FAQs

Who is eligible to join the UWAA? I didn’t graduate from UW—can I join?

Anyone is eligible to join the UW Alumni Association. While most members are UW alumni, UWAA membership is open to anyone that loves and supports the UW.

What types of memberships do you offer?

Standard membership levels are annual and life. Both these categories offer discounted rates to young alumni (UW degree holder within 5 years of graduation date) and seniors (UW degree holder 65 years of age or older). Joint memberships are available to partners living in the same household. See the membership section for more information.

New grads also qualify for special membership rates, including a free digital membership. Learn more!

I’ve lost my UWAA membership card/my card is worn out. Can I get a new one?

Absolutely! We are happy to replace membership cards at any time. Simply contact the UWAA and we’ll verify your membership status and get a replacement card to you right away.

How do alumni get a library card after becoming a UWAA member?

Take your UWAA membership card to the Suzzallo Library Account Services (open from 9 a.m.-5 p.m., Monday through Friday), to have a new library card issued or an old one renewed.  In all cases, you’ll need to show your current UWAA membership card. See the UW Libraries Borrowing for Alumni page for more details. If you’ve just signed up for a membership, but haven’t received your card in the mail, the UWAA may be able to email a confirmation of your membership purchase to the circulation desk.

As a member, can I use online research databases and other UW Libraries services?

The main Libraries membership benefit is the ability to check out books. Due to licensing restrictions, the UWAA member benefit does not include remote access to restricted online databases. However, research workstations are available for use by the public at many UW library locations. For more information on what’s available, visit the UW Libraries Borrowing for Alumni page and the Services for Visitors page. UWAA members do have access to the EBSCO Academic Search Alumni Edition database.

Can UWAA members use the IMA?

Only paid-in-full life members and The President’s Circle donors have access to buy an annual membership to the IMA. learn more about the IMA benefit for Life members.

Can UWAA members use the Nordstrom Tennis Center?

Only paid-in-full life members of the UWAA have access to the Nordstrom Tennis Center.

Can alumni get discounted football or basketball tickets?

Discounted tickets to sporting events are sometimes available, though it varies from year to year. The athletic department provides the UWAA with blocks of tickets that are usually available exclusively online.

For all other questions about Husky sports tickets, please see the Husky Athletics site or contact the Husky Ticket Office at 206-543-2200 or tickets@uw.edu.

How do I find out my UW alumni number? Is it the same as my UW student number?

Your alumni ID number is different than your student number. However, your UW alumni number is the same as your UWAA member number. Your alumni ID can be up to 10 digits. Here’s four ways to find out your alumni ID number:

• Your alumni number is printed on your UWAA membership card if you’re a member.
• It’s listed on the mailing label of Columns, the alumni magazine, if you receive it in the mail.
• If you have a NetID, you can log in to myuw.washington.edu—your ID number is listed under the “Alumni” tab.
• You call the UW Alumni Association during regular business hours.

How can I change my address or other information?

If you have any updates, ranging from moving to a name change or a new e-mail address, you can help us keep your alumni record current by filling out a change of address form.

How do I get access to my UW transcripts?

Former students and alumni who attended classes in 1983 or later can order official and unofficial transcripts online. You will need a UW NetID to do this—see below for more details on obtaining a UW NetID.

Does the UWAA share my personal information?

The University of Washington Alumni Association (UWAA) is sensitive to your concerns about privacy, and places your concerns as a priority. We are committed to preserving the privacy of any personal information that you choose to give us. Such information may be requested when you purchase membership, tickets to an event, or register for any number of other services that the UWAA may provide.

The UWAA will:

1. Provide to anyone, upon request, notice of their ability to opt out of information exchanges.
2. Honor customer opt-out requests not to have their contact information transferred to others for marketing purposes.
3. Accept and maintain requests to stop receiving communication or other solicitations from the UWAA.

In order to provide UWAA members with the best selection of valuable services and benefits, the UWAA maintains business relationships with a small number of carefully selected and screened third-party organizations, our affinity partners. From time to time, the UWAA may share personally identifiable information (such as name and address) to our affinity partners in order to offer UWAA members desirable products and services. You have the right to control whether you receive product or service information from our affinity partners. Additional information can be found here.

Please also read the UW’s privacy policy and terms of use for all University of Washington websites.

What is a UW NetID and why should I get one?

UW Technology provides detailed information on what a UW NetID is and how it works. It may be necessary if you want to order a transcript online.

Who is and who is not eligible to get a UW NetID?

Most alumni and UW Alumni Association members are eligible for a UW NetID, but not all. Alumni and member populations that MAY NOT BE eligible for a UW NetID include:

• Degreed alumni of UW with no Social Security Number and no Student ID number on file with UW.
• Non-alumni members of UWAA with no Social Security Number and no Student ID number on file with UW.

I’d like to sign up for a NetID, where do I go?

Go to the Get Your UW NetID site. Follow the prompts. If you’re an alumni or UWAA member, the system will ask for your last name and alumni ID number. If you don’t know your ID number, see the Joining the UWAA & Member Benefits FAQ above. If you get an error message when trying to register, it may be that we don’t have the proper information on file for you. Please contact the UWAA for assistance.

I had a NetID when I was a student. Can I still use it?

Yes. When you choose a NetID, it’s yours. If you can’t remember what it was or are having trouble logging in, you can contact UW Technology’s Help Desk for assistance.

What do I do if I’ve forgotten my UW NetID password?

UW Technology provides information on how to reset your UW NetID password.

What computer and email services are available to UW alumni and UWAA members?

Alumni can sign up for a UW NetID which can be used for a variety of online services. And with your UW NetID, you can continue forwarding your UW.edu email address for as long as you’d like.

I’m a UW student. What happens to my e-mail and NetID when I graduate?

Your UW NetID is yours for life. You will need a UW NetID to utilize an array of alumni services including MyUW access, transcript requests and more. Your UW NetID verifies who you are, ensures the privacy of your personal information, and restricts the use of UW resources to authorized users.  Visit the UW IT page for more information about UW NetIDs.

As of July 2018, alumni and former students are no longer eligible for a UW email service, including users of UW Deskmail, UW Exchange Online, UW Gmail, and UW Outlook Live. Visit UW-IT resources pages for more information.

Does the UWAA have an email privacy policy?

The UW Alumni Association takes your privacy very seriously. We will never request personal information—including passwords, usernames, telephone numbers or any financial data—through email. For more information, see the University of Washington’s Privacy Policy pages.

I’ve received a suspicious email that says it’s from the UW. What should I do?

“Phishing” emails are fraudulent attempts to obtain personal information (such as passwords, Social Security numbers) by masquerading as originating from a trustworthy source. As a large public institution, has occasionally been the identity used by hackers. Please do not release any personal information in response to any suspicious message.

Contact the UW Alumni Association at uwalumni@uw.edu or 206-543-0540 or 1-800-AUW-ALUM to report possible fraud. Please review the resources below to learn more about email “phishing”:

Phishing Resources

• Phishing information on Wikipedia
• Report Phishing
• Recognize phishing scams and fraudulent e-mail (Microsoft)

Who receives University of Washington Magazine?

Anyone can enjoy UW Magazine’s website including our extensive archives and opt-in to the monthly UW Magazine e-news.

Subscribe to UW Magazine’s e-news

University of Washington Magazine publishes the magazine print edition four times annually, in September, December, March and June.

For the magazine to remain responsible stewards of natural and financial resources, changes to our circulation policy for the print edition have been made. Contactable alumni more than 10 years out of school will receive the print edition, unless they have opted out of receiving print mailings from UW Magazine. UWAA members and UW donors will continue to receive print issues quarterly, unless they have opted out of print mailings from UW magazine.

If you love our storytelling, please consider supporting UW Magazine by joining the UW Alumni Association.

How often is University of Washington Magazine published?

A quarterly publication, UW Magazine is mailed out in December, March, July and September. The online edition launches approximately the 1st of each of those four months. You can always access UW Magazine online for free, including our extensive archives of back issues.

Can I be added to the University of Washington Magazine mailing list if I am a non-member?

Yes! Subscribe to our quarterly e-news!

If you’d like to receive quarterly print issues, join the UW Alumni Association.

How can I get extra copies of University of Washington Magazine?

The UWAA is happy to provide a complimentary copy of the current issue of UW Magazine. Send your request to magazine@uw.edu. Because of limited availability, we cannot provide back issues except under special circumstances.

Who do I contact to make a donation or ask about a donation that I previously made?

All inquiries about donations should be directed towards the UW Foundation:

UW Foundation
407 Gerberding Hall
Box 35210
Seattle, WA 98195-1210
206-685-1980 or 1-800-326-7566
www.uwfoundation.org

How do alumni register for classes?

Alumni older than 60 can join the Access Program to take classes. Otherwise, it is necessary to enroll as a regular student to take classes.

How can I verify that someone received a degree from UW?

The University of Washington maintains an online Degree Validation page. Please note that this only lists graduates after 1983 and does not include alumni who have restricted their directory release information. You can also contact the UW Office of the Registrar at 206-543-8580 or registrar@uw.edu.

How can I learn more about the BECU credit card agreement?

CARD Act Disclosure Statement. Pursuant to the CARD Act, members of the public may request a copy of UWAA’s credit card marketing agreement with BECU. Requests should be sent to:

Terri Hiroshima
Assistant Vice President, Marketing and Communications
University of Washington Alumni Association
4333 Brooklyn Avenue NE
Campus Box 35908
Seattle, WA 98195-9508

Visit our Event Registration FAQs for questions regarding UWAA events.