Updating personal details

Students can self-declare Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander status either at the time of application, or when first enrolled in a new degree.  Verifications for these statuses are not required.

If you would like to change your Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander status after enrolment, simply:

1. Log into SOLS 
2. Select 'Personal Details & Consent' – Student Statistical Information
3. Continue to page two (2) and change the status option; and
4. Click 'Submit'.

Non-academic/professional titles are considered self-declared and do not require evidence, for example Mr, Ms, Mrs, Miss. You may choose whichever non-academic/professional title you prefer and chosen titles are not restricted by gender. 

If you would like to update your enrolment record with an academic title, simply provide a certified copy of one of the following to the AskUOW team in Student Central (Wollongong campus), or to your local campus:

• Valid passport
• Birth certificate
• Australian driver’s licence; or
• An official Testamur or Transcript verifying your academic title.

You can update your student contact information (address and phone number) at any time.  To do this, simply:

• Log into your SOLS
• Select ‘Address and Contact Details’ (from the left hand menu); and
• Following the prompts to update your details.

There are several gender options at UOW, they are:

• Female (F)
• Male (M); or 
• Indeterminate/Intersex/Unspecified (X)

If you would like to update your gender identifier, you can contact the AskUOW team to request it to be updated. No documentation is required.

Legal Name

Your legal name on your student record is your first, middle (if applicable) and surname. Legal names are recorded in full, initials and abbreviations of names are not recorded. Your legal name appears on all official UOW documentation such as transcripts and testamurs.

To update your legal name with UOW, please provide a certified copy of one of the following to the AskUOW team in Student Central (Wollongong campus), or to your local campus:

• Valid passport
• Birth certificate; or 
• Change of name certificate.

If you are changing your legal name, it must match the name(s) on your evidence.

It is important that your legal name recorded with UOW is an exact match with your name recorded in your Unique Student Identifier (USI) account.  Please refer to our USI web page for more information, or refer to the Australian Government USI website for more information on how to create, or update your USI information.  

If you legally change your name, the information must be updated on your UOW enrolment record, and in your USI account with the Australian Government.

Preferred Name

We recognise that students may wish to use a name other than their legal name. Your preferred name:

• Can reflect and express your gender, culture and social identity
• Can be changed in SOLS at any time

A preferred name is the name that you would like to be referred to during your interactions whilst studying at UOW. The preferred name will appear instead of the legal first and legal middle names in some systems such as class rolls and your email account. Please note, you cannot change the family name of your preferred name.

To change your preferred name in SOLS:

• Log into SOLS
• Select 'Student Forms'
• Select 'Add Preferred First Name'

Find more information on where your preferred name will be reflected and how to update your display name across other platforms such as Moodle or Zoom in this AskUOW article.

Important: Your legal name will display on all official UOW documentation such as transcripts and testamurs, and your legal name may be the only name visible in certain systems and processes. Please note that due to government requirements, your student ID card will show your legal name and not your preferred name.

It is a mandatory requirement by the Australian Government, that if an Australian student or eligible New Zealand Special Category Visa holder, wishes to access a HELP Loan (HECS or Fee HELP) they must ensure their details with UOW and the Australian Taxation Office (ATO) are correct.  If your personal details (name and date of birth) recorded at UOW do not match the personal details recorded against your Tax File Number at the ATO, you will not be able to access a HELP Loan.

If you have changed your personal details at any time, please:

• Provide a certified copy of your official documentation to the AskUOW team, located in Student Central (Wollongong campus), or to your local campus, to have your information updated; and
• Contact the ATO Helpline (13 28 61) to update your personal details with the ATO. 

Alternatively, you can create (or access) a myGov account, which will link your personal details direct with the ATO.  Information on creating a myGov can be found their website.

If you have changed from an international student visa to another visa, or you have obtained Australian Citizenship, please provide a certified copy of your official documentation to the AskUOW team in Student Central, or to your local campus. 

It is important to note that visa and Citizenship changes can change your tuition fee payment options.  If you wish to have your updated information applied to your tuition fees, you will need to provide evidence of your new visa or Citizenship, before the session census date (when your fees are due). When this evidence has been provided, changes will apply to all study periods (if the census date has not passed). 

For more information on fees, please refer to the Fees and Assistance webpages.