In this post
- What launched
- Chosen by the community
- Why now
- Where it applies
- Persona’s higher ed footprint
- Support beyond the contract
- The takeaway
- Sources
Colleges and universities are under growing pressure to confirm that the people in their systems are who they say they are. In September 2026, Internet2, working with its InCommon identity federation, introduced a new option:
NET+ Persona.
What launched
The new service lets research and education institutions meet identity proofing and verification requirements for federal research access through the InCommon Federation, financial aid and enrollment integrity, secure credential issuance, and account recovery. Persona, a verified identity platform, was selected for Internet2’s NET+ program, which makes vetted cloud services available to colleges and universities.
The selection followed a community-led process. Eight institutions wrote the RFP requirements, drawing on a survey and InCommon’s identity proofing work: Duke University, Harvard University IT, Hudson County Community College, Pacific Lutheran University, Southern Methodist University, University of Delaware, UMass Amherst and UW-Madison. The resulting contract is designed around higher education and research needs. Eligible subscribers include Internet2 members and non-member higher education institutions.
Why now
Two pressures are driving demand: fraud and federal requirements. A U.S. Department of Education review flagged 300,000 student financial aid applications for extra verification. InCommon says a federal target of January 2027 is approaching, and its identity proofing work aims to help reduce financial aid fraud, service desk phishing and “ghost student” enrollment. Its materials also tie the service to NIH identity proofing requirements.
Multi-factor authentication alone doesn’t solve this. It is only as strong as the identity behind the login. Someone who gets through enrollment, onboarding or account recovery with a false identity can end up with credentials that look legitimate. InCommon’s Ann West says this is a business problem touching admissions, HR, the registrar, financial aid and research administration at once.
Where it applies
Persona’s platform is meant to cover admissions, enrollment, student services, campus access, financial aid, and faculty and staff onboarding. Institutions can use it for risk-based verification in aid and scholarship programs, to guard against synthetic identities, and to replace manual video calls with automated digital checks.
Persona isn’t new to campuses. It supports dozens of institutions, from community colleges to public research universities and online providers. It has tripled its higher education business since 2024, adding schools such as the University of Colorado.
Support beyond the contract
The service is one piece of a larger InCommon effort. A launch webinar featured SMU’s Tommy Doan, Persona’s Maggie Larsen and InCommon’s Ann West. A second InCommon Academy Identity Proofing Accelerator was also scheduled to begin in September. InCommon has been running events and resources, including a four-part series, to help campuses implement identity proofing.
The takeaway
For campuses facing the 2027 target, NET+ Persona offers a pre-negotiated, community-vetted way to start. It doesn’t replace the harder work of deciding which processes carry the most risk and building a roadmap. InCommon’s resources are aimed at that work too.
Sources