Overview

Your NetID is a username Texas A&M campus members use to login to various systems and services, including the Applicant Information System (AIS), the Central Authentication Service (CAS), Howdy, and your Texas A&M Gmail.

In order to create and set up your NetID account, you will need to know your Universal Identification Number (UIN) . A UIN is a unique ID number used to identify campus members at A&M. Your UIN is sent to you via email a few days after submitting your application to Texas A&M. Upon receiving your UIN, you can use it to claim and set up your NetID. Understanding the functions of both your UIN and NetID are important, as they are required to access university-related resources. This document will discuss how to obtain a NetID, how to recover a lost or forgotten UIN, and other frequently asked questions regarding the subject.

How do I get a NetID?

You can find the instructions for claiming and activating your NetID account in this article, including choosing your NetID and creating your account password. NOTE: If you have already claimed a NetID, you will be shown the error “Your account has already been activated” when attempting to enter your NetID and date of birth. If you are shown this error but do not know what your NetID is, please call the Help Desk at (979) 845-8300 to begin the process of NetID retrieval.

How do I retrieve my UIN?

A UIN cannot be given out over the phone, by email, or by chat regardless of who requests the information due to the confidentiality and unique nature of the ID. If you have lost or forgotten your UIN, please follow the instructions below per your affiliation:

Applicants

Undergraduate applicants can contact the Office of Admissions to retrieve a lost UIN. Admissions can be reached by phone at (979) 458-0950, Monday through Friday from 8:00AM-5:00PM, or by email at AgAC@tamu.edu .

Graduate school applicants can email graduate-admissions@tamu.edu for further information.

Current Students/Former Students of Less Than Two Years 

Current students can determine their UIN by looking at their student ID or their unofficial transcript. If you do not have to access either of these items, you will need to fill out a Records Request form and submit it to the Records Office. They can also resend you your UIN by contacting them at (979) 845-1003, Monday through Friday 8:00AM-5:00PM, or at records@tamu.edu 

Former Students of 2+ Years 

Former students who have not attended the university in over two years will need to fill out a Records Request Form in order to obtain a lost UIN. NOTE: You will need your UIN when filling out the Former Student Questionnaire in order to activate your Former Student Account.

If you attended Texas A&M prior to the fall semester 1985,  please visit the Registrar's Office Transcript Information web page for information regarding ordering transcripts.

Parents/Guardians

Parents/guardians are issued Guest Tokens with the prefix 3PM in place of a UIN. When your student first authorizes you to create a guest account, you will be issued the Guest Token via email. If you are unable to locate the email containing your Parent Token, please call the Help Desk at (979) 845-8300 to begin the process of retrieval.

Staff/Faculty

Staff and faculty will need to contact their HR Identity Agent. You can find the Identity Agent that corresponds to your college, division, or executive level here.

NetID Account FAQ

I've forgotten my NetID. What do I do?

If you are a current student, faculty, or staff, and know what your Texas A&M email address is, then your NetID is simply everything before the '@' symbol. [YOUR_NETID]@tamu.edu . If you are an applying student, or are a current TAMU affiliate who cannot recover their NetID, you can call Help Desk Central at (979) 845-8300 to retrieve it.

How complex must my NetID password be?

Currently, passwords must:

• Password must be at least eight (8) and at most one hundred and twenty-eight (128) characters long
• Password must contain at least one (1) uppercase letter
• Password must contain at least one (1) lowercase letter
• Password must contain at least one (1) number or special character
• Password must contain only the following characters: a-z, A-Z, 0-9, `~!@#$%^&*()-_=+[{]}\|:;',<.>?/
• Password may not contain the user's NetID

Finally, your password should not be easily guessed, like your username, derivatives of your name, words found in the dictionary, or words like "tamu" and "aggie".

How do I find out when my NetID password is going to expire?

1. Go to gateway.tamu.edu, and log in with your NetID credentials.
2. Click on "Password Settings." Your password expiration date will be listed at the top of the page.

As your password expiration date nears, you will receive email reminders prompting you to change your password. Should you not reset your password by the determined expiration date, you will be prompted to reset it the next time you log in to your NetID account.

Why does my NetID password expire after a certain amount of time?

NetID passwords expire on a periodic basis and must be changed to remain valid. Old passwords may not be immediately reused. This policy is in place to comply with University Rule 29.01.03.M0.02 as well as with other administrative procedures.