Services

Office of Information Security

Report an Incident

How Do I Create or Recover a Penn State Account?

HOW DO I CREATE A PENN STATE ACCOUNT?

(Click a topic to expand the content)

don't modify this so accordion stays closed

I'm a prospective student, faculty or staff member

In most cases, you do not need to take the initiative to create a Penn State account.

  • When you apply for admission online, you’re either prompted to create an account, or an account is automatically created for you as part of the application process.
  • When you accept an offer of employment, an account is automatically created for you.
  • In either case, if you already have a Penn State account because of a previous relationship with the University, a new account will not be created for you.  Instead, you’ll be prompted to confirm that the existing account belongs to you and provided the opportunity to update any out-of-date information associated with your account.

I'm not a student or employee, but I have an academic, business or research relationship with Penn State

​​​​​​​You may need a Penn State Account if:

  • You are a visiting scholar, are taking courses, or are attending a camp that requires the ability to log in to a lab computer or protected Penn State website, but are not officially enrolled as a student through the university Registrar’s Office
  • You are a faculty member or adjunct professor, or are performing research for a department and are not receiving a paycheck from Penn State.
  • You are a vendor, contractor, temporary worker, or consultant who performs work for Penn State but are not being paid directly by the University.

In most of the above cases, your department or supervisor will provide you with instructions and a link to visit to create an account or recover your existing account.  If not, simply visit accounts.psu.edu, click Create My Account, and follow the prompts.
If you need additional help, see knowledge article Create a Penn State Access Account – Step-by-Step Instructions.

Once you’ve created your account, your supervisor may need to “sponsor” it in order to provide you with additional access.
See the Sponsored Accounts page on this website to learn more.

I need to sign up for a library account or some other opportunity or activity at Penn State

​​​You may need to create a Penn State Account in order to sign up for Penn State Library Services, serve as a volunteer, schedule a campus tour, or register to participate in activities such as a webinar, swimming lessons, or some camps.

In most cases, the online process involved in registering for such activities includes instructions and a link for creating an account.  If not, simply visit accounts.psu.edu, click Create My Account, and follow the prompts.  If you need additional help, see knowledge article Create a Penn State Access Account – Step-by-Step Instructions.

HOW DO I RECOVER MY OLD PENN STATE ACCOUNT?

If you’re a former student or employee or have ever registered for anything with Penn State – whether a class, a summer sports camp, library services, or a volunteer activity – chances are, you still have a Penn State Account.  

If you don’t remember your Penn State user ID, or your account is inactive, you may be able to recover and reactivate your account by following the instructions in knowledge article Recover My Forgotten or Inactive Penn State Access Account.

See Also

I'm New to
Penn State University

Manage My Penn State Account

I'm Leaving or Have Left Penn State

Special Types of Penn State
Accounts

Protect My Account and Data

Additional
Resources