Persona today announced its selection for the NET+ program managed by Internet2. Therefore, through this partnership, advanced identity verification techniques will be delivered to colleges and universities in the country.
Moreover, there is increasing difficulty caused by identity fraud in higher education institutions. For example, the Department of Education detected 300,000 fraudulent applications for FAFSA in 2026. Similarly, California community colleges had more than 1.2 million fraudulent applications in 2024. Therefore, institutions must adopt stronger identity protection systems immediately. Moreover, the official community ecosystem at Internet2 helps schools safeguard critical financial resources effectively.
“As identity becomes increasingly important across the higher education experience, institutions need to keep people safe without creating unnecessary friction in the moments that matter, whether on campus or online,” said Sasha Dobrolioubov, VP of Partnerships at Persona. “We’re proud to be joining Internet2 and a community that shares our focus on supporting the people at the heart of higher education. Through the NET+ program, we’ll be able to engage directly with institutions and help strengthen how they verify and protect the identities of students, faculty, staff, and alumni.”
Scaling Identity Assurance Across Research Universities
Meanwhile, Persona supports identity management programs for dozens of educational entities. Furthermore, the company tripled its higher education client portfolio after 2024. For example, flagship public institutions like the University of Colorado already rely on Persona tools. In addition, joining as a member of Internet2 follows a rigorous community-led RFP process.
“Research and education institutions need practical ways to strengthen identity assurance and address fraud without creating unnecessary barriers for the communities they serve,” said Sean O’Brien, Vice President for NET+ Cloud Services at Internet2. “NET+ Persona is a solution for those challenges, providing identity verification that can meet a range of institutional needs and complementing the broader identity work Internet2 and InCommon support across the community.”
Streamlining Digital Verification Workflows
Consequently, NET+ Persona allows institutions to implement flexible, risk-based identity verification policies. Furthermore, universities can protect scholarship programs against synthetic identity scams using this platform. Meanwhile, researchers secure controlled data access while maintaining strict federal compliance standards. In addition to this, management groups automate the video call process with the help of digital checks. In consequence, Internet2’s member colleges ensure security on campus without inconveniencing their digital users. Furthermore, the architecture ensures the safety of sensitive processes, such as the restoration of accounts and password changes.
In the end, this collaboration between Persona and Internet2 changes the face of identity management in higher education institutions.
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