Names, titles and pronouns
Your student record is an official record and should show your full legal name to match other official documents (such as your passport and birth certificate) at all times. You may update your legal name at any time during your studies by providing evidence of a name change – further information on this is given below.
You will also be asked to provide a 'preferred forename'. This is the name by which you wish to be known and may be a shortened version of your legal forename, a middle name or a different name entirely. The University will normally use your preferred forename throughout your studies, except in formal documentation where your legal name will be used. Please see the next section on ‘Where are legal name and preferred name used?’ for further information.
When you apply to the University, you will normally be asked to provide a ‘title’, such as Mr, Ms or Mx, or other academic, aristocratic, military or religious titles, for instance.
Finally, when registering with the University, you may choose to provide your preferred personal pronouns, such as 'he/him', 'she/her', 'they/them' or other free-text options, so that we know how to refer to you in the third person.
You can update any of the above details at any time during your studies. Further details are given below.
Before you arrive
Your initial application should be made in your full legal name. If you only have a single name, rather than forename(s) and a separate surname (as is typical in the UK), you should enter this in both the forename and surname fields of your application. The legal name you provide during your application and subsequent registration with the University should match your other official documents (e.g. passport and birth certificate) and the information held by external bodies. For instance:
- If you require a visa or other immigration permission to reside in the UK, you will need to ensure that the legal name you provide to be used for your Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies (CAS) matches with your passport and any information you provide when you submit your visa application to avoid visa delays.
- If you are making an application for a tuition fee or maintenance loan from the UK Government, you should ensure that the name on your application matches the legal name you provide the University to prevent any delays with receiving your loans.
You may choose to provide a preferred forename when you apply to the University and this will be transferred to your student record when this is created. If you don’t provide a preferred name at the application stage, one will be created on your student record based upon your first forename – you will be able to amend this when you register online in advance of starting your programme, as well as provide your preferred personal pronouns if you wish.
During your studies
The University will normally use your preferred forename when communicating with you, except in formal documentation where your legal name will be used. This formal documentation is likely to include letters to confirm your registration, your Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies if you are a Tier 4/Student visa holder, and your degree certificate and transcript.
How do I update my details?
You can make changes to your preferred forename and pronouns at any time through the Student Self-Service portal and your details will be updated immediately in the University’s main student records database.
If you wish to change your title whilst at Loughborough University, you should email Student Records & Operations (taught students) or the Doctoral College Office (doctoral researchers).
To make changes to your legal name, you will need to make a written request using the form below. You should email the form and supporting evidence (an original document or certified copy) to either Student Records & Operations (taught students) or the Doctoral College Office (doctoral researchers), or take them to the Rutland Building Student Counter on the Loughborough campus or Student Services desk at the London campus.
What supporting evidence do I need to provide to change my legal name?
Whilst it is technically possible to change your name in the UK without legally amending documents, as a public organisation, the University has a responsibility to prevent fraud. You will therefore be asked to provide one of the following forms of evidence:
- Passport or national identity card
- UK visa or Biometric Residence Permit (BRP)
- UK or Irish birth/adoption certificate
- Statutory Declaration (witnessed by a practising solicitor or similar)
- Marriage certificate
- Decree Absolute (or Divorce Decree in Scotland) plus a copy of your birth certificate if reverting to your birth name
- Police report to verify the use of an assumed name because you are considered to be a vulnerable person
- Change of Name Deed (formerly ‘Deed Poll’) ⁕
⁕ The University will accept an 'unenrolled' deed poll providing it is signed and dated. This is a straightforward process and you can create your own ‘unenrolled’ deed poll. Further information on this is available on the UK Government website linked below.
When will my details be changed?
When you request a change to your legal name or title, your details will be updated in the University’s main student records database shortly after receiving the request – once processed, you will be able to see the new changes in the Student Self-Service portal. Changing your preferred forename or pronouns through the Student Self-service portal will update the student records database immediately.
When any of these changes are made in the main student records database, most other University systems will be automatically updated overnight. Not all systems hold all of this data, so only relevant systems will be updated – further details on this are given below.
If you need a replacement student ID card once you have changed your legal name, please contact Creative and Print Services. Student ID cards currently display all initials of your legal forenames, followed by your surname.
What other organisations may I need to inform when I change my legal name?
When you change your legal name, there are a number of other organisations you may need to notify, for example, your bank and medical centre. It is your responsibility to ensure you update your name with any relevant organisations and on any relevant documentation. For instance, there is a legal requirement to ensure your UK driving licence or Biometric Residence Permit (BRP) (if you have either) are kept up to date, but you may also experience issues with certain services if your name is inconsistent between the University’s records and external bodies with which we work.
If you are employed by the University in any capacity, you will need to inform Human Resources of the change to your name. The changes made to your student record will update Loughborough Students’ Union’s (LSU) student data system overnight. However, you will need to let the LSU Human Resources team know if you work for the Union. If you are a member of a society, you may also want to give them your new details.
The University will also expect you to ensure the following agencies are informed of your name change:
- Funding bodies (if applicable):
- Student Finance England/Northern Ireland/Wales or the Student Awards Agency for Scotland – if your names differ, this may cause delays in the receipt of your maintenance loan, tuition fee payment to the University, or Loughborough Scholarship Programme payments which are made via the Student Loans Company.
- Any other financial sponsors such as your employer or home government. If this is not possible for any reason, please contact the Student Records & Operations team (taught students) or the Doctoral College Office (doctoral researchers).
- UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) if you require a visa or other immigration permission to reside in the UK:
- You should inform UKVI of any legal name change. If you hold a Biometric Residence Permit (BRP), there is a time limit to apply for a new BRP – further details are available on the UKVI website linked below.
- If you are a transgender student and your change of name is not recognised by your national authority, it may still be possible to obtain replacement immigration documents from UKVI to reflect the change(s).
After you graduate
All students are given the opportunity to check that their name is correct and make any necessary changes prior to graduation. It is the University’s policy not to allow retrospective name changes after you have completed your programme and graduated from the University; this includes instances where a name has changed following marriage or divorce. This is to protect your degree certifications and ensure that your degrees can be verified post-graduation.
Name changes after graduation may be made if your name changes due to, for example, gender reassignment, or other exceptional circumstances (e.g. you have changed your name because you require protection from a government agency as a vulnerable person). If this applies, please email Student Records & Operations to request that your name and/or gender be amended. If you completed a postgraduate research degree, please also indicate whether you would also like the name on your e-thesis to be updated in the Research Repository. Evidence to support the change (a document from the above list) should also be provided. You will be asked to return your original degree certificate(s) and transcript(s) and new ones will be issued.