Olivia Russo
Editor-in-Chief
In order to graduate from the University of La Verne, students must complete all of their course requirements – and pay a $140 fee, which does not cover the cost of the regalia package that a student chooses to purchase.
“They are a supplemental fee that covers things like administration fees, applications, processes, diplomas, diploma covers and the ceremony itself,” Veronica Ashcroft, director of events, scheduling and commencement, said. “So the rental, all the equipment, everything on the field, productions, all that stuff.
“Students who don’t fill out that form or pay that fee, you never get that marked up spot,” Ashcroft said. “It never gets checked.”
Although commencement and registrar’s offices address questions about this fee, they are not the ones who set the price.
“Fees get proposed by different entities, usually (the) budget offices (or) area that organizes the event,” Juan Regalado, dean of students, said in an emailed response to the Campus Times’ query. “Any proposals for fee increases ultimately go to the board.”
Regalado said the graduation fees have not increased in over a decade.
Since 2017, the number of graduation ceremonies has decreased from six to two.
“Costs (have) significantly increased,” Regalado said in his email. “The fees collected (are) less than the operational costs. To that end, we were always looking to reduce operational costs, while still trying to keep the event special. The reduction of commencement ceremonies was one of the more notable ways.”
Nonetheless, some students feel the graduation fees – just to get over the finish line – after paying tens of thousands of dollars in tuition are a little too much.
“I’m paying my own tuition, and on top of that you have to … pay $140,” Angie Morales, senior kinesiology major, said. “It’s just an unnecessary extra cost. You have other fees like your graduation regalia and that’s over $100 too… It doesn’t explain either, it just says you need to pay – but what for?”
To keep final expenses more manageable, the commencement office suggests that students apply and pay for graduation two semesters in advance. This advance planning can make these wrap-up expenses less overwhelming, and it allows the registrar’s office to clear students for graduation faster.
“You have to apply and pay so that you get moved over to be checked,” Ashcroft said. “I always say to do it in advance just in case something happens and you miss a transfer that comes through.”
Other California colleges and universities also require graduation fees. The Cal States’ fees range from $30 to $175, with most under $100; San Jose State and Sonoma State do not charge at all.
Among local private colleges, Scripps asks students for $70 to graduate, while Pomona College has no graduation fee and also covers the cost of caps and gowns. University of Redlands, likewise, does not charge a graduation fee, while Whittier College charges students $45 to participate in graduation ceremonies.
Olivia Russo can be reached at olivia.russo@laverne.edu.
Olivia Russo is a senior journalism major with a concentration in print/online journalism and a minor in criminology. She is the Editor-in-Chief for the Campus Times for Spring 2026. She has previously served as the News Editor, LV Life Editor, a photographer and a staff writer for the Campus Times, as well as a staff writer and photographer for La Verne Magazine.
