Commencement

Graduates will receive an email with their assigned ceremony times and arrival instructions. Parking at Grace Church is limited and requires a parking pass. Graduates will receive an email with two parking passes after signing up for commencement.

Overflow parking and shuttle service will be available at San Jacinto College South Campus. Graduates and guests are encouraged to carpool and allow extra time for arrival, especially if using the shuttle.

Graduates who are parking at the church should arrive no later than 30 minutes prior to their required check-in time. This is to allow time for scanning parking passes, parking, and walking to the assigned area inside the church.

Allow approximately 45-60 minutes for boarding the shuttle and getting to the graduation venue. 

Graduates must arrive at Grace Church by their assigned check-in times: 

• 9:30 a.m. ceremony: Arrive by 8:15 a.m. 
• 1:30 p.m. ceremony: Arrive by 12:15 p.m. 

Vehicles with valid parking passes may park at Grace Church and must enter from the I-45 feeder road. The Scarsdale entrance is reserved for buses only. 

If you do not have a parking pass, you must park at San Jacinto College South Campus and take the shuttle to Grace Church. Vehicles without passes will not be permitted to park at Grace Church.

Shuttles will pick up at the church drop off location and return guests to their cars at South Campus. 

Parking maps and additional directions will be shared closer to commencement.

Shuttles will run continuously between San Jacinto College South Campus and Grace Church for graduates, guests and employees. At Grace Church, shuttle pickup and drop-off will be located in the rear parking lot. 

Shuttle service will begin approximately two hours before each ceremony. 

• 9:30 a.m. ceremony: Approximately 7:30-9:30 a.m. 
• 1:30 p.m. ceremony: Approximately 11:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m. 

Some shuttle buses are mobility-accessible, but not all. Please allow additional time in case an accessible shuttle is not immediately available.

If you're unsure which ceremony to attend, check your degree type in SOS or the student portal. You can also contact your program advisor. For additional questions, please email us at commencement@sjcd.edu.

Look professional and feel comfortable! Pro tip: Arrive dressed and ready to walk on stage since there is no dressing area.

Required: 

• Cap and gown 
• Black tassel

Under Your Gown: 

• Business / professional attire 
• Comfortable dress shoes
• Weather-appropriate layers in case it's raining

Check out this grad tips video on Facebook.  

Graduation caps, gowns, and tassels (regalia) can be purchased as a bundle at the campus bookstore for:

• Bachelor regalia with a pennant: $117.96

• Bachelor pennant Only: $63.98

• Associate regalia: $53.98

If you already own a solid black gown and cap, you’re welcome to wear them. The college uses a black tassel, which you can purchase in the bookstore.

Women wear their caps throughout the ceremony. Men remove their caps for the invocation. 

No high school cords, stoles, medals, or tassels are allowed to be worn, with the exception of early college high school medals. Only the following approved specialty regalia, cords, stoles, medals, or tassels will be allowed to be worn:

• Honors graduates: medals given by the honors department
• Phi Theta Kappa: gold stole or blue and gold cords ordered by student
• National Technical Honor Society: gray and purple cords or stole ordered by student
• Dual Credit graduates: San Jacinto College medallion given by the high school or dual credit office
• Veterans: red, white and blue cords given out at commencement registration area

For many students, decorations on graduation caps (mortar boards) are a symbol of pride and accomplishment. 

To ensure that commencement exercises remain dignified celebrations of achievement of all students, we provide the following guidelines and expectations. Here are a few examples of decorative ideas for highlighting your celebratory achievement:

• Your graduation year
• An expression of “thanks” to family, a teacher, a friend
• A symbol of the branch of the military you belong to or may be joining
• Acknowledgment of an institution where you plan to continue your studies
• The American flag, Texas flag, or your home country’s flag
• A logo or shield of your Greek social, honorary affiliation, or honor society
• A symbol or message highlighting your major or student organization affiliation

Decorations are limited to the top of the mortar board. Embellishments that are higher than one inch or that hang over the side are prohibited as they may be distracting or interfere with another person’s view.

All rules and regulations in the San Jacinto College Code of Student Conduct will be in effect during commencement. In particular, the following messages or images are prohibited on mortar boards at commencement:

• Obscene messages or images
• Images or messages that incite violence
• Libel or defamation (false statements about another person or organization that hold the person or organization up to hatred, ridicule, or contempt)

Should a graduate fail to comply with these expectations, the student will be asked to remove decorations or purchase a new non-decorated mortar board to wear during commencement. The graduate’s original mortar board will be returned to the graduate after the ceremony. Failure to comply may result in the graduate’s exclusion from the ceremony.

We look forward to celebrating with your family and friends! As you prepare for commencement, please keep the following in mind:  

• Ceremonies last approximately two hours, which may be challenging for young children.
• Balloons, noisemakers, and strollers are not permitted inside the venue.
• Seating is available on a first-come, first-served basis.
• Parking at Grace Church requires a parking pass. Guests without a pass should park at San Jacinto College South Campus and take the shuttle.
• Share your graduation photos using #WeAreRavens #Graduation2026 #SJCGraduate

There is no limit to the number of guests you can invite, and tickets are not required to attend commencement. However, graduates must RSVP and indicate the number of guests they expect to attend to help us plan for seating and logistics..  

Please keep in mind that each graduate who RSVPs will receive two electronic parking passes for Grace Church. Additional guests may use overflow parking and shuttle service at San Jacinto College South Campus.

While we want to celebrate with ALL your loved ones, here are some ways to include those who can't attend: 

• A live stream link will be on this webpage and also shared on our social media closer to the ceremony date
• Share the link with family members
• Record a special message for those who can't be there
• Share program photos with your name highlighted