JUNE 5-6, 2026
Commencement Weekend in Louisville
Alumni Celebration*
Friday, June 5, 2026
6:00 - 9:00 pm
Churchill Downs First Turn Club
700 Central Ave, Louisville, KY 40208
Commencement*
Saturday, June 6, 2026
Morning Ceremony
Graduate Check-in: 8:30 am
Ceremony start: 9:30 am
Afternoon Ceremony
Graduate Check-in: 12:30 pm
Ceremony start: 1:30 pm
KFC Yum! Center
1 Arena Plaza
Louisville, KY 40202
*Details Subject to Change
Have questions? Ask Cappy!
Text "Hi" to 1-833-460-5923 or scan the QR code below:
RSVP Closed
Additional Information
Louisville Deadlines:
- RSVP
Deadline: Closed - Graduate Speaker Application
Deadline: Closed - Anthem Singer Audition
Deadline: Closed
Louisville Details:
- Commencement Guidebook- coming soon!
- Ceremony Program - coming soon!
Learn More About Commencement Day
Watch this video to see what a typical in-person commencement day looks like for a graduate.
Parking
The KFC Yum! Center offers a multi-level garage parking
under the facility operated by the Parking Authority of River
City (PARC). However, there are more than 21,000 parking
spaces are available within five blocks of the arena. This
includes more than 19,000 spaces at parking garages and
surface lots and more than 2,200 on-street parking spaces.
Bag Policy
All bags are subject to search upon entering the arena.
Backpacks of any kind, including drawstring, fanny packs,
computer bags, and camera bags are prohibited. Please
plan accordingly to help facilitate a quick and efficient
entry process. Please report suspicious bags to a KFC Yum!
Center team member.
Bags no larger than 14” x 14” x 6” will be allowed into the
arena for events.
Medical and parenting bags are permitted and subject
to search.
Graduates and guests are encouraged not to bring
bags with them to the events
Hotel Discounts
Hotel Discounts No Longer Available.
Alumni Celebration in Louisville
Kick off your commencement weekend with this exclusive alumni celebration in honor of our graduates!
All graduates attending the 2026 WGU Commencement in Louisville are invited to join us for the Alumni Celebration at Churchill Downs First Turn Club!
This family-friendly, come-and-go event is free to attend, and we encourage graduates and guests to dress in business attire.
At the celebration, you can:
- Free professional portraits (graduates only): Elevate your LinkedIn profile with a free professional portraits- courtesy of WGU!
- Reconnect with Alumni in your area
- Visit our affiliated partnership booths to purchase WGU swag, pick up your WGU Philanthropy Cord, and more
- Take photos in our social photo booths and share using #WGUgrad
- Meet Sage the Night Owl
- Enjoy light appetizers, refreshments, and self-pay bars
- Hit the dance floor or play family-friendly games with a fun WGU twist
Come for the networking, stay for the fun.
*Please note: 2026 Louisville graduates are allowed to bring up to six (6) total guests.
Date: June 5, 2026
Time: 6:00 - 9:00 pm
Location:
Churchill Downs First Turn Club
700 Central Ave, Louisville, KY 40208
Contact Information
WGU Alumni Celebration contact: alumnievents@wgu.edu .
WGU Alumni Celebration accessibility: alumnievents@wgu.edu
WGU Commencement questions: commencement@wgu.edu
Parking Information
Parking will be free on Site at the First Turn Club entrance at Churchill Downs.
Honorary Degree Recipient
Mitchell E. Daniels, Jr.
Former Governor of Indiana
Mitchell E. Daniels, Jr. served as a two-term governor of the state of Indiana from 2004 to 2012 and as the 12th president of Purdue University from 2013 to 2022.
He was elected governor in his first bid for any elected office, and then re-elected with more votes than any candidate in the state's history. During his tenure, Indiana went from an $800 million deficit to its first AAA credit rating, led the nation in infrastructure building and passed sweeping education and healthcare reforms.
After a series of transformations, which included the biggest tax cut in state history, the nation’s most sweeping deregulation of the telecommunications industry and a host of other reforms aimed at strengthening the state’s economy, Indiana was rated a top five state for business climate and number one for state infrastructure and effectiveness of state government as Daniels exited office. Indiana’s business climate is now rated among the nation’s best.
At Purdue, Daniels prioritized student affordability and reinvestment in the university’s strengths. He ended 36 years of consecutive tuition hikes by freezing tuition and mandatory fees at 2012 levels for all students. The hold on rates will continue at least until the 2024-25 academic year. While under his leadership, the university also went from the second most expensive school in the Big Ten for room and board costs to the most affordable by freezing room rates and reducing meal costs by 10%. Overall, aggregate student borrowing fell 37% under his tenure and it cost less to attend Purdue at the conclusion of his time as president than at the start, even without adjusting for inflation.
In recognition of his leadership as both a governor and a university president, Daniels was named among the Top 50 Greatest World Leaders by Fortune Magazine in 2015 and was elected to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences in 2019.
Prior to becoming governor, Daniels served as chief of staff to Senator Richard Lugar, senior advisor to President Ronald Reagan and Director of the Office of Management and Budget under President George W. Bush. He also was the CEO of the Hudson Institute, a major contract research organization. During an 11-year career at Eli Lilly and Company, he held a number of top executive posts including president of Eli Lilly’s North American pharmaceutical operations.
Daniels earned a bachelor's degree from Princeton’s Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs and a law degree from Georgetown. He is the author of three books and a contributing columnist in the Washington Post.
He and his wife Cheri have four daughters and seven grandchildren.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Commencement Ceremony FAQs
- Ceremony Participation and RSVP FAQs
- Regalia FAQs
- WGU Philanthropy Cord FAQs
- Letter of Invitation for Abroad & Commencement Announcements FAQs
- Graduation Application and Diploma FAQs
Commencement Ceremony FAQs
A commencement guidebook with check-in details, parking, maps, and more will be loaded onto the commencement app and emailed to each graduate two weeks prior to the ceremony.
When registering for a commencement weekend, a graduate may choose the ceremony time that fits their needs best as long as the event has not reached capacity. All options can be seen at the event-specific registration link.
All schools will participate in each ceremony.
Due to varying space limitations, Alumni Celebration and Commencement guest count policies are different. Please refer to the specific guest count policy on the weekend-specific page for further information.
Alumni Celebration:
Guest capacities are implemented at alumni celebration events to accommodate as many graduates as possible while allowing everyone to enjoy the festivities with their loved ones. Guest capacities may be adjusted based on venue size and availability.
For the alumni celebrations in New Orleans, New York, Louisville, and Minneapolis graduates are invited to bring up to 6 guests.
For the alumni celebrations in Seattle, Atlanta, and Anaheim, graduates are invited to bring up to 4 guests.
Commencement: Guests are recommended to bring up to 8 guests to ensure our event doesn’t reach venue capacity.
Tickets are not required to enter the commencement ceremonies in New Orleans, Louisville, Minneapolis, and Anaheim.
Tickets will be required for the commencement ceremonies in Elmont, New York at UBS Arena, Atlanta, Georgia at Gas South Arena and in Seattle, Washington at Climate Pledge Arena. Event-specific ticketing information will be provided 8 weeks prior to the event.
The names of graduates who physically attend an in-person commencement will be read as they cross the stage. All Virtual Commencement participants’ names will be read during the Virtual ceremony.
No. Graduates are called to the stage by schools and not in alphabetical order.
Please arrive dressed in your cap and gown for the commencement ceremony. Due to the number of graduates and precise schedule, it is not practical to change into regalia at the venue.
*This may be adjusted according to venue requirements. Additional information will be included in the Commencement Guidebook and on the event-specific website.
You can watch the commencement ceremony on the WGU YouTube channel at any point after the start of the ceremony.
The commencement photos will be available approximately 2-3 weeks after the ceremony. Those photos will be available for viewing at https://thegradteam.com/events/wgu/
Did you know that WGU Alumni have access to hundreds of discounts? Log in to BenefitHub to search for deals on flights, hotels, car rentals, and more.
Ceremony Participation and RSVP FAQs
There is not a time limit on when a graduate may walk in a commencement. Graduates may only participate in one commencement ceremony per degree program completed.
Generally, commencement ceremonies last approximately 90 minutes.
Yes, ceremonies have capacity limits. We suggest that you submit an RSVP to your desired ceremony as soon as you are eligible.
Please review the commencement participation guidelines located in the student handbook, which outlines student eligibility to attend commencement. If you have additional questions, you can contact the Commencement Office at commencement@wgu.edu.
Graduates who wish to participate in an in-person or virtual commencement ceremony must meet eligibility requirements and register for their desired event.
Eligibility Guidelines
- Students must have submitted their Graduation Application for the completion of their degree program OR
- Students must have only their final course remaining, such as capstone or final certification, with the exception of direct hours for field experience or demonstration teaching.
- Students who meet the above final course requirements may submit an email to commencement@wgu.edu with "Final Course" in the subject line along with desired commencement ceremony.
- Once eligibility has been confirmed the student or graduate MUST submit an RSVP via the commencement website.
If you don’t currently meet either of these requirements, wait to RSVP until one of the requirements is met.
No, the graduation application process is separate from submitting a RSVP to a Commencement Weekend. If the Commencement Office has granted a final course exemption and you have RSVP’d to your desired ceremony you do not have to have your graduation application submitted to walk at Commencement.
Yes. The ceremony RSVP form is a separate process from the graduation application. The completion of the ceremony RSVP form reserves your seat at commencement and generates your information on a name reading card for the announcer.
After a graduate submits the ceremony RSVP form, a confirmation email is automatically sent to the email address listed on the completed RSVP form. Please check your junk inbox. If you do not see a confirmation email for your ceremony RSVP, please contact us at commencement@wgu.edu with additional questions.
No. Once registration has closed, no late additions, including day-of (walk-up) will be permitted. Registration for all in-person commencement events ends one month prior to the event date, and registration for virtual ceremonies ends
No. As of January 2022, a graduate may participate in one ceremony per degree, either a virtual or in-person ceremony.
A StagePass is a digital QR code issued to each graduate registered for an in-person ceremony the week of commencement. It contains the information that will be displayed on the screen as your name is read, and you cross the stage. To access their StagePass at the ceremony, graduates will need their phone with them at graduate check-in and as they cross the stage.
Your StagePass will be emailed to you on Monday and Friday, the week of the commencement weekend. If you do not receive it, please contact the Commencement Office at commencement@wgu.edu with the subject line, “StagePass Not Received”.
We will send commencement updates to the email address you entered on your RSVP form.
Regalia FAQs
WGU works with official regalia vendor Balfour (caps, gowns, tassels, hoods, stoles). Ordering will open at the end of 2025 for all 2026 ceremonies. Regalia ordering can be found here.
For bachelor’s degree, post-baccalaureate teacher programs, or endorsement preparation program (English Language Learning), you should order a cap, bachelor's gown, and tassel.
For those earning a master's degree or endorsement preparation program (Educational Leadership), you should order a cap, master's gown, tassel, and a master's hood.
Click here to see a tutorial on how to wear your cap & gown the day of commencement.
The following master’s hoods are available for purchase from our regalia vendor Balfour.
Education - Blue
Business (all MBAs) - Drab
Technology - Gold
Nursing – Apricot
Integrated Healthcare Management - Salmon
Master of Health Leadership - Sage green
WGU works with official commencement goods vendor Balfour for additional commencement goods and announcements. Visit them at https://www.balfour.com/wgu to see their selection.
Prior to the conferral of degrees, bachelor's degree graduates wear their tassel on the right while master's degree graduates wear their tassel on the left for the entire commencement ceremony.
A graduate should wear academic attire appropriate to the awarded degree. The master's gown differs from a bachelor's gown. If you already have a cap and tassel, you can order a master's gown as an individual item on our commencement vendor’s website. Please note that the academic attire for a master's graduate includes a cap, tassel, master's gown, and hood.
Yes, WGU graduates affiliated with an honor society may wear society pins or honor cords/sashes/stoles to represent their academic achievements, affiliations, or identity on their gowns.
Teacher graduates affiliated with the WGU chapter of the international honor society of Kappa Delta Pi (KDP) may order honor cords at http://www.kdp.org.
Graduates who are members of The National Society of Leadership and Success may wear honor cords indicating this affiliation.
WGU graduates who are veterans or active-duty military will be provided with a military honor cord. For virtual commencements, cords will be shipped to the address provided on their RSVP. For in-person commencements, cords will be picked up at the Alumni Celebration or at Commencement during graduate check-in. On your RSVP form, please mark that you are a veteran or active duty.
Graduates are permitted to decorate their graduation caps. Take into consideration the following if decorating your cap for commencement:
WGU does not allow content on caps or sashes that is considered, in WGU’s sole discretion, obscene, vulgar, defamatory, hateful, inappropriate, profane or that might disregard another’s copyright or third-party rights. All decorations must lie flat on the cap.
WGU Philanthropy Cord FAQs
The WGU Philanthropy Cord is a blue and gold cord for graduates to wear with their cap and gown at Commencement. The Philanthropy Cord is a physical symbol of a graduate’s commitment to WGU, and, more importantly, supports a philanthropic legacy that will last for future generations of WGU students.
- Mail: If you order more than four weeks prior to your commencement ceremony, we will mail your cord to you at the address you specify. Alternatively, you may elect to pick up your cord in-person.
- In-Person: Visit the WGU Advancement table at your commencement site (Check-in or Alumni Celebration).
- Virtual: We will mail your cord to the address provided during your donation.
100% of your gift goes to the Night Owl Scholarship Fund, which provides direct financial assistance to WGU students who need a final boost to finish their degrees.
For in-person commencements, you may choose to have your Philanthropy Cord mailed to you or picked up at Commencement by visiting the WGU Advancement table at the Alumni Celebration or during graduate check-in before Commencement.
For virtual commencements, Philanthropy Cords will be mailed prior to the ceremony date.
WGU Advancement is dedicated to attracting, allocating, and putting dollars to work so more students have access to an affordable, quality education. We provide a meaningful way for alumni, donors, and partners to “pay it forward” and invest in the future of education.
A Sustaining Supporter is a donor who provides ongoing impact through a recurring gift. For as little as $3 a month, you can help ensure that the "bridge" to graduation remains open for every student who follows you.
Yes! Every dollar helps remove barriers for students. Whether it is a one-time gift or a recurring monthly contribution, your generosity directly impacts student success.
Letter of Invitation for Abroad & Commencement Announcements FAQs
Yes, students may send an email to records@wgu.edu with the family member's full name, relationship to the student, and foreign address. Once provided, the Records Department will prepare documents containing information about the commencement and student's earned degree. These prepared letters will then be sent to the student to forward them to the correct parties. It may take 5-10 business days for the letters to be mailed to the student.
WGU works with official announcements and commencement goods vendor Balfour. Ordering will open at the end of 2025 for all 2026 ceremonies.
Announcements can be found on Balfour website.
Graduation Application and Diploma FAQs
Visit the graduation application page in the student handbook for the most current information on how to apply for graduation.
Visit the graduation application page in the student handbook for the most current information on how to receive your diploma.
No, please leave your diploma at home. You will receive a complimentary diploma cover at the end of the commencement ceremony.
