Graduation

Date

• Friday, May 8

Location

• NRG Arena (1 NRG Pkwy, Houston, TX 77054)

Time 

There will be a morning and afternoon ceremony option. Graduates will only be able to attend the ceremony time they register to attend.

• • Morning Ceremony: 9 a.m.
    • 7 a.m.: Arrival time for graduates.
    • 8 a.m.: To manage traffic, guests will be admitted into the building no earlier than one hour before the ceremony.
    • 9 a.m.: Ceremony begins
      • The ceremony can last up to 2.5 hours. Please plan to stay until the end of the ceremony.
  • Afternoon Ceremony: 3 p.m. (Updated as of March 4, 2026)
    
    • 1 p.m.: Required arrival time for graduates.
    • 2 p.m.: To manage traffic, guests will be admitted into the building no earlier than one hour before the ceremony. 
    • 3 p.m.: Ceremony begins
      • The ceremony can last up to 2.5 hours. Please plan to stay until the end of the ceremony.

Guest Details 

• Graduates will be able to invite up to 3 guests to the Commencement ceremony. 
• Guest ticketing information will be sent out by late April. Regularly check your student email for updates.
• Children above the age of 3 are required to have a ticket.
• Guests will be admitted to the venue no earlier than one hour before the ceremony.
• To ensure a smooth and organized ceremony, guests are not permitted on the graduate floor or staging area. All guests, including children, must remain in designated seating areas and cannot be seated with graduating students. Unattended minors are not permitted. 

Parking and Venue Policies

Parking - Parking will be available in the Blue Lot (utilize Gate 9) on the corner of Kirby and Westridge. Type in the address: 8825 Kirby Drive, Houston, TX 77054 for specific driving directions. The parking fee is $22 (plus tax) per vehicle. Please note that the venue, NRG Park, will transition to credit cards only for parking payment and will no longer be accepting cash.

Bag Policy - NRG Arena Center enforces a bag policy to ensure the safety of their guests. Backpacks and large bags that exceed 11”x17” are not allowed. Necessary diaper bags and medical bags are subject to inspection before entry.

Prohibited Items - For the safety concerns of patrons, NRG Park may refuse entry of individuals in possession of prohibited items including, but not limited to: all weapons and firearms, all handguns, air horns, video recorders, audio recorders, professional camera equipment, photography lenses over 3” in length, whistles, noisemakers, sealed packages of any kind, bottles, cans, coolers, containers, fireworks, Frisbees, inflatable objects (beach balls, swim equipment, etc.), illegal substances, laser pointers/pens, outside food or beverage (Exceptions are made for medical reasons and children), remote-controlled cars, Hoverboards, UAVs, Drones, binocular cases and camera cases. This list is in no way exhaustive, and other items may be prohibited at the sole discretion of NRG Stadium Management.

ADA Accommodations

• Graduates: Graduates who need accommodations at the ceremony were advised to enter their needs on the registration form. Please check your email often for updates from HCC's Counseling and Abilities Services. 
• Guests: Disabled guests are encouraged to contact NRG's Guest services and review the Accessibility Guide for details about accommodations.

Watch the Ceremony Live

On the day of the ceremony, your loved ones may visit hccs.edu/live to watch the ceremony live. 

*Please note: Only students who have registered through Tassel will be admitted into the arena as participants. Students who do not complete the registration process will not be allowed to enter the graduate staging area or walk across the stage, even if they arrive at the venue.

How to Register for Commencement

Regularly Check Your HCC Student Email: Once you have applied for graduation by the deadline, you will receive an email invitation from Tassel. This email will contain a link and instructions on how to register for the Commencement Ceremony.

• Tassel will send out registration steps to approved graduates' HCC student email addresses every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. To ensure you don't miss any important updates, please consistently check your HCC student email. Be sure to also check your spam folder, just in case.
• Please note that if you have not met with your academic advisor to apply for graduation, you will not receive the link to register for the Commencement Ceremony. 
  
  

Register for Commencement by the April 10 Deadline: To participate in the Commencement Ceremony, you must register by the April 10 deadline. Ensure you mark this date on your calendar and prioritize registering before this cutoff. Only graduates who are registered by this deadline will be allowed to walk in the ceremony.

Register Early to Secure Your Preferred Ceremony Time: Due to the building's capacity limitations, there is limited space available for each of the ceremony times. We strongly recommend registering early to ensure you can attend the ceremony at your preferred time. Remember that you will only be permitted to participate during the ceremony time you register to attend.

More About Tassel

In the Tassel Commencement registration platform, graduates will be able to:

• Choose Ceremony | Register for the Commencement Ceremony. 
• Download StagePass | StagePass is a student's ticket to enter the Commencement Ceremony. A StagePass will be automatically assigned and can be downloaded. A StagePass will also be scanned when graduates walk across the stage.  A StagePass can be scanned from a mobile device or printed. 
• Record How to Pronounce Your Name | Use Say It Right to record your name via telephone to assist the professional announcer with pronouncing your name correctly.

An approved cap and gown is required to participate in the Commencement Ceremony. Below are the details on how to purchase an approved cap and gown. 

Purchase Online: Purchase cap/gown and other items here (announcements, frames etc). The deadline to purchase online with a standard shipping fee is April 7. The shipping fee will be applied at the time of purchase.

• Bachelor’s graduates can purchase their cap and gown at the Central Campus bookstore. Only the Central Campus Bookstore will carry caps and gowns for bachelor graduates.
• Day of Commencement: Graduates will have an opportunity to purchase their cap and gowns on the day of Commencement on May 8. 

Bachelors and Associate Degree candidates who meet the criteria below are eligible for Honor Cords for the ceremony. 

• Honors: 3.35 – 3.59 Cumulative GPA
• High Honors: 3.60 – 3.79 Cumulative GPA
• Highest Honors: 3.80 – 4.00 Cumulative GPA
• Considerations
  • Students completing a Certificate of Completion do not receive honor cords.
  • The cumulative GPA used for the Fall ceremony is through the Summer semester. 
    • Fall semester grades will not be considered in determining eligibility for honor cords. However, they will be reflected on your academic records. 
  • The Cumulative GPA for the Spring ceremony is through the Fall semester
    • Spring semester grades will not be considered in determining eligibility for honor cords. However, they will be reflected on your academic records. 

Prior to the ceremony, qualifying graduates can pick up Honor Cords at the HCC Bookstore locations. Qualifying graduates may also stop by the Honor Cords table on the day of the Commencement Ceremony.