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Chosen Name Policy

Purchase College recognizes that, as a community, many of its members use names other than their legal names to identify themselves.

As long as the use of this different name is not for the purpose of misrepresentation, the college acknowledges that a person’s chosen name can and should be used when possible in the course of college business and education. At the college’s discretion and as may be required by law, certain official correspondence will use your legal name.

The Chosen First Name will appear on the Class List, Brightspace, Mid Term Progress notifications, Snapshot and, upon request, the official purchase.edu email account name. Students who have registered a chosen name with the college through the process below and want a new More Card may obtain a new card for free starting after June 1, 2020, at the Parking & Card office. While the chosen name will be on the front of the card, legal name will be shown on the back. The first More Card for a chosen name change will be issued at no charge. Any card issued after this complementary card will be charged the normal replacement fee of $25.

The college is obligated to use the legal name for many official records and reports, including, but not limited to, payroll records, billing records, financial aid documents, official transcripts, medical records, enrollment reporting, and federal immigration documents. A student may request that a chosen name be entered or changed no more than once an academic year and twice during a student’s tenure at Purchase.

Additional Information

Adjusting the college’s various information systems to include the use of the chosen name is a multiyear effort, due to the complexity and interrelated nature of systems and record sources. We appreciate your patience as we expand our ability to use chosen names in records and work toward providing a solution for this important need.

As we work toward developing a comprehensive process, you should not hesitate to request the addition of a chosen first name. You are also welcome to request a confidential consultation with a member of the registrar’s staff. To read more about the resources available to transgender and gender nonconforming students, please visit Transgender Community Resources.

I would like to request a Chosen First Name now

To submit documentation for a legal name change, complete a Name Change form with the Office of the Registrar.