Student Center - Social Security Number
An overview and step-by-step guide to checking if you have a Social Security Number on file, adding or opting to not provide your SSN.
Overview:
The University of Wisconsin-Madison is required by Federal Law to provide a 1098-T Tuition Statement to you and the Internal Revenue Service for every tax year you are enrolled. A valid Social Security Number is needed to provide you the 1098-T form.
See the following webpage to learn about 1098T forms and why the University would like to have your Social Security Number on file: https://bursar.wisc.edu/tax
- Check if your SSN is on record
- Enter an SSN to your record
- Enter an SSN - error messages
- Decline to enter an SSN
- International students
Checking if your SSN is on record: Step-by-Step
- Login to MyUW.
- Click on the Student Center tile.
- A pop-up message will appear informing you an SSN is missing or invalid. Click OK to close the message. It will continue to appear until you enter or decline to enter an SSN
OR
- Login to MyUW.
- Click on the Student Center tile, then the Profile tile.
- From the menu on the left, click on Social Security Number.
- Are you being prompted to enter an SSN? That means the number is missing or invalid. See information below to either enter or decline to enter an SSN.
- If your SSN is already on your record, you will be informed the number is recorded and valid.
For security reasons, you will not be able to review the number on file. To review or edit the number, please stop by the Office of the Registrar with your Social Security Card and a photo ID.
To allow the Office of the Registrar to review or edit your SSN electronically, please email us to request a link to a SecuredBox service through which you may share a scan/photo of your Social Security Card.
Enter your SSN: Step-by-Step
- Login to MyUW.
- Click on the Student Center tile, then the Profile tile.
- From the menu on the left, click on Social Security Number.
- Enter in your Social Security Number in the Social Security Number and Retype Social Security Number fields. Click Save.
- You will be taken to a page confirming that you have entered your Social Security Number.
When visiting the SSN tab in the future, you will be informed the number is recorded and valid.
For security reasons, you will not be able to review the number on file. To review or edit the number, please stop by the Office of the Registrar with your Social Security Card and a photo ID.
To allow the Office of the Registrar to review or edit your SSN electronically, please email us to request a link to a SecuredBox service through which you may share a scan/photo of your Social Security Card.
Note: It may take up to one day for MyUW to recognize that you have entered an SSN, which means the pop-up message may still appear in MyUW for up to one day after you've entered or declined to enter an SSN.
Enter your SSN: Error Messages
- "The format of the Social Security Number must be nine digits (no dashes). Format: #########"
You have incorrectly entered your SSN, try re-entering it without using special characters. - "The Social Security Number you entered already exists. Please enter a valid Social Security Number"
Confirm that you are entering the correct SSN in both fields. Otherwise, contact the Office of the Registrar. - "SSN does not match. The Social Security Number you entered does not match the Reentered Social Security Number"
The SSNs you entered in both fields do not match. Try re-entering them. - "You must enter your Social Security Number twice before saving"
You need to enter your SSN in both fields. - "You cannot provide a Social Security Number and choose to opt out at the same time. Please either:
- Remove the Social Security Number values from both fields
- Uncheck the check box and enter a Social Security Number in both fields"
Declining to enter your Social Security Number: Step-by-Step
- Login to MyUW.
- Click on the Student Center tile, then the Profile tile.
- From the menu on the left, click on Social Security Number.
- Check the "I do not wish to provide my Social Security Number" box. Click Save.
- Click the "I do not wish to provide my Social Security Number" radio button.
- You will be taken to a page confirming that you have successfully declined to provide your Social Security Number.
When visiting the SSN tab in the future, you will be informed you have opted to not provide a SSN.
If at any time you would like to add your SSN, please stop by the Office of the Registrar with your Social Security Card and a photo ID.
Note: It may take up to one day for MyUW to recognize that you have entered an SSN, which means the pop-up message may still appear in MyUW for up to one day after you've entered or declined to enter an SSN.
International students will always see the "Your Social Security Number listed in University Student Records is valid" message, even if they have no SSN on record.
International students who are employed by UW-Madison and have an F-1 or J-1 visa will not be able to manually add their SSN or ITIN through the Student Center.
To provide a valid SSN or ITIN, please stop by the Office of the Registrar with your Social Security Card and a photo ID.
To allow the Office of the Registrar to review, edit or add your SSN electronically, please email us to request a link to a SecuredBox service through which you may share a scan/photo of your Social Security Card.