Updating personal information

You can use up to two first names for different purposes. Your legal name is the name you provided during the application process. It is the name listed by default on campus, unless you add a chosen/preferred first name. Your chosen/preferred first name is the name you would like to be referred to across campus and it will be used instead of your legal name.

To view your legal and chosen/preferred name, go to Quest, then Personal Information.

To change your legal name:

Changing your legal name on campus will change how your name will appear in the following places:

• the primary name field in Quest on the Personal Information page
• official documents (transcripts, diplomas)
• tuition and fees account summary
• tax receipts (T4, T2202)
• official University letters

Changing your legal name on campus could create issues with government funding (e.g., OSAP), tax receipts, health insurance, travel visas and graduate school applications.

To change your legal name, submit the Update Legal Name form. If you do not have legal documentation, contact askthecentre@uwaterloo.ca to discuss your options.

To change your chosen/preferred first name: 

Changing your chosen/preferred first name means this is what you will be referred to by your professors, during co-op interviews, during meetings with advisors and other staff, etc. You can use your chosen/preferred name on all campus forms and on any communication to faculty or staff.

If you included a preferred first name on your OUAC application, this name will be used as your chosen/preferred first name unless you make a change. To change your chosen/preferred first name, go to WatIAM and make the change. Choosing a name with racist or misogynistic overtones is a violation of the University’s ethical behaviour policy and will be addressed under Policy 33 and Policy 71.

Changing your chosen/preferred name will change your first name in the following places and more:

• LEARN
• Quest
• WaterlooWorks
• email display name
• class lists
• exam lists
• Dean’s honours list and other graduation awards

Timing of your name change:

Changes will be reflected across applicable systems within 24-48 hours. However, depending on when in the term this change is made, it may take up to one term to see its usage implemented (e.g., if you change your name in the middle of term, it may take until the start of the new term for an instructor to begin using your name, unless you speak to them about it directly).

Updating your name on WatCard:

If you change a chosen/preferred first name, your WatCard must match in order to prevent issues when providing identification during exams and other scenarios. Go to the WatCard office to receive a replacement card. When requesting a replacement WatCard your original WatCard must be returned.

To change your student email:

If you would like to change your student email address you will first need to update your chosen/preferred name in WatIAM. Once you have updated your chosen/preferred name click on email settings in WatIAM and select your new email. If you have any questions contact the IST Service Desk.

To add or remove your middle name:

To add or remove your middle name so it does, or does not, appear on official documents (e.g., transcripts, diploma), tax forms, etc., fill out the Update Legal Name and visit The Centre (Needles Hall South, first floor).

To add or remove your middle name from your chosen/preferred name (which will appear in WatIAM, Quest, WaterlooWorks, LEARN etc.) log in to your WatIAM account to make the change. 

To add an accent to your name on your diploma:

Undergraduate students:

When completing the Application to Graduate Form, include all special characters in the name field. Instructions on how to do this can be found on the Application to Graduate Form. If you cannot find the desired accent, contact your faculty representative in the Office of the Registrar.

Graduate students:

To add an accent or special character to the name on your diploma, email Kelly Heald, Manager, Graduate Records. Include your full name, student ID number, and the date and time of your convocation ceremony.

Updating your contact information can be completed on Quest. Instructions on updating your home and mailing address, phone number, email address, and emergency contacts can be found at How do I view or update my personal information?

Undergraduate students: Use the Undergraduate Gender Update Form to update your gender on your University of Waterloo undergraduate student record.

Graduate students: Use the Graduate Gender Update Form to update your gender on your University of Waterloo graduate student record.

Gender is used for statistical purposes only and will not appear on official academic documents such as transcripts or diplomas.

A pronoun is a word used to describe you when being spoken of in the third person (i.e., when not being directly addressed), such as they, she, he, or xie. For more information, visit the pronouns FAQ resources page.  

As a current student, you can choose to provide your pronouns in Quest and change or delete your selection at any time.  If no pronoun is added, the field in Quest will remain blank. For detailed instructions on how to make or update your pronoun selection in Quest, visit How do I view or update my personal information.

Instructors and academic advisors/program co-ordinators are being advised to use the pronouns on their class rosters and to regularly check for updates. As there is no mechanism in Quest to automatically notify instructors of updates in pronoun information, instructors will have to re-download their class roster at regular intervals. This means that some instructors may not see changes in your pronoun information immediately – depending on when they refresh their class roster.  

The University is working to provide your pronouns to other systems across campus, with the most recent addition of Health Services, Portal, Watcard and WaterlooWorks.

Beginning in fall 2023, all Canadian domestic undergraduate students, and graduate students in some programs will be assessed either domestic Ontario tuition fees or domestic out-of-province tuition fees. Your Quest bill will be posted to your student account approximately one month before the start of classes and will confirm the provincial residency billing rate.  

How to request an update to domestic Ontario residency status: 

If you have been assessed domestic out-of-province tuition fees but are eligible for domestic Ontario fees based on your provincial residency status, you can request a provincial residency change by submitting a Request to Update Residency or Immigration Status along with the required documentation prior to the term’s deadline. If your request is approved, your status will be revised to domestic Ontario residency and your tuition amounts will be updated.

Who is eligible for domestic Ontario residency status?  

• Students who are currently receiving full-time funding from the Ontario Student Assistance Program (OSAP) or have received full-time OSAP funding in the past 5 years while attending the University of Waterloo.  There is no need to submit a request to change your status, your status will be updated for you within 7-10 business days.  If you have recently applied for full-time OSAP and are awaiting an assessment, please allow approximately 7-10 business days for your status to be updated 

• Dependent students whose parent’s primary residence is in Ontario 

• Independent students whose primary residence is in Ontario, and Ontario is the last province lived in for 12 months in a row prior to becoming a post-secondary student 

• Independent students whose spouse or common-law partner’s primary residence is in Ontario, and Ontario is the last province your spouse or common-law partner has lived in for 12 months in a row 

• Dependent students whose parents are recently deceased and at least one of your parents was residing permanently in Ontario at the time of death 

• Students in extended society care 

• Students who are the dependent of someone holding diplomatic status in Canada 

• Students who have been granted, or are the dependent of someone who has been granted protected person/refugee status 

When can I request an update to my domestic Ontario residency status? 

You can submit a Request to Update Residency or Immigration Status at any time. Please allow up to 7-10 business days for changes.  You will receive a confirmation email when you submit the form and another when your request is completed.  

The term deadlines for requesting a change to your provincial residency or immigration status are:  

Requests received after the deadline for the current term will be updated for the following term. Retroactive changes for past terms and exceptions for missed deadlines are not permitted.   

All changes to your immigration status in Canada are to be reported to the University. A change to your immigration status may result in a tuition fee reassessment and removal of the international differential fee.  

How to request an update to your immigration status: 

If you need to update your immigration status, you can request a change by submitting a Request to Update Residency or Immigration Status with the required documentation prior to the term’s deadline. If your request is approved, your status will be revised and if applicable, your tuition amounts will be updated.   

When do I need to submit a change of immigration status? 

Undergraduate and graduate international students who fall within one of the following categories may be eligible to pay domestic fees:

• Diplomats and Dependents
• Protected Person/Refugees and Dependents
• VISA Dependents of Canadians
• Permanent Resident and their dependents (including preliminary requirements met)
• Visiting Workers and Dependents holding an Ontario Closed Work Permit or a work permit granted under the Canada-Ukraine Authorization for Emergency Travel (CUAET) special measure

When can I request an update to my immigration status? 

You can submit a Request to Update Residency or Immigration Status at any time. Please allow up to 7-10 business days for changes. You will receive a confirmation email when you submit the form and another when your request is completed.  

 The term deadlines for requesting a change to your provincial residency or immigration status are:  

Requests received after the deadline for the current term will be updated for the following term. Retroactive changes for past terms and exceptions for missed deadlines are not permitted.   

Validated members of Six Nations First Nations and the Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation will have their tuition fee waived.  Domestic Ontario tuition fees will be assessed for validated Indigenous or Native American students from Canada and the US. 

How to submit Indigenous validation documents 

Uploading your Indigenous validation documents to determine your eligibility for the tuition waiver can be completed on Quest. The Quest Indigenous Declaration form will also be used to determine eligibility for Ontario domestic tuition rates to out-of-province First Nations, Métis, and Inuit students and Native American students from the continental U.S. recognized by the Jay Treaty. 

To help you navigate this process, there are a number of resources available: 

• For information about the Indigenous tuition waiver eligibility, requirements and validation documentation, visit the Office of Indigenous Relations website. 
• For step-by-step instructions to completing the Indigenous Declaration and uploading validation documentation visit the Quest website. 
• For information about how residency affects your tuition fees, tuition deadlines, and details about tuition fees in general, visit the Student Financial Services website.