Student Email

Everything you need to know about your USU student email account

USU now provides an official A#@usu.edu email account to all students for use during their academic career. The University uses this address to send important communications to you during your time with us. You will need to check this account periodically, or set a mobile device or other email client to notify you when an email arrives.

When do I get my a#@usu.edu email account?

Email accounts are automatically created after you register for your first class.  You will receive a notification at the personal email address you provided to the University.

USU Email Not Created Until Admitted Student Registers for Classes
A USU email account is not created for admitted students until they register for classes for the future term in which they are admitted. For example, a student who is admitted in November or January, but isn't registering for classes until the following Fall semester, won't receive a USU email account until they are registered for classes (typically in early Spring after or after registration opens and the the student chooses to register).

If you wish to verify the email address used for University communications, see myid.usu.edu. In the Email addresses section, the bolded address will be used for official USU communications. This is set automatically based on registration status and is not editable.

How do I access my University email account?

You can access your University email account via the student portal, my.usu.edu. Simply select the "Connect Account" button in the USU Email section and login with your A-number and strong password.

If you have a mobile device, we recommend that you add this email account so that you are notified when an email arrives:

In addition, you may access the system via any web browser by visiting outlook.usu.edu.

You may also download and install Office 365 desktop applications, including Microsoft Outlook (an email client) on your desktop or laptop computers:

Why is USU giving me a new email address?

Your USU-assigned a#@usu.edu email account provides the following benefits:

  • Ensures that USU has a stable, verifiable place to deliver official communications by email over your entire academic career, including during leave of absence.
  • Eliminates problems with outdated or incorrectly entered personal email account addresses.
  • There is no need to change email address if you enter or leave University employment to remain in compliance with Institutional Institutional Email Policy 557 requirements.
  • Does not require an email address change if you have a name change event (such as marriage).
  • Provides access to a number of University-licensed software suites that require a verified @usu.edu email account, including Adobe Creative Cloud, Microsoft Office 365, Box, Qualtrics, and more). 
  • Places faculty and other students on the same system for collaboration.  Microsoft Office 365 or Google Workspace, for example, work flawlessly together without requiring multiple accounts on multiple systems.
  • Prepares you for employment where you will often have a separate work email account from your personal email account. You will learn to effectively manage and utilize multiple email accounts.

I haven't been a student for a while, why did I get this, and what do I need to do?

The system automatically provides an A#@usu.edu email for all students that attended a course within the last 3 years. If you are not currently attending or planning to return to USU, you can ignore the notice.

If I am hired as an employee at USU, should I use this email as both a student and employee?

Yes!  Institutional Email Policy 557 requires USU employees use an @usu.edu email address.  The address you were given as a student qualifies and should be used if you become an employee of the University. 

I already have an @usu.edu email account, what will happen?

Nothing will change. Your a#@usu.edu email address will deliver to the same account.

How long do I keep this email address?

Your USU email address will be active and accessible from the first time you register for a class until approximately 3 years after your last completed class.  However, if you withdraw before completing your first semester, your email address is discontinued without notification. Otherwise, you will receive an email notification prior to account expiration.

I am not very good at checking email, how can I be notified if I receive a message there?

If you have a mobile device, we recommend that you add this email account so that you are notified when an email arrives:

Can I forward this email to a personal email account?

No. As you will find with many employers, your personal and institutional email accounts must remain separate.  For more information see the question "Why is USU giving me a new email account?"  You can configure mobile phones or other email clients to automatically check multiple email accounts:

If you have a mobile device, we recommend that you add this email account so that you are notified when an email arrives:

Note that you are able to customize Canvas for course notifications. See How do I add contact methods to receive Canvas notifications.

I'm interested in student research and publishing, what contact information should I consider listing since I can't keep USU email forever?

When publishing research, consider obtaining and listing an Open Research and Contributor ID (ORCID) at https://orcid.org. This is a persistent digital identifier that links your research to you irrespective of where you find yourself throughout your academic and research career.

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