Spring 2026 Commencement Checklist
Graduating Candidate:
Congratulations! According to our records, you are approaching completion of your
program requirements, enabling you to participate in Farmingdale State College’s 2026 Commencement Ceremony. This milestone celebration recognizes your hard work, dedication, and accomplishments.
To confirm your eligibility, please read this message in its entirety.
First, it’s important to understand the difference between graduation and commencement:
- Graduation is the official process of completing all academic requirements for your degree or
certificate and having it formally awarded by the College.
- Commencement is the ceremonial event that celebrates your achievement. You may participate in
commencement, even if your degree has not yet been officially conferred, if you meet
the eligibility criteria. Farmingdale State College has one commencement ceremony
for all students expecting to graduate in fall 2025, winter 2026, spring 2026, or
summer 2026 taking place on Friday, May 22, 2026 at Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum,
with an expected start time of 10:00am.
To participate in the Spring Commencement Ceremony, you must complete the following
steps:
- Apply for Graduation by completing the Intent to Graduate Form (ITG). If you expect to graduate at the end of the fall 2025 or winter 2026 semester,
the deadline to apply is Friday, November 21, 2025. For spring 2026 and summer 2026
graduates, the deadline to apply is Friday, March 27, 2026. This must be completed whether you plan to attend commencement or not.
- Review your degree audit in DegreeWorks to see if there are any outstanding issues that may delay your graduation. If after
reviewing your audit you have questions, please contact your program chairperson immediately. Tracking
your degree progress is your responsibility and will serve to ensure that you're on
track for completion of your degree. In DegreeWorks, you can also review the status of your ITG. You will see a message that says, “Graduation
Application has been received-Pending grades.”
- Confirm your eligibility once your ITG is submitted. Please allow three to five days for the processing of
your ITG. You can log in to OASIS to verify if your name is on the Candidates List.
- Register for Commencement through Tassel. Please monitor your email for a message from Tassel containing your
personalized Commencement registration link. The deadline to complete registration
is Monday, April 27, 2026. Completing the ITG does not automatically register you to participate in the commencement
ceremony.
- Request an Overseas Invitation Letter (Optional). If you are inviting guests from other countries to the 2026 Commencement Ceremony
and need to provide supporting documentation to the embassy, you may submit an Invitation
Letter Request for Overseas Guests by emailing the Registrar’s Office at regoffice@farmingdale.edu. The deadline to request an Invitation Letter is March 27, 2026. Make sure to also provide your overseas guest with a commencement ticket.
- Order Your Class Ring, Diploma Frame, and Graduation Announcements (Optional). Commemorate your achievement with a college ring and diploma frame. Diplomas will
arrive within one month from the end of the semester in which you graduated. Graduation
announcements invite your guests to celebrate your achievement with you. To order
your class ring, diploma frame, or graduation announcements, go to the Herff Jones website.
- Take Your Senior Photo. Click here to see the times you can have your Senior Photo taken on campus. Photos can also
be scheduled to be taken at the Island Photography Studio location.
- Order your Cap and Gown through the campus bookstore or online. All students must have the official FSC cap
and gown to participate in commencement. The deadline to order is April 15, 2026 for campus pick up or April 24, 2026 for home
delivery. More details will be posted on the Commencement website as soon as they’re available.
- Attend the fall Grad Fair on Tuesday, December 2, 2025 from 2 p.m. to 7 p.m. or Wednesday, December 3, 2025 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. in the Campus Center Ballroom. Fall and winter graduates are encouraged to attend.
At the Grad Fair, students can order their caps and gowns, purchase their class ring,
take their senior portraits (must be scheduled ahead), complete their Alumni update
form, and more! For spring and summer graduates, stay tuned for more information regarding
the spring Grad Fair.
- Ticket distribution will be handled by the Nassau Coliseum via Ticketmaster. Tickets will be available
roughly one to two weeks prior to Commencement. Keep an eye on your FSC email for
more information regarding Commencement tickets.
Additional details, including ceremony reporting times, ticket distribution, and parking
instructions, will be shared closer to the event. Be sure to check the Commencement website frequently for the most up-to-date information.
We look forward to celebrating this exciting milestone with you and recognizing all
that you’ve accomplished as a proud member of the Farmingdale State College Class
of 2026.
Sincerely,
Farmingdale State College Commencement Committee
commencement@farmingdale.edu
