Students may need to change their legal name for a variety of reasons such as marriage, divorce, court order, etc. It is important to update your name for your University record and with the Department of Education if you are receiving federal financial aid.

Change of Name with Princeton

To change your legal name with Princeton, please contact the Registrar’s Office at registrar@princeton.edu. Graduate students should contact the Graduate School at gs@princeton.edu.

Change of Name with Department of Education

If you are receiving federal financial assistance, it is important you follow the steps below to update your legal name with the Department of Education. Federal financial assistance includes the Pell Grant, Supplemental Education Opportunity Grant (SEOG), Federal Work Study, Direct Loans, PLUS Loans, or Federal Family Education Loans (FFELP).

  1. Ensure you have updated your name with the Social Security Administration.
  2. Change your name with the Department of Education at studentaid.gov.
    • Log into studentaid.gov to update your personal information.
      • From the Dashboard homepage, select the drop-down icon next to your name, and select Settings. Select the Personal Information tab and update as appropriate.
    • Once the changes are submitted, your status will be changed to “pending.”
    • After 1–3 days, the Social Security Administration will confirm your name matches their records. Studentaid.gov will then reflect your new name.
  3. Change your name with your loan servicer(s). If you have currently or previously borrowed federal student loans, you will also need to contact your loan servicer(s) directly to request a change of name. If you are unsure who services your loans, log into studentaid.gov to find a listing of your servicer name(s) and website(s).

For more information on name changes with the Department of Education, visit studentaid.gov.