Personal Accounts

All KU students, faculty and staff have personal accounts that allow access to technology systems and services by logging in with a KU Online ID and password.

Students, faculty and staff use the KU Online ID and password associated with their KU personal account to log into most campus technology systems and services, including KU email, Canvas, Enroll & Pay, etc.).

  • New students will create their personal account, get their assigned KU Online ID, and set up their password and email address during the admissions process.
  • New employees will create their personal account, get their assigned KU Online ID, and set up their password and email address as part of the on-boarding process.

Manage Your KU Online ID and Password

Your KU Online ID and password are the keys to accessing most campus technology systems and services, so it is important that you keep them safe.

KU Online ID

A KU Online ID is what we call your "username." During new account setup, KU Online ID's are assigned automatically as a combination of letters and numbers (e.g., a123b456). Your KU Online ID is uniquely yours and also serves as your default email address (e.g., a123b456@ku.edu). While you can't change your KU Online ID, you can create a custom email address.

Passwords

Strong, unique passwords keep your information safe and help protect the entire KU community. KU IT will never ask for your password, and you should never reveal it to anyone else! KU's Password policy has specific requirements for creating, managing and changing your password. You can change your password as often as you want, but you must change your password at least every 210 days.

There are two important steps you can take right now to make it a lot easier if you forget your password:

  • Tell us a non-KU recovery email address.
  • Set up challenge questions.

Log into the MyIdentity Service and complete the steps today. Your future forgetful self will thank you!

Forgot Online ID or Password?

Go to the MyIdentity Service and select the "View Profile" button. On the KU login page, select "Set up your Online ID." Enter your student or employee number along with your date of birth or KU Card number to see your KU Online ID.

If you forgot your password or it expired and you previously set up a recovery email address and/or challenge questions, you can reset your password yourself through the MyIdentity Service. If you don't have a recovery email address or challenge questions set up, you will need to call the IT Customer Service Center at 785-864-8080 for help in resetting your password.

KUMC Students, Faculty and Staff

Some KU Medical Center students, faculty and staff may also need to access KU Lawrence/Edwards campus systems and services.

KUMC Students

KUMC students who need access to KU Lawrence systems and services (e.g., Canvas) can complete the KUMC Student Account Request form to request a KU Lawrence Online ID.

KUMC Faculty and Staff

KUMC faculty and staff automatically receive KU Online IDs for Lawrence campus and do not need to complete the request form. To activate your account, go to MyIdentity Services and select the green "Set Up Your KU Online ID" button.

KU Directory Listing

Students, faculty and staff will automatically be listed in the KU Directory. Student information is only available by logging in with a KU Online ID and password. Student data is not available to the general public. Students can manage privacy settings to choose what information is available in the KU Directory.

Changing Your Name

  • Students can change legal and/or preferred name used in KU systems and for use on class rosters and other records.
  • Faculty and staff can change their preferred name, and may be able to change their legal name under certain circumstances (e.g., marriage), by contacting Human Resource Management at hrdept@ku.edu or 785-864-4946.

What Happens to My Account After I Leave KU?

Students and faculty will lose access to most services and accounts 210 days after they leave the university. Unclassified Professional Staff (UPS) and University Support Staff (USS) lose access immediately after leaving the university. However, accounts may be disabled immediately for anyone at the discretion of the university.

Learn more about accounts after you leave KU.