Verify all degree requirements have been met or in-progress to be met this term.

Undergraduates: if you are completing a minor, but have not declared it you must do so by January 29, 2025.

Graduates: if your Field of Study has changed from thesis to non-thesis or vice-versa, then the change must be finalized and submitted to Records by January 29, 2025.

Applications for fall graduation are available through your Self-Service Banner beginning January 16, 2025 through April 4, 2025.

The online application will ONLY be accessible after your department has notified the Graduation Department of your eligibility. Once notified,

• An email will be sent to your preferred email address, providing directions on how to apply.
• Your application will be accessible in your Self-Service banner.
• A graduation status block will appear on your degree audit, if your catalog start date is 2014 or newer.

If you do not receive an email, see “no curriculum” in Self-Service Banner and/or do not see a graduation block in your audit, the Records Department has not been notified, please contact your department immediately.

 When applying, verify the following:

• Degree/curriculum information is correct.
• Name, you can only change your middle name.
  • If your first or last name has changed, it must be officially changed with registration. Submit a name change request. Official corrections must be received by April 4, 2025. Please confirm change has been made by contacting your graduation coordinator. Emails are provided below. 
  • If you need to correct capitalization, add periods or add a suffix (Jr. Sr. I, II...) you can do this when you apply or contact us at the emails provided below to make the correction by April 4, 2025.
• Are you attending commencement? After completing your application, if your plans change you will need to notify the graduation department, no later than April 11, 2025.

If you have already applied and any of the above information has changed please immediately contact:

Undergraduates: uggraduation@cnyc86.com

Graduates: grgraduation@cnyc86.com

Did you miss the graduation application deadline? You can still submit a paper application to your graduation coordinator. Fill out the graduation application and email it to your coordinator. 

FERPA Information

Under the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), if you withhold any of the following information your name will not be printed in the commencement program:

• Your name
• Program of study (college, major, or campus)
• Degrees
• Honors and awards received

If you completed a Directory Hold form at any time while you are a student here at Lamar University, you will receive an email from the graduation coordinator requesting that you release the hold prior to graduating. You must complete the form and email it back April 4, 2025 to have your directory information shown in the commencement program. 

If you elect to withhold your name from directory information you must complete the form no later than April 4, 2025 to have information withheld from the program. 

Undergraduates: You may qualify for a $1000 Tuition Rebate.

Review the rebate requirements If you qualify, please complete the Tuition Rebate form. Send the completed form to uggraduation@cnyc86.com for further review.

Graduation Coordinators will evaluate your degree audit for graduation. If you’re a candidate for graduation, the graduation status on your audit will show complete, pending final grades of the term.

• Requirements will be checked off and it will state the "Graduation application accepted-Congratulations."

If your audit needs further review, your audit will indicate further review is needed by your academic advisor.

If you are no longer a candidate for graduation, your audit status will state "Your graduation requirements for the term were not met" - Contact your department advisor.

Please make your payment through Self-Service Banner. Deadline to pay fee is April 4, 2025. Remember, you must apply for graduation and pay the graduation fee to receive your diploma. 

• Undergraduates: $24.45
• Masters: $24.45
• Doctorate: $44.45

Graduation Fee Policy (revised October 2024) 

The graduation fee covers the cost of the diploma and tube, program expenses, mailing fees, and other expenses associate with graduation. All graduates are listed in the Commencement Program, if their name is submitted by the April 4, 2025 deadline, and all graduates must pay the fee, regardless of attendance at the ceremony. 

Students are required to pay the graduation fee no later than one week before commencement. If a student has not paid their fee, their diploma and transcripts will be held for non-payment until their balance is 0. If the balance is paid after the term has ended, the student must notify the Graduation Department by email that their balance is paid in full to receive their diploma by mail. 

Graduation fees are non-refundable. However, if a student is eligible to graduate, completes the application and pays the fee, but does not graduate in the term in which the fee is paid, the student will be allowed to apply for graduation without paying an additional fee in subsequent terms - up to one year. 

Example: Student applies in spring, doesn't graduate but pays the fee. Student is allowed to apply for summer and/or fall graduation and the fee will be waived. If the student doesn't graduate in summer or fall and has to reapply in spring the student will have to pay an additional graduation fee.

• Congratulations on your accomplishment! Lamar University’s Commencement for the Spring term is:
  
  Friday, May 16, 2025 at 2:00 pm:

Colleges of Arts and Sciences & Engineering

Friday, May 16, 2025 at 5:00 pm - Virtual Commencement Ceremony

Saturday, May 17, 2025 at 10:00 am:

Colleges of Business & Fine Arts and Communication

Saturday, May 17, 2025 at 2:00 pm:

College of Education and Human Development 

• Please note that you must have applied for graduation to participate in the ceremony.

• The last date to submit a photo for the Virtual ceremony is Friday, April 11, 2025. 

   

Benefits of attending:

• Name and honors (if applicable) announced - see Honors Policy.
• Celebrating with fellow graduates in your department, faculty and staff, family and friends.

We do not offer graduation deferrals. Students are expected to attend the ceremony they are eligible to attend. For questions regarding commencement attendance, please email LU Commencement.

*Upon submission of your Application for Degree, if you are enrolled in courses at an institution other than Lamar University, you must submit any transcripts to luadmtran@cnyc86.com within 4 weeks of graduation to remain a degree candidate for the semester.

**All outstanding balances must be paid in full prior to the release of diplomas.

• Be sure to check your student account balance on Self-Service Banner or by contacting Cashiering at (409) 880-8390.
• If you have books or money owed to the Library contact them at (409) 880-8113.
• If you haven't completed your "Exit" Loan Counseling Session, contact Financial Aid at (409) 880-8450.

After you are cleared for graduation, with no remaining requirements or with your final courses in progress – and successful completion of those courses – your degree will be conferred (i.e., program completion will be indicated in your records, including your official transcript) at the end of the term, and a diploma will be provided to you. All diplomas will be mailed to the address listed on the graduation application, 8 to 10 weeks after degrees have been conferred. 

Please remember that participation in the commencement ceremony does not constitute official graduation from Lamar University; your degree must be conferred before you are considered a graduate of Lamar University.

Please refer to graduation emails sent by your graduation coordinators for official timelines for when diploma will be mailed out.