Commencement 2026 (In-Person & Live Stream) & Commencement Week Events

Your cap and gown will be available for pick-up on:

• Monday, April 27 – 3pm-6pm – Jennie Huizenga Library entrance
• Wednesday, April 29 – 3pm-6pm – Jennie Huizenga Library entrance
• Thursday, April 30 – 3pm-6pm – Jennie Huizenga Library entrance
• *for those traveling from out of state/final opportunity: Friday, May 1 – 10am-11am – Ozinga Grand Lobby

Please make sure your student account is paid in full prior to coming to pick up your cap and gown.

If you have questions about your Financial Balance HOLD, please contact Cheryl Katalinic, Student Accounts Manager (ckatalinic@trnty.edu).

If you are unable to be on campus during these times, please arrange for a friend or family member to pick up the cap and gown for you. We will distribute your cap and gown to that individual only if he/she presents an accepted identification card and can provide documentation (via an email from their Trinity email account) showing you have given him/her your permission to do so.

We recommend hanging up your gown at least several days in advance of the ceremony and possibly using a steamer to release wrinkles.

You are welcome to decorate your mortarboard (cap), but no decorations or custom sashes/stoles may be added to your gown.

If your GPA is 3.500 or higher and have earned or are expected to earn a minimum of 60 credits from Trinity by the end of spring 2026 or summer 2026, you will receive an Honors cord for the ceremony.

Honors cords will be handed out at cap and gown pick-up.

If you have questions about your Honors status, please email registrar@trnty.edu.

Academic honors are not indicated for graduate degrees.

MA students generally must have all their requirements fulfilled prior to participating in commencement, so anyone whose MA degree was conferred SU-25, FA-25, or will be conferred in SP-26 is welcome to participate in the SP-26 commencement. This year, MA students whose degrees will be conferred in SU-26 will also be eligible to participate in the SP-26 Commencement.

Undergraduate degree candidates should wear tassels on the right side of their cap for the academic procession. When their degree is conferred during Commencement, tassels are moved to the left side of their cap. Because graduate and professional degree candidates already have received a bachelor’s degree, they should wear tassels on the left side of their cap throughout commencement ceremonies. Faculty members and administrators should also wear tassels on the left side of their cap throughout commencement ceremonies.

Fall 2025 degree conferral: If you have not yet received your diploma, email registrar@trnty.edu.

Spring 2026 degree conferral: Diplomas will be available beginning the week of May 11. Students will be notified via their Trinity email when their diplomas are available for pick up, and are encouraged to pick up their diploma. Diplomas not picked up by May 22 will be mailed out.

Please do not come to campus to pick up your diploma until you have been notified.

Summer 2026 degree conferral: Diplomas will be available beginning August 28, 2026. Notification, pick up, and mailing options have not yet been determined but will be updated here when they are.

If your mailing address is outside the USA, please contact the Registrar’s office at registrar@trnty.edu to make arrangements.

The Main Gate will open at 6 p.m. on Friday, May 8. Guests may arrive anytime between 6 p.m. – 7 p.m., but we recommend arriving at least 10 minutes before the ceremony so you can find seats before the ceremony begins. The park will be open seating, first come first served. If you have accessibility needs, we advise you arrive early so we can accommodate you well.

Graduating students should arrive by 6 p.m. for the 7 p.m. ceremony. You will check in and then proceed to the lineup area to receive further instructions.

You can check here to see if you are registered to participate in the ceremony.

If inclement weather prevents us from gathering on Friday, May 8, our rain plan is to hold the ceremony at Ozinga Field at 10:00 a.m. on Saturday, May 9. For more details, visit trnty.edu/event/commencement2026-raindate/

If necessary, the commencement rain plan will be shared by noon CDT on Friday, May 8. All participating students will receive an email with more information, and we will also post an update on social media. We will monitor for dangerous weather or warnings, such as heavy thunderstorms, lightning, or tornado warnings. The event will be held if there is light to moderate rain and/or cooler temperatures. Please note that umbrellas will not be allowed on the field or in the stands, so please plan accordingly. As needed, ponchos will be provided to the graduates.

Professional photos will be taken of each graduate during the ceremony as they receive their diplomas, and in front of a Trinity backdrop after they leave the stage. Trinity has purchased digital rights to two (2) images for our graduates to download and print at your discretion. Families and friends are permitted to take photos during the ceremony from their seats. Professional photos can be accessed at www.killoranphotography.smugmug.com, click Trinity Christian College. If you have questions, contact Tom Killoran Photography directly at 708-361-0025.

The discount code for 2 free digital downloads is: trinity26

Drones and aerial videography/photography are NOT allowed in the stadium before, during, or after the ceremony.

All graduating, residential students must complete an official checkout with a Residence Life staff member by 12 pm (noon) on Saturday, May 9.  Checkouts involve demonstrating all personal belongings that have been removed, the space is cleaned, and the room key is returned to the RA. Students can select from a list of available days and times, and the precise day and time they wish to check out. More information will be released by Residence Life regarding checkout procedures at the March 23rd mandatory meeting.

Graduates should be sure to arrive at the Southeast parking lot at Ozinga Field by 6 p.m. to receive instructions regarding their participation in the ceremony. Several staff members will be present to assist graduates and respond to last-minute concerns.

You will also receive important communication about additional instructions to your Trinity email if you are a current student, or your personal email if you already graduated.

Since there will not be a locked room available for you to leave your things, we recommend leaving valuables at home, or in the care of one of your attending guests. If necessary, leave your belongings in a locked vehicle.

Yes, ample free parking is available surrounding Ozinga Field.   Shuttle service by golf-cart will be available for handicapped guests to the main gate. Participating students should plan to park at the south end of the west parking lot.

The ceremony will be handicap accessible, but please arrive early if your guests require handicap accessibility accommodations. For wheelchair access, we encourage you to park near the wheelchair ramp on the North side of the stadium. If you have accessibility needs, we advise you arrive as close to 1 hour before your ceremony as possible. Ushers will be there to direct you to the handicap accessible seating area.

Guests using wheelchairs may have 1 guest seated next to them. The rest of the party may sit elsewhere in the stadium.

Please visit our Local Hotels page to book with partnering local hotels.

A list of additional local hotels is available at the Chicago Southland Convention and Visitors Bureau Accommodation website.

For information on hotels and room availability, contact the Illinois Hotel and Lodging Association at 312.346.3135.

A list of restaurants is available at the Chicago Southland Convention and Visitors Bureau Dining website.

For information on dining and restaurants in the area, contact the Illinois Restaurant Association at 312.787.4000.