personal details and selecting from a list of commonly used terms.
If you can't find your title or preferred title in the list, ask us to update your details by selecting 'Ask to update'. You'll need to provide supporting documents to complete your request.
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.
To update, log in to Sydney Student > My details > Personal details > Update under 'Emergency Contacts'.
At any time, you can update your address or addresses in Sydney Student > My details > Address and residency. You don't need to provide supporting documents.
It’s important that you provide us with your addresses within 14 days of your course start date, and to update the information if it changes. We’re required to report residential and permanent address information to the Australian Government Under the Higher Education Support Act 2003.
Check the information you need to provide based on your residency and citizenship:
Domestic students include Australian Citizens, New Zealand Citizens, Permanent Residents, Permanent Humanitarian Visas holders and Pacific Engagement Visa holders.
| Address type | The information you need to provide |
|---|---|
Residential |
Your residential address is where you will be living during your studies. If you move, you need to update it. Permanent residents and visa holders |
Permanent |
Your permanent address is where you are living when you are not studying. |
Optional |
Your residential and permanent address can't be a post office (PO) box. If you would like to include a PO box as your correspondence address, you can add it as your optional address. |
You can check your Student Visa status and Conditions via Check visa conditions online (VEVO).
| Address type | The information you need to provide |
|---|---|
Residential |
Your residential address is the address where you will be living during your studies and must be an address in NSW, Australia. As a visa requirement, you must update this address within seven days of arriving in Australia or of your address in Australia changing. |
Permanent |
Your permanent address is where you are living, outside Australia, when you are not studying. |
Optional |
Your residential and permanent address can't be a post office (PO) box. If you would like to include a PO box as your correspondence address, you can add it as your optional address. |
You can check your Student Visa status and Conditions via Check visa conditions online (VEVO).
| Address type | The information you need to provide |
|---|---|
| Residential | Your residential address is the address where you will be living during your studies and must be an Australian address. If you move, you need to update it. |
Permanent |
Your permanent address is where you are living, outside Australia, when you are not studying. |
Optional |
Your residential and permanent address can't be a post office (PO) box. If you would like to include a PO box as your correspondence address, you can add it as your optional address. |
You’re considered an offshore student if you study part or your entire coursework from outside Australia.
| Address type | The information you need to provide |
|---|---|
| Residential | Your residential address is the address where you will be living during your studies and must not be an Australian address. If you move, you need to update it. |
Permanent |
Your permanent address is where you are living, outside Australia, when you are not studying. |
Optional |
Your residential and permanent address can't be a post office (PO) box. If you would like to include a PO box as your correspondence address, you can add it as your optional address. |
Refer to our dedicated page for information on how to update your residency or citizenship status.
We’ll send all official notices to your University student email address. It's your responsibility to check this address regularly.
You can choose to forward your emails to another address but if any important communications are lost, this then becomes your responsibility.
You can also add a personal email address in Sydney Student > My details > Address and residency. You don't need to provide supporting documents.
During your studies, there are some situations where we may contact you at your personal email address. For example:
Provide or update your current mobile number in Sydney Student > My details > Address and residency. You don't need to provide supporting documents.
We may use this to contact you with important information about your studies and graduation.
You can also provide a second number, such as a landline number or additional mobile.
Your information is managed according to relevant privacy legislation.
Contact us
If you're a current student, this is how you can get in touch with us
