Legal Name Verification Request

In accordance with the University System of Georgia's procedure for consistent identity management and to reduce the risk of fraud by impersonation, all new and new readmit students at Kennesaw State University are required to verify their legal name in our system. The procedure still allows the student to have a preferred name listed, but their legal name in our records must match the name on their official government-issued document. USG policy requires that KSU not recognize requests to use a preferred first name that is considered vulgar, offensive, obscene, or otherwise reasonably inappropriate.

As a result of this procedure, we are required to obtain a copy of the student's official government-issued document to verify that the legal name on the student's KSU record matches the legal name on their document before they can enroll. For students who are Georgia residents or are receiving an out-of-state tuition waiver, the same Lawful Presence Verification document submission will also be used to satisfy the Legal Name Verification (LNV) requirement.

Students who require Legal Name Verification (e.g., out-of-state or out-of-country students) will have a registration hold placed on their account (as shown in Owl Express) until their documents are received and verified. While LNV is listed on the admissions checklist (shown as either “received” or “not received” in the Pathway to Enrollment Portal), it is not required for an admission decision. It is only required to register for classes during the assigned registration time.

Acceptable Documents

  • Driver’s License
  • State-issued I.D.
  • Passport
  • Birth Certificate
    • If your name has changed, you may submit a copy of your marriage certificate, divorce decree, or other government documents that list your name at birth and your current legal name.
  • Military I.D. (copies cannot be made)- must present in person
  • Certificate of Citizenship
  • Certificate of Naturalization
  • Lawful Permanent Resident Card
  • Employment Authorization Card
  • Visa, I-94, I-797 receipt notice, I-20, DS2019, or other immigration document
  • Other Forms Issued by U.S. Citizenship & Immigration Services (USCIS),
    U.S. Customs & Border Protection (CBP), or U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE)  
  • Marriage Certificate
  • Divorce Decree
  • Court Order for Legal Name Change
  • Certificate of Adoption
  • Court Guardianship Documentation
  • FAFSA may be used to verify that the name, date of birth, social security number, and citizenship status submitted on your FAFSA matches the name we have on file for you. This process may take upwards of 4-6 weeks.
  • Students who may not have one of the above documents should email lpv@kennesaw.edu or call 470-578-2799 for further guidance.

Document Submission Portal

Documentation may be mailed, hand delivered, or submitted digitally to the portal:

Submission Portal

Methods of Submitting Legal Name Verification

  • Upload via our secure Legal Name Verification submission portal.
  • Bring in person to the Office of the Registrar in the Kennesaw Hall Rotunda.
  • Mail to:
    Office of the Registrar
    585 Cobb Avenue, MD 0116
    Kennesaw, GA 30144

Frequently Asked Questions

  • One of the following reasons:

    A) The name you provided on the FAFSA does not match the name you currently have on file with KSU.

    B) The name you provided on the FAFSA has different spelling, capitalization, punctuation, etc. than what we have on file.

    C) Your preferred name is listed as your legal first name on the FAFSA or on file with KSU.

    D) You haven’t filed a FAFSA for the
    applicable aid year yet or it hasn’t made its way back to KSU from the Department of
    Education yet.

    E) Your date of birth or social security number did not match.

    F) Your FAFSA was rejected.

    G) The FAFSA you filed was for the a different financial aid year than the term you are starting KSU. Example: You are starting KSU for Summer 2026 but you filed a 2026-2027 FAFSA. You would need to file a 2025-2026 FAFSA to be applicable to Summer 2026.

  • Email, call, or come visit us. We’ll talk about your situation and figure out what we can do to help.
  • Board of Regents policy requires that your legal name and preferred name be listed on class rosters. Your name will be displayed as Last Name, First Name (Preferred Name). 
  • The legal name verification policy requires us to verify the first and last name only. The middle name does not have to match your official government document.

  • Yes. Your legal last name must match exactly the way it is on your official government document.

    A) Legal First Name: Scrappy
    Legal Last Name: Horned Owl
    He most commonly just uses the name Scrappy Owl. Scrappy’s Legal Name on file with KSU must read as Horned Owl instead of just Owl.

    B) Legal First Name: Horace
    Legal Middle Name: Sturgis
    Legal Last Name: Owl
    Friends call him Sturgis.
    Sturgis must have his Legal First Name on file with KSU as Horace. He can set his Preferred Name as Sturgis so his classmates will see his name displayed as Sturgis on D2L, Teams, and his email.

    C) Legal First Name: Joe Don
    Legal Last Name: Smith
    KSU name on file: Joe Smith
    Student must update their legal first name as Joe Don and may update their Preferred name to Joe only.

  • While your admissions decision is not dependent on submission of legal name verification, you will not be eligible to enroll. A hold will be placed on your account and not be released until sufficient documentation is provided.

Contact Us

Please contact the Office of the Registrar with any questions.

Office of the Registrar
585 Cobb Avenue NW
Room 1533, MD 0116
Kennesaw, GA 30144

Office Hours:
Monday through Friday
8:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.

Phones Hours: 
Monday through Friday
9:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.
470-578-2799

Email: lpv@kennesaw.edu