Commencement 2026

Alfred State's Northland campus will be alive with family, friends, faculty, and Proud Pioneer graduates. Join us for the ceremony beginning at 6 p.m. The event is also available online.

Alfred State Commencement: Friday, May 15, 2026, at 6 p.m.

Graduation Packet

There is a $60 commencement fee associated with graduation. Please contact the Office of Student Records and Financial Services (SRFS) by emailing SFS@AlfredState.edu or calling 1-800-4-Alfred (option 2). The $60 fee will be added at your request to your spring semester bill. The fee can also be paid over the phone with the campus store at 607 587 4020.

Packets contain a graduation gown, cap, tassel, photo card, tickets for your guests, and information about the graduation. Upon receiving your gown, ensure it fits properly. Gowns should be ironed before the ceremony.

Photo Card

Our commencement features photography by GradImages.  Two photos are taken of each student during the ceremony.  One on stage with the President, and a candid photo upon exiting the stage.  Each student receives a photo card that serves to announce their name and acts as a placeholder for their photographs.  The photo cards feature a QR code so that students/families can pre-register for an account with GradImages. Students who pre-register can recieve 20% off their purchases.  

Guests and Seating

Each packet contains four (4) tickets for guests. The event is also available online for those unable to attend the ceremony.

The Big Day

Graduates should arrive in regalia no later than 5:15 p.m. for the 6 p.m. ceremony. You will assemble in the community room. Guests may arrive starting 30 minutes before the start of the ceremony. 

Honor students should report to the table in the large hallway to receive an honor cord. 

Wear your mortarboard with the tassel to the right. Graduates, please remove your mortarboard during the national anthem and the invocation. After all candidates have walked across the stage, graduates will be initiated into the Alumni Council, and the tassels will be moved to the left. This tradition signifies the conferment of the degree.  

Those participants in the ceremony will only receive a diploma cover at the event. The actual diploma will be mailed in mid-July.  

Please note that attending the ceremony does not signify that you have completed all requirements.  

Reception

After Commencement, a reception of light refreshments will take place in the community reception room behind the commencement area.