Commencement FAQs

If you completed your Petition to Graduate and the Registrar has determined you are eligible to participate in a Spring 2020, Fall 2020 or Spring 2021 ceremony, you are automatically included in the graduate recognition portion of the virtual ceremony. No additional registration is necessary. You will receive instructions via your SNHU email for uploading personalized content to your slide and viewing the ceremony.

Your name, degree and honors status (if applicable, undergraduates only) will be read and appear on-screen during the alphabetic graduate recognition portion of the ceremony. We are partnering with StageClip to give you the opportunity to personalize your slide with a photo, video clip and/or written message. You will receive instructions for uploading your content via your SNHU email the week of March 22nd from commencement@snhu.edu with personalizations due on April 30th. All slides will be previewed and approved for appropriate content. If you need assistance logging into your SNHU email, please contact the Help Desk at 855.877.9919. All correspondence for Commencement will be via SNHU email.

Yes! You will have the opportunity to share your slide to various social media channels with a direct link provided when you personalize your slide.

You are encouraged to wear your SNHU regalia as part of the celebration. Order your leather diploma cover or complete regalia package including cap, gown, hood, tassel, diploma cover and any eligible cords by April 23rd to ensure arrival by the May 8th ceremony. There is no additional cost for these items and they will be shipped directly to you.

The virtual Commencement ceremonies will be live May 8, 2021, and can be viewed at any time after on the Commencement website at https://www.snhu.edu/commencement. You will receive a direct link via your SNHU email to view your ceremony 48 hours prior to the event. You can share this link with your friends and family. You will also receive an additional reminder email and link two hours prior to the event.

Virtual ceremonies will range between 1-3 hours depending on the number of graduates in your specific program. If you choose to view the ceremony after it has been live-streamed, you will be able to fast forward and rewind the recording to condense the viewing experience.

SNHU will continue to review public health recommendations related to COVID-19, but due to the rapidly changing landscape, we do not have definitive plans for any in-person ceremonies yet. As soon as more information becomes available, registration information will be sent to eligible graduates’ SNHU email with the dates. It will also be posted to our website at https://www.snhu.edu/commencement.

The SNHU bus diploma delivery tour was a fun way we connected with our online learners and graduates around the country a few years ago. We still share those stories proudly so you will see them on TV from time to time. Unfortunately, the SNHU bus is not on the road now.

All students are welcome to post on social media using the tag #SNHUcelebrate to join in our ongoing social media celebration.

All information regarding Commencement is sent to eligible graduates’ SNHU email once they have petitioned to graduate. If you need assistance logging into your SNHU email, please contact the Help Desk at 855.877.9919.

This is a required first step in the conferral process. The Petition for Conferral is the learner’s request to the Registrar’s Office to begin the audit process as the learners approach the end of their degree programs.

You must submit your Petition for Conferral no later than 2 months before your anticipated conferral date: Before March 1st to be considered for eligibility to participate in the Spring Commencement ceremony and before October 1st to be considered for Fall Commencement ceremony.

For questions regarding the petition process, please contact the Registrar’s Office.

The deadline to submit your Petition for Conferral to participate in a ceremony is March 1 for the spring ceremony or October 1 for the fall ceremony.

If you completed your Petition to Graduate and the Registrar has determined you are eligible to participate in a Spring 2020, Fall 2020 or Spring 2021 ceremony, you are automatically included in the graduate recognition portion of your virtual ceremony. No additional registration is necessary. You will receive instructions via your SNHU email for uploading personalized content to your slide and viewing your specific ceremony.

Diplomas are not distributed at the Commencement Ceremony, only diploma covers.

As long as graduates have completed their coursework, are in good academic standing, do not have any outstanding financial obligations, and have completed the Financial Aid exit counseling, their diploma will be mailed to the address they provided on their Petition for Conferral form approximately 10 business days after their conferral date. Once it is placed in the mail, an email with a tracking number is sent to your SNHU email address to confirm. Conferrals occur once a month.

To learn more about our Latin and Ceremonial Honors policy, visit the Honors Policies and Etiquette tab on our  Graduates page.

Any eligible cords (undergraduate only) will be mailed to you when you order your regalia package. If you already received regalia and the honors cords were not included, contact the customer service department at Oak Hall, our regalia company, at 1.800.456.7623 or webdept@oakhalli.com. For in-person ceremonies, honors cords will also be available when you check in with the Registrar at the Arena on the day of Commencement. You can ask the Registrar team to refresh your academic record to have the most current honors status reflected when your name is read during the ceremony.

UC students may be eligible to attend Honors and Hooding Ceremonies. These events are coordinated by the different schools and information will be sent directly from those offices.

If you are an online student and have completed your degree program, the graduates with the highest GPAs in each program are eligible to receive Distinguished Scholar recognition. For more information, please contact academicawards@snhu.edu.

Commencement Speaker applications open by invitation-only to eligible graduates. Please check your SNHU email to see if you are eligible to apply. Applications for Global Campus graduates will be available for in-person ceremonies only.

Spring: Email invitations will be sent early January. Degree conferral date must be between January 1 and the term that ends prior to Commencement Weekend. Must complete Petition to Graduate by January 1.

Fall: Email invitations will be sent early September. Degree conferral date must be between June 1 and the term that ends prior to Commencement Weekend. Must complete their petition to graduate by September 1.

Eligible undergraduate students must have a 3.5 GPA or higher. Eligible graduate students must have a 3.8 GPA or higher.

A committee made up of SNHU staff and faculty review the applications and based on a scoring rubric, select 10-20 finalists to submit recorded draft Commencement speeches. That same committee views the speeches and selects a speaker for each Commencement ceremony.

Auditions will resume with in-person ceremonies.

Spring: The call for National Anthem singer auditions is the beginning of February, the deadline to enter is February 28th.

Fall: The call for National Anthem singer auditions is the beginning of September, the deadline to enter is September 30th.

Please watch your SNHU email, mySNHU announcements, or check in SNHUconnect and SNHU social media accounts for the link to audition.

The fee included the conferral process and shipment of your diploma, one complimentary copy of your official transcript, your cap and gown, and other Commencement items.

Please visit www.balfour.com/snhu.

Please contact the Registrar’s Office through the Service Portal for questions regarding diplomas and/or conferrals.

Please contact the Registrar’s Office through the Service Portal for questions regarding diplomas and/or conferrals.