Stanford
Queer Student Resources (QSR)

Name/Gender ID Changes

Student Services Center

Trans students on campus have many options for changing their name and/or gender on university-wide documents and records. (While many of these changes can be made without legal documentation, others (diploma, paychecks, financial aid, medical records) do require documentation.)

To change the name and/or gender displayed on a student diploma, paychecks and financial aid documentation, a student must bring official documentation of a name and/or gender change AND a government-issued photo ID with the new name and/or gender to the Student Services Center on the 2nd floor of Tresidder Student Union. Name/gender changes may take some time to be reflected on official documents.

To change the legal name and/or gender that appears on medical records, you will need to go to the Stanford Hospital (not Vaden Health Center) with documentation of a name and/or gender change AND a government-issued photo ID with the new name and/or gender.

Transcript, Degree Certifications, and Diplomas:

For transcripts and degree certifications students can make these requests through the Document Request Portal. However for a Primary Name Change to populate on these documents a student must request and complete this Personal Information Update request form. 

The Student Service Center staff processes these requests and can assist to update these personal information fields:

  • Primary name/legal name of record
  • Date of birth
  • Marital status
  • Sex

For a Primary Name Change (Two documents required)

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

For a Replacement Diploma students can make their request through the Diploma Request Portal. NO LEGAL DOCUMENTATION IS REQUIRED.

Canvas

To change the preferred name and gender pronouns that displays on Canvas, class rosters and other systems on campus:

  1. log into Axess
  2. Navigate to “Personal Information” in the top-right dropdown menu
  3. Select “Preferred Name” for the “Name Type” option
  4. Enter in the name you would like to appear in the system
  5. OR: Log into Axess and navigate to the “NameCoach” link under the STUDENT tab
  6. Fill out the prompts with the name and/or the pronouns you would like to be referred by.

To change the name displayed on sent emails:

  1. Navigate to Settings -> Accounts -> Send mail as: ->
  2. Edit info and enter the preferred name

Alumni

To change the name and/or gender in the alumni database, email alumni-trans-record-updates@lists.stanford.edu for assistance. Default settings in the alumni directory will show the former students’ name as it appeared in the university registrar at the time of their graduation. Alums can change this in their alumni directory account profile settings. Alumni can also use the online Document Ordering Portal to order replacement transcripts.

For more information, visit: https://alumni.stanford.edu/get/page/help/faq/update-contact-info and to order a replacement diploma with a different name, use the online Diploma Request Portal.