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Graduation info
Academic regalia
Regalia will be available for purchase during Grad Fair events. Grad Fair will be held at the MCV Campus Barnes & Noble @ VCU on Monday, October 12, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and at the Monroe Park Campus Barnes & Noble @ VCU on Tuesday, October 13 – Thursday, October 15, from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Please remember that you must visit your primary campus’ Barnes & Noble @ VCU to purchase your specific regalia.
Following Grad Fair, regalia will be available for purchase at the Barnes & Noble @ VCU on the Monroe Park campus until Graduation Day. Medical regalia will be available at the Barnes & Noble @ VCU at the MCV campus until October 22, and then at the Monroe Park store until Graduation Day. If you are unable to visit Barnes & Noble @ VCU, please order your regalia online at balfour.com/vcu. Shipping charges will apply to all internet orders.
Academic regalia, including cap, gown, hood, and tassel, are available for bachelor, master, Ph.D./Ed.D. and professional doctorate programs (including D.P.T., D.D.S., Pharm.D., M.D., O.T.D., and D.N.A.P.). All basic regalia can be purchased in-store, starting at Grad Fair and up until Graduation.
Cords and stoles
Cords and stoles are available for purchase at the Barnes & Noble @ VCU locations or online at balfour.com/vcu.
In addition to receiving your cap and gown, Grad Fair features many other services and activities. Representatives from various departments and offices will be available during Grad Fair to help you prepare for graduation, including VCU Alumni, VCU Career Services, VCU Continuing and Professional Education, and many more. During Grad Fair, you can also have your first graduation photo taken in full regalia, order graduation announcements, select an official VCU class ring and purchase graduation accessories.
Graduating senior assistance grant
Business Services offers a fund for students needing financial assistance to purchase regalia. Regalia is sold through the Barnes & Noble @ VCU campus bookstores. Regalia prices, including cap, gown, hood and tassel, are determined yearly.
Students must complete the online application form, available from October 8 to 25. Applying for assistance does not automatically grant it. Regalia requests are considered on a first-come, first-served basis until funds are exhausted. Notifications will be sent no more than two weeks after the application is submitted.
For more information, visit this website.
Note: Reimbursement will not be made to students who have previously purchased regalia, and assistance is not applicable for online purchases.
Assembling and robing
All candidates should plan to arrive at the Siegel Center, 1200 W. Broad St., by 9 a.m. using the Harrison Street entrance. Candidates should follow signs to their school assembly areas, where faculty marshals will provide further information. Candidates may choose to arrive in their regalia or get dressed on site. Academic regalia will not be available at the Commencement ceremony.
Class rings
The official VCU class ring is a lasting symbol of your academic achievements and a constant reminder of the university’s distinct history. Around the country and the world, fellow alumni wear VCU rings, which provide instant recognition and serve as a wonderful catalyst for sharing VCU affiliation and memories. You join alumni in wearing the official class ring as a reminder of the time, experiences and memories you made at VCU.
Representatives from Balfour will be at the MCV Campus Barnes & Noble @ VCU on Monday, October 12, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and at the Monroe Park Campus Barnes & Noble @ VCU on Tuesday, October 13 – Thursday, October 15, from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Purchase your rings by this time to get them by the Grad Send Off on December 8.
For additional ordering information, please visit balfour.com/vcu or call (866) 225-3687 (BALFOUR).
Commencement announcements
Announcements are the traditional way to tell your friends and family about your achievement. Standard etiquette is to send announcements out two weeks before graduation, but announcements may be ordered at any time and can be sent to friends and family after graduation.
Personalized VCU announcements can be ordered at Grad Fair and are available online at balfour.com/vcu or by calling (800) 433-0296. These announcements are printed with the graduate’s full formal name, degree and major. Please allow seven to 10 business days for announcement order delivery.
Commencement exercise: Departmental and universitywide ceremonies
Graduates have the opportunity to celebrate their achievements at two ceremonies: the university-wide ceremony and their school or departmental ceremony.
At school or departmental ceremonies, graduates will be recognized individually and typically will walk across the stage. Graduates will receive information about these ceremonies from their school or department office. For a listing of these ceremonies, please visit the departmental listings page.
School and departmental ceremonies are separate from the universitywide ceremony held on Saturday, Dec. 12, at 10 a.m. at the Siegel Center. At the university-wide ceremony, graduates are recognized collectively by school, with the exception of Ph.D. and Ed.D. candidates, who will be recognized individually.
Diploma and degree conferral
The official conferral date for December 2026 degrees is December 19, 2026. Degrees will be posted to your record on Tuesday, January 19, 2027. Degrees will not appear on your academic transcript until this date. Degrees will only show for those students who have satisfied all degree requirements and received final approval. Check your academic transcript via eServices to ensure your degree has been posted before requesting official transcripts.
VCU now offers digital diplomas! These are certified electronic credentials known as a CeDiploma! You will receive an email with a link to download your credential when it is available from our trusted partner, CeCredentialTrust. This service is available to students at a charge of $17.95.
Physical diplomas will be mailed beginning February 26, 2027, to the address provided during graduation checkout. Digital (CeDiplomas) diplomas will be available for download beginning February 26, 2027. To receive your diploma, you must meet all financial obligations to the university. Diplomas will not be released for those students who have not met their financial obligations. Please contact the Office of the University Registrar at (804) 827-1673 or graduation@vcu.edu once those obligations have been met.
Call Me By My Name
If you are requesting changes based on a legal change of name, the first step is to process your legal change of name with the university. Information on doing so may be found at registrar.vcu.edu/records.
If you have not changed your legal name and are requesting changes based on the name of use, please visit Call Me By My Name.
Diploma frames
Diploma frames designed and matted especially for VCU will be available through the bookstores. For additional information, please visit or call the Barnes & Noble @ VCU on the Monroe Park Campus at (804) 828-1678 or the MCV Campus at (804) 828-0336.
Financial aid guidance
There are free resources to help you navigate life beyond college. Want to figure out how much you need to pay on your student loans and when? Visit https://studentaid.gov/ and use the online Loan Repayment Calculator or access repayment forms. Maybe you need help with making the most of your money. Learn about the “Five Money Principles” you should keep in mind when making day-to-day financial decisions by visiting https://www.mymoney.gov/mymoneyfive. These resources will help you learn ways to minimize your debt and save for the future.
First-generation graduation pins
The You First at VCU First-Generation Student Success and Research Center has a gift for first-generation graduates. They have designed a special “You First at VCU” pin for you to wear on your regalia as you celebrate your big day.
Who qualifies as a first-generation student? Any student whose parents did not complete a four-year degree is considered a first-generation student. Some of you may have siblings who are attending college or who completed a degree; you and your siblings are part of the same generation. You’re all first-gen!
Pins will be available at Grad Fair. If you cannot come to Grad Fair, pins will be available for pick up in the Office of Special Programs beginning Monday, October 19, between the hours of 9 a.m. and 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday. Questions? Please feel free to contact youfirst@vcu.edu.
Graduating Students
Grad Send-Off
Class of 2026, it's your official alumni welcome! Celebrate with the Office of Alumni Relations on Tuesday, December 8, from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. at the Student Commons as you are about to begin your journey into alumni hood.
Students graduating in December 2026 can celebrate with complimentary food, swag (while supplies last), and alumni resource tables.
Graduation Exit Survey
Support your fellow Rams by sharing your post-graduation plans — whether working, going on to further education or still seeking — via the VCU First Destination Survey in Handshake. Prize drawings will be held regularly (starting April 10), and those who complete the survey will be eligible to win AirPods, an air fryer, a robot vacuum, a JBL bluetooth speaker, and Amazon gift cards. Before the survey closes in November 2026, you’ll also be able to review or change your information as needed. Questions? Contact careers@vcu.edu.
Graduation portraits
Commemorate this momentous occasion, your college graduation, with individual portraits by Balfour/Grad Images. They will be available at the MCV Campus Barnes & Noble @ VCU on Monday, October 12, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and at the Monroe Park Campus Barnes & Noble @ VCU on Tuesday, October 13 – Thursday, October 15, from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. You must purchase or provide your own regalia for the pictures.
On Saturday, Dec. 12, graduation portraits will be available from 7:30 to 9:30 a.m. before the universitywide ceremony at the Stuart C. Siegel Center. Graduates who wish to participate in this final portrait opportunity should plan to arrive early. Registration is not required.
Graduates, we have a unique opportunity for you to share your graduation photos with us so that we can display them for your family and friends during the universitywide ceremony. If you would like the chance for your grad picture to be featured, please fill out this form.
Guest seating
The Siegel Center doors will be opened for guests at 9 a.m. Tickets are not required, and there is no reserved seating. In accordance with the fire marshal regulations, no one is allowed admission once the Siegel Center has reached capacity. If guests exit the Siegel Center during the ceremony, they will not be readmitted as long as the seating capacity has been reached.
Guidelines for cords, stoles and pins
We hold all of our graduates in high esteem at Commencement. In addition to the traditional cap and gown regalia worn at this event, students are entitled to wear stoles, honor cords and pins to signify their participation in organizations or achievement with groups or programs. The student/organization/group is responsible for the cost of any such regalia.
Barnes & Noble @ VCU on the Monroe Park and MCV campuses will carry stoles and honor cords for students and select student organizations for pickup or purchase. A list of individuals who are eligible for these items is provided to the bookstore by the sponsoring group or organization. Graduation stoles, pins, and honor cords must be kept with the decorum of the event.
Latin honors cords
In addition to being listed in the Commencement program, Latin honors cords will be available for Commencement. Baccalaureate degrees with honors are conferred per the following cumulative grade-point averages: cum laude, 3.30-3.59; magna cum laude, 3.60-3.89; and summa cum laude, 3.90-4.00.
These designations apply only to candidates who have completed 45 or more credit hours of coursework at VCU and have a cumulative VCU GPA of 3.30 or higher. Once the initial criterion is met, calculation of the GPA for honors determination is based on grades received for all courses taken for credit at VCU, as well as for credits accepted for transfer at VCU. If the calculated GPA falls below 3.30, the student is no longer eligible for Latin honors designation. Latin honors cords can be purchased at Barnes & Noble @ VCU once a student’s GPA status is confirmed during the semester in which they plan to graduate.
For more information on Latin honors, please visit registrar.vcu.edu/graduation.
Office of the University Registrar
If you or a family member have any questions concerning graduation, please feel free to contact the Office of the University Registrar at graduation@vcu.edu or (804) 827-1673 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., Monday through Friday.
Parking
Parking is available to the public for free at the VCU West Broad Street Parking Deck, located at 1111 W. Broad St. For maps and directions, visit maps.vcu.edu/monroepark/broadstdeck.
VCU Alumni
You’ve had a great ride, and the memories of your time at VCU will stay with you forever. But don’t leave VCU in the rearview. Connect now with VCU Alumni to discover all the ways you can remain engaged with your alma mater long after the big day. Make sure you stay connected after graduation by providing a non-VCU email so we can stay in touch and send you events based on your location!
Rams Helping Rams: Class of 2026
As graduation approaches, the job market can feel competitive, but you don’t have to navigate it alone. Join Rams Helping Rams: Class of 2026, a VCU Link group connecting graduating seniors with alums ready to help with:
- Job leads: Company openings an alum shares directly, alongside your Handshake search
- Industry insight: Advice on breaking into your field
- Connections: Referrals and introductions through professional networks
Start building your network before graduation and tap into the power of the VCU Ramily.
Looking for UNforgettable VCU gifts for grads? M.LaHart & Co's VCU Collection is expertly crafted, personally engraved and beautifully presented.
We're excited for you to join the alum family. If you have any questions, email alumni@vcu.edu.
Visitor information
If you need information about lodging and dining accommodations, download a copy of The Official Richmond Region Visitors Guide or visit visitrichmondva.com.