Your student record

All data contained within your student record is held in accordance with data protection laws. Information is available to help you to understand the purposes for which the University will process your personal data. The University and the colleges need to process your personal data in order to perform their educational, pastoral and administrative purposes and responsibilities to you and others. This processing will take place before, during and after your studies at Oxford. Further information on how we use your data can be found in the student Privacy Policy. 

In addition, the University is required by the Further and Higher Education Act 1992 to submit data on your student record to the Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA). For information on how the agency uses the submitted data, visit the HESA website.

We have a responsibility to ensure that the personal data which we process is accurate. Help us to do this by ensuring that your details are kept up-to-date.

Keeping your data secure

Information and data security is taken very seriously at the University of Oxford, please refer to the Information Security website for students to find simple and effective advice on keeping your data and devices safe.  You can help keep your student record information secure, by choosing a secure password and storing devices out of sight of thieves.  Be careful about what information you share on social media: do not post photographs or images of your personal data (e.g. University card; degree transcript).

Your first opportunity to check your student record will be during University registration using Student Self Service. When you login to Student Self Service you will need to check your personal, contact, academic and other information. If you spot an error with your personal details, please contact your college to arrange for your record to be corrected.

Only when you are registered will you be able to:

• obtain your university card
• release your loan from the UK student Loan Company (SLC) or your sponsor/awarding body
• print a certificate of enrolment
• attend your course (programme of study)
• check you have been correctly entered for any examinations and assessments and gain access to your results

After registration is complete you can amend information anytime during the academic year.

Note:  Further instructions for completing the registration process can be found on the following website: Guide to Registration.

The name that is recorded in the University's student records will be used throughout your time as a student at the University of Oxford. It will be used on all documentation including visa information, your University card, transcripts and your degree certificate. The name must be your official name as provided on your University application and must match formal documentation such as your birth certificate, or your passport.

If your name changes during your studies or if you require a name change for personal reasons (including personal safety),  you should inform the University,  for an undergraduate student, the request must be made to your college. If you are a graduate student, the request must be made to either your college or your department if you are not a member of a college. 

If you would like to provide aids for the pronunciation of your name, you can do this via Student Self Service, as an audio recording and/or phonetic spelling. These aids can be accessed by staff and fellow students in Canvas. 

The University of Oxford respects the dignity of all transgender students, staff and alumni and will take steps to meet individual requests for changes to name, legal sex and gender identity wherever possible. For further information please refer to the Record amendments for legal sex change PDF.

Current students can make changes to their legal sex, gender identity and title directly in Student Self Service. For further information about support for transgender students please contact the Equality and Diversity Unit (EDU) ([email protected]). The University’s transgender policy and guidance can be found on the EDU website. If you would like your photo on your university card to be updated to reflect your identity, please speak to your college (or your department if you do not have a college).

You can choose to provide and/or update your personal pronouns directly in Student Self Service, at any time. This is completely optional and helps staff to address you how you choose. Student pronouns are available to your department and college, and to undergraduate tutors. Future system upgrades will bring visibility to postgraduate tutors, and to staff and fellow students using Canvas.

Once your results are released you will be sent an email informing you that your assessment results and the result for the year (if applicable) are available to view in Student Self Service. Examination results will be retained as a permanent record for future verification. For more information on getting your results visit the Results page; if you need to for more information on obtaining a degree certificate visit the Degree certificates page.

Accessing Student Self Service after you finish your course

You will continue to be able to login to Student Self Service for a limited period after completing your studies. During this time, you can download transcripts and check your details. Make sure you save any documents you need before your access ends.

If you require documents later, refer to the Degree certificates and letters | University of Oxford website or email [email protected]

Contact details

Please remember to update your contact details before you leave, particularly your future email address and postal address.  This email contact information will be updated in the University alumni database, so you are kept up to date on alumni news.

Completing your studies / access to student self service

On completing your studies you will be able to access student self service following the completion of your course until your University card expiry date.

However your SSO account will expire a set time after the expiry of your University card:

• Students that discontinue their course, after 1 day of card expiry
• Students finishing before 01/07/20206 with card type UG, CR or GT, after 23 months*
• Students finishing after 01/07/2026 with card type UG, CR or GT, after 11 months*
• Students in all other cases, after 1 day of card expiry

*To access the Student Self Service, Graduate Supervision System, and graduation ceremony booking in eVision.

Short SSO extensions can be requested through SSO Account Access Extension Service Request.

Students continuing to a course in the next academic year are notified if the account is extended to the new start date.  See Returning to Oxford website.