In September 2025, the A&M System Office of IT officially announced that ID.me will replace SSO’s native UIN Login and that the UIN Login will go out of support on 11/1/2026.
This announcement was formalized at the SSO ID.me Town Hall on November 14th, 2025.
Executive Summary
The A&M System is transitioning to ID.me as the primary login mechanism for pre-employees, former employees, and retirees accessing the Single Sign-On (SSO) system and related services like Workday. This strategic shift is driven by the need for improved security, enhanced protection of individual and system data, and simplification of long-term business processes and the user login experience. The rollout will occur in phases, beginning with an early adopter program and extending through the fall of 2026, with a target of turning off the current UIN logon for these groups by November 1, 2026.
The Rationale for ID.me Adoption
The current method for non-active employees (pre-employees, former employees, and retirees) to access SSO involves using a UIN and password. The integration of ID.me addresses several critical objectives:
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Improved Security: ID.me offers advanced security and protection for individual users and the A&M System’s member data and information.
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Process Simplification: While initial adjustments are expected, ID.me is anticipated to simplify business processes, including the management of authenticator apps like Duo, in the long run.
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Enhanced User Experience: ID.me is a trusted identity verification service utilized by many federal and state agencies, including the Social Security Administration. This familiarity is expected to simplify the login experience for retirees and other former employees who may already have an ID.me account.
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Smoother Onboarding: The switch will make it easier for pre-employees to gain necessary access to A&M System SSO and Workday before their first official day of work.
Scope of Impact
The integration of ID.me specifically impacts the authentication process for non-active employee status groups:
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Pre-Employees: Most will log into SSO with ID.me instead of a UIN. Exceptions include individuals without a Social Security Number (SSN) or Individual Taxpayer Identification Number (ITIN) and those under the age of 18, who will continue to use the legacy UIN Login until the system implements solutions for those scenarios.
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Former Employees and Retirees (and Dependents): These groups will use ID.me to log in to SSO instead of their UIN to access services such as open enrollment, Workday, and the Insurance Billing application.
Changes for HR and Business Administrators
The shift necessitates adjustments to existing onboarding and offboarding processes and documentation. Administrators will need to incorporate ID.me account creation into their workflows. A major benefit for administrators is the reduced need to manage SSO password resets and account lockouts, as ID.me will handle the login, multi-factor authentication (MFA), and identity verification for these users.
The ID.me Service
ID.me is known for its identity credential, focusing on the end-user (member) experience.
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Reach: ID.me has over 153 million users nationwide, with a strong presence in Texas. For individuals already “pre-verified” through another affiliated organization, the login experience will be seamless, requiring only existing credentials, MFA, and consent.
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Affiliations: ID.me is leveraged by large federal organizations (IRS, VA, SSA) and various state agencies, higher education institutions, and community colleges. It also facilitates community discounts for groups like teachers, students, and veterans.
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Access and Verification Flow:
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Pre-Verified (Existing User) Flow: Users with an existing, verified ID.me account simply log in, complete MFA, and provide consent to share information with the A&M System. This is a very quick process.
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Unsupervised (Self-Service) Flow: Ideal for new users seeking the IAL2 identity verification policy. This involves:
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Creating an account or logging in with an existing low-policy credential.
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Uploading an official government ID document.
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Capturing a selfie to compare against the ID and confirm liveness detection.
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Entering a phone number and SSN for additional back-end checks (telecom and financial records checks, which do not involve a credit score check).
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Supervised (Video Verification) Flow: If the unsupervised flow fails (e.g., issues with document upload, selfie capture, or a “thin digital footprint”), the user is routed to a virtual in-person video chat with a trusted referee. This service is available 24/7, and sessions are streamlined by background document review.
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Support and Resources
A clear division of support responsibilities has been established:
Target resolution for ID.me support tickets is within 48 hours of initial submission, accounting for multiple exchanges required for full resolution. The A&M System has an assigned ID.me Customer Success Manager to handle escalated issues.
Implementation Timeline and Next Steps
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Early Adopter Program: Currently in progress, this program is testing ID.me integration with member institution workflows through the end of January.
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System-Wide Rollout: Beginning after the early adopter program concludes and extending through the fall of 2026.
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Member-Specific Training: System IT will work closely with each member’s HR and business administration teams to understand current onboarding/offboarding processes and provide tailored training, email templates, and communication plans.
Key Considerations
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Proactive Communication: The A&M System encourages members to communicate the upcoming ID.me requirement to pre-employees as early as possible—ideally when an offer is extended—to allow them time to gather necessary documentation and set up their account.
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Outlier Cases: A process will be put in place for managing outlier cases (e.g., international staff, those without SSN/ITIN, or individuals on investigational leave) to ensure continuity of access to Workday or other necessary services.
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Retiree Outreach: Centralized communication to retirees will utilize multiple channels (including postal mail) over the course of a full year to ensure all retirees are informed of the switch.
Reference Material
1. A&M System ID.me Resources (for Employees and Administrators)
These official pages contain the recommendations, guidelines, and context for the ID.me rollout, including the information referenced for administrators and HR teams.
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ID.me Administration: Texas A&M System ID.me Administration
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SSO Help System: Using ID.me: Texas A&M System IT – Using ID.me (Includes links to ID.me required documents, FAQs, and account creation steps.)
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ID.me Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ): ID.me FAQ – Texas A&M System IT
2. ID.me Support (For Account/Verification Issues)
This is the central help center for users experiencing issues with the ID.me account, verification process, or multi-factor authentication (MFA).
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ID.me Help Center: ID.me Help Center
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Troubleshooting ID.me Issues: Having trouble verifying with ID.me? Fix login and verification issues (Covers duplicate accounts, document rejection, selfie issues, etc.)
3. A&M System Support Contact (For Post-Login Issues in SSO)
This is the designated contact for issues that occur after a successful ID.me verification, such as problems accessing Single Sign On, Workday, or other A&M System applications.
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A&M System IT Support Email:
support@tamus.edu