CougarNet Account - University of Houston
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CougarNet Account

CougarNet accounts give access to many UH resources.

AccessUH allows you to use your CougarNet ID to access many online services without logging into each one separately, including myUH (PeopleSoft), PASS, Canvas, and Email (Exchange).  Access to services is based upon your role with the University or the business owner of the respective application.

CougarNet Accounts for Students

Once students have been admitted, their CougarNet accounts are automatically created. Each student will receive a notification with the credential information to the e-mail address on record with the University. If you did not receive this information, please contact UIT Support Center at 713-743-1411 or chat with a support representative

CougarNet Accounts for Employees

All employees who go through our hiring or Person of Interest process, will receive a CougarNet account automatically.

Once the hiring process has been completed, UH faculty and staff will receive an email notification to the e-mail address on record with the University regarding their new CougarNet account.

If, for any reason, you do not receive the notification, or you did not receive a CougarNet account, you may contact the UIT Support Center at 713-743-1411 or chat with us.  Additional resources may be found at the Password Wizard where you can reset your password or find your CougarNet username.

There are certain colleges and departments that offer their own Windows computing resources. Those with accounts in another Windows domains should check with their college/division support staff about receiving their college or department specific accounts.

Virtual private networking (VPN) access is also available using your CougarNet account. VPN is available to UH students, faculty, and staff to help connect off-campus networks to computing resources inside the University of Houston network. Additional information about VPN services can be found on our main IT website.

Sponsored Accounts

To set up a CougarNet account for new employees that will be starting in the future, or for persons not affiliated with UH (such as contractors, consultants, or temporary workers), you may need to create a "sponsored account."

For more about sponsoring an account, including getting Sponsored Account Forms, go to the Sponsored Accounts page.

Password Expiration

CougarNet passwords expire after 180 days.

As a security measure, computer account passwords expire on a regular basis and must be changed. It is the responsibility of the account owner to make the password one that is easy to remember, but difficult for someone else to guess.

Password Resets

Lost or forgotten passwords can be reset. Computer account owners can request password resets online or go directly to the Cougarnet Password Wizard.

Note: If you contact us for assistance, UIT Support Center staff will verify account ownership using your Cougar Card and various other demographic information.

Standards for Changing Your Password

The CougarNet system requires you to use strong passwords, which must be at least eight characters in length and must have at least one of each of the following:

  1. Alphabetic (a-z, A-Z)
  2. Numeric (0-9)
  3. Special Character - For example:  !  #   %  *  @  ) ^  

CougarNet passwords are case-sensitive and cannot contain your UserID, First, Middle, or Last Name as part of the password.