General
Once I graduate, will I lose access to my student Google and Microsoft accounts?
Yes. You'll have approximately 90 days after your degree conferral date to save any important files from your CU Boulder Google and Microsoft accounts before you lose access.
How much time does it take to transfer files to another location?
That depends on a few factors, including the number of files you're downloading and the speed of your internet connection. The process can take a considerable amount of time, so we encourage you to start the process well ahead of your account deactivation date.
Once I lose access, what happens to my Google Drive and/or Microsoft OneDrive files?
Your files will be permanently deleted, which is why it's critical for you to move any files you'd like to keep to another location prior to losing access to your CU Boulder-provided Google and Microsoft accounts.
Can OIT help me download or transfer personal files from my CU Boulder accounts?
No, OIT can't help alumni transfer their files to a personal storage location.
CU Boulder Email
Can I still use my CU Boulder email account after I graduate?
Yes. At this time, alumni can continue to access and use their CU Boulder email accounts through Outlook on the web.
If you forget your password or can't log in using your old credentials, follow our tutorial to change your IdentiKey password.
Is multi-factor authentication (MFA) required with Outlook on the web?
Yes. Learn more about multi-factor authentication (MFA) across Microsoft services.
Google Services
Why doesn't CU Boulder provide Google services to alumni?
In 2021, Google announced that it would end free storage for universities, which significantly reduced the amount of storage CU Boulder could provide to campus users. In the next few years, CU Boulder allocated the remaining storage to active students, faculty, staff and volunteers who need access to these tools to perform their duties.
To achieve this reallocation, OIT facilitated the following changes between 2022 and 2024:
How do I get a personal Google account?
Google offers both free and paid service plans based on your needs:
- Sign up for a free personal Google account to access web and mobile apps and get 15GB of cloud storage.
- Purchase a Google One plan to access additional features and expanded cloud storage.
If you do sign up for a personal account, remember to transfer any important files from your student account before you lose access.
Can I continue to use "Sign in with Google" to log in to other sites with my CU Boulder credentials?
No. Once your Google account is deactivated, you'll no longer be able to use "Sign in with Google." Before that happens, log in to your Google account and check which apps and services are linked to your account.
Please note: If your browser is signed in to a personal Google account, you will need to switch to your CU Boulder Google account for the correct list of linked apps and services.
How do I transfer Google files from my student account to a personal one?
Google's transfer service allows to you to move Gmail emails, documents you own and, in some circumstances, documents in your Shared with me folder to a personal Google account. Please follow Google's file transfer instructions carefully.
I've shared files in my CU Boulder Google Drive with others at the university. Will they lose access to those files when my account is deleted?
Yes. When your Google Drive files are deleted, everyone will lose access unless you've either moved the files to a non-CU Boulder account and reshared them or transferred ownership to a current student (see Google's instructions to transfer ownership).
Microsoft Services
Why doesn't CU Boulder provide Microsoft services to alumni?
Per the terms of the university's contract with Microsoft, we are only permitted to provide the full suite of Microsoft services to actively affiliated students, faculty and staff.
How do I get a personal Microsoft 365 account?
Microsoft offers both free and paid service plans based on your needs:
- You can sign up for a free personal Microsoft 365 account to access web and mobile apps for free and get 5GB of cloud storage.
- You can purchase a personal or family plan to access Microsoft 365 desktop applications and get additional cloud storage.
If you do sign up for a personal account, remember to transfer any important files from your student account before you lose access.
How do I transfer Microsoft files from my student account to a personal one?
To copy, transfer or import files into a personal Microsoft OneDrive account, follow Microsofts's file transfer instructions.
I've shared files in my Microsoft OneDrive with others at CU Boulder. Will they lose access to those files when my account is deleted?
Yes. When your Microsoft OneDrive files are deleted, any users with whom they were shared will also permanently lose access to them. To transfer ownership to someone with whom you've already shared the file or folder, refer to our Microsoft OneDrive - Transfer Ownership of Shared Files tutorial.