What Happens to My Illinois Accounts After Graduation?


Your student status will be removed from your NetID approximately one year after you leave the university.

You can continue to use all the services tied to your NetID until your student status is removed. Some services attached to your NetID include:

  • Email
  • Software
  • Cloud storage
  • Canvas
  • Library access
  • Computer lab access

More details about what you will lose access to and what you will keep for a period of time can be found at Identity Management for students leaving campus.

What should I do to prepare for account expiration?

Step 1: Set email preferences

Set your password recovery options.

You will need to keep your password updated to access services. Update your password and set your recovery options at the NetID Center.

Set up email forwarding.

Once your student status is removed, you will no longer be able to log in to your university email account. However, you can still be reached at your NetID@illinois.edu address if you set up forwarding to an outside address. Learn how to set up email forwarding.

Two students on laptops to demonstrate a photo of software accounts after graduation at U of I
Hands typing on a computer to show accessing software online

Step 2: Save WebStore software keys

Once your NetID is deactivated, you will not be able to log in to WebStore to access your software license information from your account order history. Take some time now to visit the WebStore and save or store any access keys/codes for your software. Some annual subscription software may expire prior to your NetID deactivation. The expiration date of annual subscription software will be stated on the name of the offer in your WebStore software order. 

Subscriptions that end when a student NetID expires often have instructions to transfer data from the old account to a new account. This information is included in the “specifications” section under the offer listing in the WebStore catalog.

Step 3: Save stored online data

Cloud storage

If you’ve been using U of I Box or university accounts for OneDrive or Google Apps @ Illinois, you may want to save or migrate access to any files.

Illinois AnyWare

You will lose access to our virtual computer lab, Illinois AnyWare, when your student status is removed. Your files and user profile on the following desktop offerings will eventually be deleted:

  • General purpose
  • Graphics enabled machine
  • WebStore purchased applications

If you want to keep your files from one of those desktops, please save them elsewhere. More information on saving your files can be found in this Answers KnowledgeBase article.

Woman in a dorm room accessing her software accounts
Graduates proud to graduate

Step 4: Know what else expires after graduation

Once your student status is removed, you’ll no longer be able to use these services:

  • Outlook mailbox
  • Microsoft Office 365
  • Online courses via Canvas and Moodle
  • Some computer labs
  • LinkedIn Learning
  • VPN
  • Illini-Alert

Step 5: Create alumni accounts

University of Illinois graduates can create alumni accounts for some services.

Alma Mater dressed in graduation regalia.

If you continue to work with a department after graduation, they may continue to provide you services via your NetID. Check with your department if you will need to access any of their services after graduation.