Application ♦ Fee ♦ Regalia ♦ Name Pronunciation ♦ Grad Fair ♦ Announcements and Rings ♦ Commencement Events ♦ RSVP Form ♦
Disability Accommodation or Special Assistance ♦ University Commencement Website ♦ For More Information
Deadline: Friday, October 17, 2025
If you will finish your degree requirements in May (Spring 2026), or August (Summer 2026), or December (Fall 2026) of the calendar year 2026, your Commencement ceremony is held in May 2026.
If you are completing your degree during any semester of the calendar year 2026, you MUST "apply for graduation" now. Although you are not required to come to New Orleans and take part in the Commencement ceremony, you are required to "apply" for your expected completion of your degree (your graduation).
If this is you, please go to your LORA Self-Service app in the Single Sign On, find the "Graduation Application" tab, and submit your application for the Semester/Term that you will be "graduating" (finishing all of your requirements.
PLEASE NOTE: If you are planning to participate in Loyola's Commencement ceremony, you are eligible to participate in will be the one held on May 9, 2026.
Graduation Policies
Additional information regarding eligibility for graduation for undergraduate and graduate students, cost, diplomas, and more can be found here.
If you have questions about your eligibility for graduation or about emails you have received about graduation, please contact LIM's Manager of Student Services Judy Fontenot Lavergne jflaverg@loyno.edu / 504-865-3399.
Students finishing their master’s degree, bachelor’s degree, or graduate certificate program will be charged a credential posting fee. For students participating in the commencement ceremony, this fee covers the cost of the regalia, diploma, and leather cover.
Graduate and undergraduate students will be able to order their regalia online. Candidates for graduation will receive an email from the Registrar's office with a link to order regalia online for pickup at the Grad Fair or home shipping (fee applies to ship to home option only). Regalia (without cords or hoods) is encouraged to be worn by graduates to the College of Nursing and Health Baccalaureate Mass on Friday, May 8, 2026. However, regalia will not be worn by graduates to the LIM Vigil Mass on Saturday, May 9, 2026. Regalia is required to participate in the commencement ceremony, Saturday, May 9, 2026. Deadlines for ordering regalia are:
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Deadline to Order Regalia Online for Pick Up at Grad Fair: February 8, 2026
Grad Fair is on the N.O. Loyola Campus March 16-17, 2026; see below for details. After Grad Fair, regalia will be in stock and available in the Loyola bookstore during normal store business hours, any time up until commencement.
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Deadline to Order Regalia Online for Shipment to Home Address (shipping fee applies): April 1, 2026
If you have not done so, you must by April 1 order your regalia to be shipped to your home. If you do not order by this date, you will not receive your regalia before the date of Commencement. The university mandates that graduates must wear regalia in order to participate in the Commencement/Graduation ceremony on May 9, 2026 in the New Orleans Smoothie King Arena. The link to order regalia online by TBA for direct shipment to your home (shipping charge applies) is: Order regalia online via this link
Except for the shipping fee, there is no additional charge to graduation candidates for ordering regalia. Costs for regalia are included in the Graduation Fee assessed to every graduating student during the candidate's final semester. Students pay for regalia whether or not they order and receive this. We recommend that all graduating students order their regalia to be sent to their home, whether or not they will be attending the May 2026 Commencement ceremonies in New Orleans. Some students have found the need to have their regalia for events beyond their Loyola Commencement ceremonies.
To ensure that the pronunciation of names is as accurate as possible at commencement, Loyola utilizes NameCoach, a web service where graduates upload an audio file of their name pronunciation. Go to this link to record your name with NameCoach.
Graduation announcements and class rings may be ordered from Balfour.
Learn more about the Grad Fair here.
- Where: Tchoupitoulas Room, Uptown Hall
- Dates:
- Monday, March 16th from 10 AM-3 PM
- Tuesday, March 17th from 10 AM - 5 PM
- One-stop shop for:
- Regalia (Cap & Gown) Pick-up
- Name Pronunciation Check
- Diploma Name Spelling Check
- Senior Cap and Gown Portraits with Candid Campus
- Loyola Official Ring with Balfour
RSVP for Loyola Institute for Ministry Vigil Mass and Reception / May 9, 2026 / 4:00 pm CT
The Loyola Institute for Ministry celebrates a Vigil Mass immediately followed by a reception for our graduates and their guests on Saturday afternoon, May 9. Please complete this form if you plan to attend the LIM Vigil Mass and Reception on May 9.
Schedule of Events for Graduates and Their Guests / May 8 – 9, 2026
Friday, May 8, 2026
Tickets are not required for on-campus events.
10 am | College of Nursing and Health Awards Convocation | Holy Name of Jesus Church | Campus Map
Graduate and undergraduate students wear their caps and gowns (without cords or hoods) to this event.
11:30 | College of Nursing and Health and Other Colleges Baccalaureate Mass | Holy Name of Jesus Church | Campus Map
Loyola Institute for Ministry graduates are in the College of Nursing and Health and, as such, are invited to attend this Baccalaureate Mass. Graduate and undergraduate students wear their caps and gowns (without cords or hoods) to this event.
Time TBA | City College and College of Nursing and Health Reception | Location TBA | Campus Map
This event is for all graduates who studied online, including Loyola Institute for Ministry graduates, and all graduates who studied in the College of Nursing and Health which includes the Loyola Institute for Ministry, the School of Nursing, and the Counseling Department. Graduate and undergraduate students do not wear regalia (their caps and gowns) to this event.
Saturday, May 9, 2026
10 am | Undergraduate and Graduate Commencement Ceremony | New Orleans Smoothie King Center
Tickets are not required for guest entry to the Loyola Commencement ceremonies at the Superdome. Please be sure to adhere to the Superdome's bag policy, illustgrated in the graphic below.
The ceremony will be livestreamed on Loyola's YouTube channel.
4 pm | Loyola Institute for Ministry Vigil Mass | Chapel of St. Ignatius Loyola, Loyola University | Campus Map
You are cordially invited to attend a Vigil Mass on Saturday, May 9, at 4 pm on Loyola's campus. A missioning ceremony takes place during the Mass. A reception follows. We will post an RSVP form for you to submit; our RSVP form will also ask if you would be willing to participate in the liturgy as a lector, Eucharistic minister, or gift bearer during the offertory, for the 4pm Saturday Vigil Mass.
Graduate and undergraduate students do not wear their regalia to this event.
5 pm | Loyola Institute for Ministry Reception | Location TBA | Campus Map
LIM graduates and their guests are invited to a reception following the Vigil Mass. Light refreshments will be served. Graduate and undergraduate students do not wear their regalia to this event. Please RSVP by completing this form if you plan to attend the LIM Vigil Mass and Reception on May 9.
Parking
On-Campus Events
Loyola campus parking facilities will be open with free parking May 9 – 10, 2025 for commencement activities. Loyola University Police will be directing traffic. Only vehicles with a disabled tag may park in spots designated for disabled parking on campus.
Disability Accommodation or Special Assistance
Guests who may need special assistance or accessible seating will be accommodated. If a graduate needs special assistance at the commencement ceremony or any of the celebrations, please contact Judy Fontenot Lavergne jflaverg@loyno.edu by May 1, 2025.
For More Information
Please contact Judy Fontenot Lavergne jflaverg@loyno.edu with questions or for disability accommodations.