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FAQs about the NetID Policy

A PDF Version of the NetID Policy FAQ is available here.

General background:

The cases of identity theft and fraudulent use of another’s personal information is a growing problem in today’s society. Governments and institutions are reacting be being more protective of sensitive personal identification and financial information that is required in the conduct of transactions. Laws and regulations have been put in place to require those who obtain and store information to take adequate actions to keep that information private and secure. Such concerns are only heightened by the interactions that we have with children and youth. The protection and security of all of our students and patrons is of the utmost importance. We have implemented tighter controls over our systems and programs to increase security of individuals and their information.

Why is a NetID required?

A unique BYU NetID is created for each individual who interacts with University systems. It is needed and used to enroll in classes and/or programs. The NetID allows BYU systems and personnel to insure that sensitive personal, academic, and financial information is revealed only to the student/participant or their parent or legal guardian if the participant is a minor. The Division has changed to using the BYU NetID for authentication to access greater functionality and security, and provide greater services to our students/participants.

Some benefits include: a unified BYU student record, access to University systems for student financial transactions, registration, and benefits (not all currently operational for DCE participants), consolidation of student/participant activity across the University, enhanced ability to comply with regulatory and tax reporting requirements.

How can I use the NetID?

The BYU NetID is permanently associated with an individual with one exception. That exception occurs when a participant in a DCE program creates a NetID to enroll but does not authenticate into University systems for five years following the year of enrollment. In such cases, the NetID will be purged and the participant will have to create a new NetID for future enrollments. Otherwise, the NetID will allow university systems and personnel to authenticate the user’s identity for accessing appropriate services and programming throughout their lifelong learning experience.

Do I have to Log In?

Individuals are free to browse Continuing Education web sites to obtain information about the various programs and courses. Log in is required to enroll in these programs because some sensitive personal information will be collected on each participant, and financial transactions will need to be processed.

Are there specific laws and regulations that require BYU to use NetIDs?

The University collects personal information for participants. The information is used to serve each student/participant and for tax and other reporting purposes as required by federal law. Personal information will be used to insure that participants are within the appropriate age guidelines for programs, that participants are matched with the appropriate gender for housing, and to report financial data to the government for tax reporting purposes (as required).

BYU records information about the academic performance of students. The academic information, and personal information associated with the students, is protected under FERPA (the Family Educational Rights Privacy Act). Student records and personal information cannot be revealed to anyone without confirmation of the requestor’s identity, including the student themselves. In most cases, parents or guardians are not allowed to access this information without the consent of the student. If requested, students must also be provided the ability to restrict access to records of identity and association with BYU if requested.

BYU is also governed by standards issued by the Payment Card Industry (PCI) which governs the communication and storage of financial information when payments are accepted using credit or debit cards. Login information is used to facilitate compliance with these standards.

State and Federal governments are continuing to adopt regulations that require ever greater security of personal information. As these regulations continue to expand, the University login requirement will allow compliance with these privacy requirements.

Are there Privacy Policies Published by Continuing Education?

The policies governing privacy as issued by the Division of Continuing Education are found at http://ce.byu.edu/home/privacy.cfm.

FAQs about the NetID Policy

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