StarID Help and Frequently Asked Questions

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Questions and Answers

StarID

What is a StarID?
The StarID is a username that replaces many login IDs with one ID, one password, everywhere. Once you activate it, you can use your StarID and password anywhere that accepts StarID. Instead of a separate login at each college or university, you can use the same StarID across Minnesota State. Change your password in one place — starid.minnstate.edu — and it will change everywhere.

The StarID is two letters, four numbers, and two letters, e.g. "ab1234cd".

Why does StarID look the way it does?
The StarID format consists of two letters followed by four numbers, followed by two letters, such as ab1234cd. The StarID format was selected based on analysis of usernames across all of Minnesota State. Your StarID can be used across all institutions, so using any part of your name, college, university, Tech ID, netID, or D2L username is not possible because these identifiers may be duplicated across institutions and because of increased privacy requirements and laws like FERPA. Even email addresses are assigned and re-assigned at many institutions. The StarID is never duplicated and never re-assigned. This means that once issued, you can use the same StarID every time you visit a participating institution over the lifetime of your relationship with Minnesota State.
Reasons Behind StarID Format
  • Non-name based identifiers will not have to change if a name changes.
  • Non-name based identifiers avoid privacy issues (e.g. FERPA, HIPAA).
  • Non-name based identifiers do not have name collision problems. For example, if the identifier jsmith has been assigned to John Smith, but Jackie Smith comes along next month what will Jackie's identifier be: jsmith1, jasmith?
  • A consistent format prevents the need for "filler" characters that may result in an undesirable identifier.
  • A consistent eight character length facilitates ease of integration with legacy systems. Legacy systems can, generally, accommodate an eight character identifier, but seldom one that is longer than eight characters.
  • An eight character identifier is easier to remember than one that is longer.
  • A consistent, randomly generated, eight character credential will never need to change and can, therefore, be assigned to one person for the entire duration of a person's affiliation with Minnesota State.
Who has a StarID?
All students, faculty, and staff of Minnesota State system are eligible for a StarID and can activate one now. Applicants are also assigned StarIDs.
Can I get a new StarID?
The StarID is random and computer-generated, so we cannot control what it will be, and it cannot be changed. We understand that at first it might seem hard to remember, but experience has shown that once they start using it regularly, most people have no problems remembering their StarID. And it's okay to write it down!

What can I do with my StarID?
Each college and university can enable access to their individual IT systems with StarID. The most common of these systems include; student and employee email, campus computers and printers, D2L BrightSpace, and eServices.

Check with Information Technology Services at your college or university to learn which of their IT systems have been enabled to use StarID.

Many systemwide IT systems accept a StarID wherever the system is used.

Can I get a different StarID?
The StarID is random and computer-generated, so we cannot control what it will be, and it cannot be changed. We understand that at first it might seem hard to remember, but experience has shown that once they start using it regularly, most people have no problems remembering their StarID. And it's okay to write it down!
Do StarIDs expire?
No, once you are assigned a StarID, you can use it for life.

Sometimes, though, we find that someone has duplicate records in our student or HR systems (ISRS). When the duplicates are found and both the records have a StarID, we keep one StarID and decommission the other. A StarID is never reassigned to someone else.

StarID Self Service

Passwords

How do I change my password?
If you do not know your password, or your password is not working:
  1. Visit the web site "starid.minnstate.edu"
  2. Select the "StarID Self Service" link, then select "Reset Password"
  3. Select one of the options on the next page (Tech ID, Email Address...)
  4. Enter the requested information and set your password.

If you know your password:

  1. Visit the web site "starid.minnstate.edu"
  2. Select the "StarID Self Service" link, then select "Manage Profile"
  3. Login to the StarID Self Service Login page with your current StarID password
  4. Enter your old password and new password into the text boxes.
  5. Select the "Apply" button in the "Change Password" section.
How do I know when my StarID password will expire?
The StarID system sends email to your preferred email address 21 days, 7 days, and 1 day before your password expires.
My password has expired.
You may reset your password by following the "Reset Password" link at StarID Self Service.
What are the password requirements?
The password complexity requirement associated with the StarID complies with the Minnesota State password security guideline. Passwords must meet or exceed these criteria:
  • Changed at least every 180 days.
  • Between 8 and 128 characters long.
  • Use at least 3 of these types of characters: uppercase, lowercase, numbers, special characters.
  • May not have been used before.
  • May not contain your first name or last name if they are longer than 2 characters.

Special characters include characters like these: !@#$%^&*()_+=-`{}[]|\:";'<>,.?/

Would you like a password tip to help create a complex password you can remember?
Using a passphrase is a good way to create a complex password that you can remember without writing down. Statements about us are easier to remember than a random string of characters and you can recite the passphrase to yourself while typing in your password.

Use these steps to create a strong password.

  1. Think of a sentence you can remember. For example, something about yourself or a line from a favorite song or movie: "O'er the ramparts we watched." Choose something a friend wouldn't guess.
  2. Use the sentence directly if you can. Many of us are used to typing sentences and are less likely to make mistakes. If you've picked a good sentence that you can remember and type easily, you're done!
  3. If you can't use the sentence directly, add complexity. "O'er the ramparts we watched" is a good start: it has both upper and lowercase letters, spaces and punctuation, but it does not contain numbers. Replace a letter with a number, add a few more uppercase letters, and throw in some punctuation: "0'er the Ramparts We Watched..." Now it meets system password complexity guidelines. If you can remember and type that sentence easily, you're done!
  4. If you want a shorter password, convert the sentence to a password. Use the first letter of each word to create "0tRWW..." At 8 characters, that barely meets the guidelines. Remember, though, that longer passwords are stronger: "0'erTheRam..." or "0'er,,,TheRWW..."

For your privacy and security, create a password you can remember and don't share or write it down!

Email

The StarID system gets its list of email addresses from ISRS. Any email address created by your college or university or a personal email on your ISRS account will appear on your StarID profile. Changes in ISRS are reflected on your StarID profile within a day.

What is a preferred email address?
We send you an email notice when your password changes or is about to expire. Rather than send a notice to every email address on your profile, we use just your preferred email. If you have only one address on your StarID profile, that is your preferred email. If you have more than one, you can log into StarID Profile to update it.

We also share the preferred email address with some services that use StarID for login.

My personal email address
You can use an email address to obtain a verification code. This code can then be used to verify your identity with StarID self-service functions like activating a StarID or resetting a forgotten password.

Since you use your StarID to log into your college or university email, you should choose a different email address, usually a personal one. This works best for students and guests, as many employees do not have a personal email address on record. Human Resources offices can enter a personal email address into SCUPPS/ISRS.

Why does my email address need to be unique?
If you've received an IAM-G008 or IAM-G003 error when trying to activate your StarID or reset a password with an email address, it's either because we don't have that email address in our system or because there are two records in the StarID system that are associated with that email address. To look up a StarID account with an email address, only one StarID can have that email. To fix this problem, your Human Resources or student records office can update your email address in the HR or student record system (ISRS).
The email address on my account is wrong
Employees, contact your Human Resources office to ask that your email address be updated in ISRS. The change will be on your StarID profile within one hour.

Students, contact support staff at your school if you believe that an email address assigned by your school is wrong. Talk to Student Services or log into your eServices account from your school's web site to update your personal email address. The change will be on your StarID profile within one hour.

An old email address I never use appears on my StarID profile
As long as your preferred email address is correct, you may leave the old one on your profile. If you would like to have an old email address removed from the system, you can contact the office responsible for maintaining employee or student records at the college or university where the email address was issued.

Verifying your identity

What is my Tech ID?
Your Tech ID (sometimes referred to as a 'student ID') is an eight-digit number that identifies a person's record in ISRS, the main record system used by Minnesota State. College or university HR offices can provide employees with their Tech ID. Students can get their Tech ID from student support staff at their school.
What is my state employee number?
Your state employee number is an eight-digit number that identifies your record in the State of Minnesota payroll system. Your Human Resources office can provide you with your state employee number if you do not know it.
Why do you need my Social Security number?
We don't. To activate your StarID or reset your password, we require that you verify your identity. This can be done with one of the following:
  • Tech ID, state employee ID, or library card barcode. One of these alone is not enough to verify identity, so we combine them with SSN to identify you.
  • You can save answers to security questions once you have signed in to your StarID profile. Once you save answers, we ask those security questions instead of SSN.
  • A verification code sent to an email address. It does not need to be a personal email address, though using a college or university email address that requires StarID to log in defeats the point. :-)
  • A verification code generated by IT support staff on campus.

As you can see, not all options require an SSN. If you choose not to use your SSN for this purpose and are unable to use an email address, see information technology support for assistance.

Having trouble with your Social Security number?
Some StarID self service options ask for your Social Security number (SSN). If you provide your SSN and the system responds with the message, "We cannot locate a person that matches the information you have provided" it means one of the following things:
  • the number entered does not match the SSN on your ISRS record;
  • the ISRS system does not have your SSN on record;
  • something else that you entered does not match ISRS records (e.g. the Tech ID or Library Card Barcode entered was not assigned by the institution selected).
What is my library card barcode?
Your library card barcode is a 14-digit number that is associated with your record in the library record system. It is commonly printed on a campus ID card or printed on an adhesive label that is attached to a library card.
Why am I being asked security questions?
If you have saved security questions on your StarID profile, then we ask those questions instead of your SSN. Because you can change the answers to your questions, and because we ask several questions, this can improve the security of your StarID.
I have forgotten my answers to security questions
You can still use a verification code sent to an email address associated with your StarID, or generated by campus IT support staff. Once you've reset your password and signed into your profile, then you can change the answers to your security questions.

Verification Codes

What is a verification code?
A verification code is a case-sensitive string of letters and numbers that is temporarily associated with your StarID. The code can be used to verify your identity if you have forgotten your StarID and/or StarID password. You can obtain a verification code by first selecting the 'Personal Email' option. The StarID system will verify that an email address that you enter is on record in the system and then use it to send you a verification code. A verification code automatically expires in one hour and can be used only once.
What is my last name?
You probably know your last name, but it is worth noting that the StarID system will only recognize the last name that is on record for you in the ISRS system. For employees, this is the last name setup for you in ISRS HR and Payroll systems. For students, this is the last name associated with your Student eServices account.
Does it matter which institution I choose?
When you use a Tech ID or Library Card Barcode to verify your identity, you must also choose the institution that assigned it to you. When you use your State Employee Number, you must choose the institution where you are employed. The system cannot verify your identity if you choose an institution that is not associated with ID or number that you provide.

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