Transitioning at Ƶ Boulder
Changing your information, finding gender-affirming care and navigating systems can get complicated at a large university like Ƶ Boulder. At the Pride Office, we’re here to help you figure out all of the processes involved. Check out the resources listed below, and keep an eye out for our upcoming Guide to Transitioning at Ƶ Boulder.
If you don’t find the resources you’re looking for below, or if you want some one-on-one help navigating these and other resources, you can always reach out to our staff at pride@colorado.edu.
Name, gender and personal information changes
Students can update the name and pronouns used in Ƶ Boulder online systems by going through the Buff Portal. This page has a step-by-step guide to updating your preferred name, pronouns, gender identity and sexual orientation.
All of this information, if provided, is protected by the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) which means that access to it is restricted to staff who have a legitimate educational interest and have completed student data privacy training. To learn more about FERPA and who can access your information, see the Registrar’s FERPA Information page.
Name Changes: To change your legal name you can participate in the Name Change Project, which provides students with a stipend to serve as a mentor for the next student going through the program. To access the program, please send an email indicating your interest to Morgan at seamont@colorado.edu.
If you have lived in Colorado for three months you are eligible to change your name. Proof of residency can be done through a utility bill, lease paperwork or on Ƶ letterhead if you reside in the res halls.
If you are doing a name change on your own, you can visit (hyperlink) to learn more about filling out the form, visiting the courts and completing the process.
The Pride Offices offers a mentoring program for students who want more information on how to change their name. Students who participate receive a $300 stipend for participating. To learn more information please email pride@colorado.edu. You do not need to have changed your name yet to participate in the program.
Currently, you cannot change your gender marker on your SSN or passport if it does not align with your birth certificate. If your birth certificate has been changed (not amended) you can apply to using that gender if you have not previously had a passport. In Colorado, you can change the gender on your Colorado driver’s license or identification. You can learn more about that process please visit . Rules around federal identity documents are currently changing rapidly; we suggest you contact our office for the most up to date information.
Gender Marker Changes: It is still legal to do a gender marker change on a Colorado Driver’s license. Due to changes in policy at the Federal Government level, it may not be possible to change your documents currently. However, we suggest that you contact the Pride Office (pride@colorado.edu) to learn more about what is current.
To change your IdentiKey, email Jennie.Brucker@colorado.edu with your request, your full name, student or employee ID number and a phone number. You can also call the Office of Information Technology (OIT) at 303-735-4357 or set up a ticket in the .
Your display name is what shows up after the “from” field in your emails. To change your display name, follow for the IdentiKey manager.
Note: To update your display name, you must first enter a preferred name into either SIS (if you are a student) or PeopleSoft (if you are faculty/staff). Instructions for that process are here. It may take up to 48 hours for those changes to show up in the IdentiKey manager. If you still don’t see the name showing up, contact OIT at oithelp@colorado.edu.
You can get a new Buff OneCard with an updated name and photo free of charge. To change the name on your card, you must first enter a preferred name into either SIS (student information system) if you are a student or PeopleSoft if you are faculty/staff.
The Buff OneCard office also allows you to use a new photo of your choosing, which you can submit along with your updated name at boc@colorado.edu. Once your information is processed and confirmed, you can pick up your new card in the Buff OneCard office on the first floor of the C4C, located next to the Weathertech Cafe.
Gender-affirming care
The Speech, Language and Hearing Clinic (SLHC) offers gender-affirming voice training in addition to audiology, speech and language services to children and adults in the Boulder and Denver metropolitan area. These services are provided as part of on-site training for students who are studying to be speech, language and hearing professionals. All services are supervised by clinically certified, licensed speech-language pathologists or audiologists. To learn more about their programs, contact the department at slhcappointments@colorado.edu or 303-492-5375. Financial assistance is available.
Medical Services provides gender-affirming hormone therapy. If you are interested in starting or continuing gender-affirming hormone therapy, please call 303-492-5432 to schedule a consultation appointment. You can also make an appointment online through your and request to meet with someone on the trans care team.
The Anthem Gold Student Health Insurance Plan (SHIP) provides unlimited surgical benefits. For referral letters to a surgeon (your surgeon may or may not require such a letter), please schedule an appointment to meet with a Medical Services provider.
If your surgeon requires two letters, you can also schedule an appointment to meet with a Counseling and Psychiatric Services (CAPS) provider.
If you work with an out-of-state surgeon, the LGBTQ+ Care Team can provide post-surgical care upon your return.
Please make an appointment with an insurance benefit specialist and the referral coordinator to ensure you know what will be covered.