Student NetIDs & Email

What is a NetID?

A "NetID" is the core computing account assigned to each student at Towson University. It consists of a username, email address, a password, and a set of computing services to which the NetID provides access including:

• email
• online file storage
• web publishing
• chat
• videoconferencing
• wireless access services

NetID Management

Several NetID management self-help tools are available to assist in tasks such as:

• activating a NetID for the first time
• resetting a forgotten password
• reviewing basic information about a NetID

All NetID holders should follow the university guidelines for responsible computing.

Getting a New NetID

You will automatically have a NetID created if you are an admitted student or an English Language Center student.

You can activate your NetID by supplying basic information, choosing a security question and answer (to help with resetting your password if you ever forget it), and then setting your first password. After you set your password, you will be presented with some basic information about your NetID, and it will be ready for you to start using it.

Passwords

• NetID holders must maintain a password, and if forgotten, they can use a security question and answer previously chosen by them to reset that password. The same password is used by any Towson service that uses NetIDs for logging in.
• Passwords must be updated at least once every year.
• Password expiration warning notifications will be sent automatically through email in advance. Never give out your NetID password to anyone - OTS staff never need your password.

Accessing Email

In partnership with Google, the university provides TU students with Google-hosted email accounts. Email is accessible once you have activated your NetID. Visit the OTS Webmail Powered By Google page for more details.

To access your Webmail Powered by Google email account:

1. Visit webmail.towson.edu
2. Enter your NetID and password, and log in

Using a Non-TU Email Account

If you are using a non-Towson email account, you could be missing assignments, time-sensitive financial aid information or other important campus correspondence. To ensure receipt of TU emails, automatically forward them to your preferred account. Visit the OTS Webmail Powered By Google page for more student email resources.  

Student Employees

• Student employees may receive additional access for their employment and communication within their hiring department.
• Faculty/staff who employ student employees and need to request access to additional services should submit a TechHelp service request to OTS.

Students in the Former UB/TU MBA Program

• Students in the former UB/TU MBA program received NetIDs with fewer services than other regular TU students; the Towson NetID is only used for logging into Towson campus desktops and the Towson secure wireless network.  
• All other services, such as email, are provided by their University of Baltimore (UB) account.

NetIDs After Leaving the University

• After 18 months following graduation or enrollment eligibility, a student's NetID will automatically be disabled in, and later purged from, the system. 
• One month prior to the NetID being disabled, an email will be automatically sent to the student which provides some basic information about downloading and archiving any remaining data in their account.
• When students stop enrolling in courses, Towson recommends that they inform anyone sending email to their Towson address to use a different, personal email address that will persist. Leaving TU? Create a Gmail account and take your email along (PDF).
• If the student returns to the university, they will be given the same NetID and email address.