Home → Student Portal → Updating Personal Information → Preferred Name Change

4. Preferred Name Change

CSUSM recognizes students may identify themselves by a name other than their legal name. Acknowledging this, students may have their first name changed to a preferred name that better reflects their identity.

Where Will Your Preferred First Name Appear?

Legal Name

  • Transcripts
  • Enrollment Verification
  • Financial Aid & Scholarship Documents
  • Payroll (student employees)
  • Any legal document produced by the University

Preferred Name

  • Class Rosters
  • CSUSM Student ID Card*
  • CSUSM Email Display Name
  • MyCSUSM Student Center
  • Official email communications

To change your preferred name:

  1. Go to MyCSUSM and navigate to the Student Center. Click on Names under the Personal Information section
  2. For a preferred name (which will appear in the places listed on the page above), select Preferred. Then click on the pencil on the right hand side to go to the name editing page.                                                                                 
  3. Once on the name editing page, you may type in a different preferred first name and click Save.

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