Office of the Registrar

Name Change

The Office of the Registrar is responsible for maintaining official student name records for The University of Texas at Tyler. All updates to students' official name records require submission of a completed Request to Change Student Record Information form accompanied by two forms of proper legal documentation that support the requested change. Prior to submitting this documentation, please carefully read the following guidelines.

1. Document Submission

• In-person: Students may submit documents directly to the Enrollment Services Center (STE 230) at the main Tyler campus, or to administrative personnel at the Longview, Palestine, and Houston locations. A valid government or UT Tyler-issued photo ID must be presented at the time the documents are submitted. Copies of each document will be made, and the original(s) immediately returned.
• Mail: Original or court-certified copies may be mailed to the following address along with a copy of a valid government or UT Tyler-issued photo ID, and the student's signature. Students who wish the documents to be returned must also include a self-addressed, stamped envelope.
  

The University of Texas at Tyler
Office of the Registrar, ADM 215
3900 University Blvd.
Tyler, Texas 75799

2. Acceptable Documents

• Social Security card
• Current, valid U.S. passport
• Current, valid U.S. Armed Forces (any branch) identification card
• Marriage license/certificate bearing the filing stamp from the county or parish in which the document was issued
• Divorce decree that explicitly grants a name restoration/change; must be signed by the presiding judge and embossed with the appropriate county filing stamp
• Court order granting a name change; must be signed by the presiding judge and embossed with the appropriate county filing stamp
• Certificate of Naturalization

3. Documents not in English

Students are responsible for providing a certified translation of any documents in languages other than English. Any/all costs associated with obtaining such translations are also the responsibility of the student.

4. Driver Licenses

A driver license is not valid documentation for a name change, but may be submitted as supporting photo identification in cases where neither document submitted for a name change includes a photo, such as the pairing of a Social Security card and a marriage license/certificate.

5. Special Cases

• Middle Names: Students may opt to change their previously-documented middle name to a middle initial (i.e. change "Sue" to "S.") without legal documentation.
• Hyphenated Last Names: Students may request a hyphenated last name only if that format is explicitly supported by both forms of legal documentation.
• Suffixes: Students may request the addition of generational suffixes (e.g. Jr., Sr., III, etc.) only if that value is explicitly supported by both forms of legal documentation supplied for the name change. UT Tyler does not list any other type of suffixes or honorific titles as part of student name records.
• Prefixes/Honorifics: UT Tyler does not list any form of prefixes or honorific titles as part of student name records.

6. Commencement and Diplomas

Name changes for degree candidates must be completed no later than the Final Filing Deadline to be reflected in the commencement program, and no later than thirty (30) calendar days after the End of Term date of the semester of graduation to be reflected on the original diploma. See the Academic Calendar for these dates.

7. Verifying Your Name Data

Students can verify how their name is listed in myUTTyler records by any of the following means:

• View the unofficial transcript via Student Center
• View name data under Personal Information in Student Center
• Request confirmation in person at the Enrollment Services Center or via email from your Patriot email account to enroll@uttyler.edu.

8. Name Change Restrictions for International Students

International students' names must exactly match what is listed on the passport issued by their home country, and may only be changed based on an updated version of that document. All other documentation and name change reasons listed on this page, or elsewhere, are not applicable.

9. Non-Student University Employees

All persons employed by UT Tyler must submit name change requests to the Office of Human Resources, subject to that office's guidelines.

10. Student Employees

All students who work for the University and receive a paycheck or stipend from UT Tyler must follow the Office of Human Resources name change procedures. For such students their employee status takes precedence for name records.

11. Error Correction Procedure: If, upon review of their information, a student believes an error has occurred with how their name has been entered into myUTTyler, an email should be submitted to enroll@uttyler.edu from the student's Patriot email account explaining the issue. Any such email should be titled 'Name Entry Issue' so the request can be readily identified and forwarded. Once the issue has been researched, a reply will be sent to the student's Patriot email account to notify them of any findings, and any action required on their part.