diff --git a/common/djangoapps/student/management/commands/recover_account.py b/common/djangoapps/student/management/commands/recover_account.py
index 6b70782285..b7ce3a5bd1 100644
--- a/common/djangoapps/student/management/commands/recover_account.py
+++ b/common/djangoapps/student/management/commands/recover_account.py
@@ -40,7 +40,7 @@ class Command(BaseCommand):
         send password reset email.
 
         csv file is expected to have one row per user with the format:
-        username, email, new_email
+        username, current_email, desired_email
 
         Example:
             $ ... recover_account csv_file_path
@@ -76,34 +76,34 @@ class Command(BaseCommand):
 
         for row in csv_reader:
             username = row['username']
-            email = row['email']
-            new_email = row['new_email']
+            current_email = row['current_email']
+            desired_email = row['desired_email']
 
             try:
-                user = get_user_model().objects.get(Q(username__iexact=username) | Q(email__iexact=email))
-                user.email = new_email
+                user = get_user_model().objects.get(Q(username__iexact=username) | Q(email__iexact=current_email))
+                user.email = desired_email
                 user.save()
-                self.send_password_reset_email(user, email, site)
-                successful_updates.append(new_email)
+                self.send_password_reset_email(user, site)
+                successful_updates.append(desired_email)
             except Exception as exc:  # pylint: disable=broad-except
-                logger.exception('Unable to send email to {email} and exception was {exp}'.
-                                 format(email=email, exp=exc)
+                logger.exception('Unable to send email to {desired_email} and exception was {exp}'.
+                                 format(desired_email=desired_email, exp=exc)
                                  )
 
-                failed_updates.append(email)
+                failed_updates.append(current_email)
 
         logger.info('Successfully updated {successful} accounts. Failed to update {failed} '
                     'accounts'.format(successful=successful_updates, failed=failed_updates)
                     )
 
-    def send_password_reset_email(self, user, email, site):
+    def send_password_reset_email(self, user, site):
         """
         Send email to learner with reset password link
         :param user:
-        :param email:
         :param site:
         """
         message_context = get_base_template_context(site)
+        email = user.email
         message_context.update({
             'email': email,
             'platform_name': configuration_helpers.get_value('PLATFORM_NAME', settings.PLATFORM_NAME),
diff --git a/common/djangoapps/student/management/tests/test_recover_account.py b/common/djangoapps/student/management/tests/test_recover_account.py
index 7e10b911aa..8dabcbcf5f 100644
--- a/common/djangoapps/student/management/tests/test_recover_account.py
+++ b/common/djangoapps/student/management/tests/test_recover_account.py
@@ -32,7 +32,7 @@ class RecoverAccountTests(TestCase):
 
     def _write_test_csv(self, csv, lines):
         """Write a test csv file with the lines provided"""
-        csv.write(b"username,email,new_email\n")
+        csv.write(b"username,current_email,desired_email\n")
         for line in lines:
             csv.write(six.b(line))
         csv.seek(0)
@@ -80,7 +80,7 @@ class RecoverAccountTests(TestCase):
         with NamedTemporaryFile() as csv:
             csv = self._write_test_csv(csv, lines=['amm,amy@myedx.com,amy@newemail.com\n'])
 
-            expected_message = 'Unable to send email to amy@myedx.com and ' \
+            expected_message = 'Unable to send email to amy@newemail.com and ' \
                                'exception was User matching query does not exist.'
 
             with LogCapture(LOGGER_NAME) as log:
@@ -109,7 +109,7 @@ class RecoverAccountTests(TestCase):
 
     def test_account_recovery_from_config_model(self):
         """Verify learners account recovery using config model."""
-        lines = 'username,email,new_email\namy,amy@edx.com,amy@newemail.com\n'
+        lines = 'username,current_email,desired_email\namy,amy@edx.com,amy@newemail.com\n'
 
         csv_file = SimpleUploadedFile(name='test.csv', content=lines.encode('utf-8'), content_type='text/csv')
         AccountRecoveryConfiguration.objects.create(enabled=True, csv_file=csv_file)
diff --git a/common/djangoapps/student/migrations/0038_auto_20201021_1256.py b/common/djangoapps/student/migrations/0038_auto_20201021_1256.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..3188b9e30f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/common/djangoapps/student/migrations/0038_auto_20201021_1256.py
@@ -0,0 +1,19 @@
+# Generated by Django 2.2.16 on 2020-10-21 12:56
+
+import django.core.validators
+from django.db import migrations, models
+
+
+class Migration(migrations.Migration):
+
+    dependencies = [
+        ('student', '0037_linkedinaddtoprofileconfiguration_updates'),
+    ]
+
+    operations = [
+        migrations.AlterField(
+            model_name='accountrecoveryconfiguration',
+            name='csv_file',
+            field=models.FileField(help_text='It expect that the data will be provided in a csv file format with                     first row being the header and columns will be as follows:                     username, current_email, desired_email', upload_to='', validators=[django.core.validators.FileExtensionValidator(allowed_extensions=['csv'])]),
+        ),
+    ]
diff --git a/common/djangoapps/student/models.py b/common/djangoapps/student/models.py
index 4390073344..93c42cd7a0 100644
--- a/common/djangoapps/student/models.py
+++ b/common/djangoapps/student/models.py
@@ -3035,7 +3035,7 @@ class AccountRecoveryConfiguration(ConfigurationModel):
         validators=[FileExtensionValidator(allowed_extensions=[u'csv'])],
         help_text=_(u"It expect that the data will be provided in a csv file format with \
                     first row being the header and columns will be as follows: \
-                    username, email, new_email")
+                    username, current_email, desired_email")
     )