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Graduation

Steps to Graduate

You must complete the following steps before you are allowed to graduate:

1. Apply to graduate

All students must first apply to graduate through the Office of the University Registrar in STAR. Students need to apply during the semester that they will be graduating. 

Deadlines to Apply For Graduation for May 2024

May Graduation
Application Opens: Jan 16, 2024
Application Deadline: Mar 8, 2024 
Degree Posting: Mid to Late May

How to Apply

You'll need to provide a mailing address for your diploma/certificate before you start the application process.
  • Go to the portal and click on the STAR Tab
  • Sign in using your username and password
  • Click on the link “Student Services and Housing”
  • Click “Student Records”
  • Click “Apply to graduate”
Important: For the curriculum term selection on the first page of the application:  select the most recent term in the drop down menu that is available to you (this will be different for every student, please note: this is NOT asking you for the term in which you are graduating or the term in which you started the program, this is simply the last time there was a curriculum/administrative update to your record.)

2. Register to participate

After you’ve applied to graduate, tell us if you would like to participate in the graduation ceremony by completing the online registration form which should be available six weeks prior to your ceremony - on your school/college website for May graduates and on the graduation website for August and December graduates. The registration link is separate from the application to graduate.

3. Order required cap, gown and other optional graduation products (announcements, invitations, etc.)

Official WVU regalia is available at the two WVU Bookstore locations and online at Herff Jones. Please purchase all caps, gowns, tassels and hoods prior to the day of your ceremony as no regalia will be sold at the venue. See our Commencement Attire page for more information about attire requirements.

4. Check for any outstanding fees and holds (unpaid parking tickets, overdue library books, fees, etc.)

Students will not be awarded their diploma if there are any unpaid fees. Should any financial holds exist at the time of graduation, the diploma will instead be mailed to the Office of the University Registrar and held per the diploma retention policy. Make sure you are set to graduate by following these steps:

  1. Navigate to portal.wvu.edu
  2. Log in with your WVU ID and Password
  3. Select the “STAR” tab from the home screen
  4. Click on “Student Services and Housing”
  5. Click on “Student Records”
  6. Select the “View Holds” option

* To resolve holds, students will need to contact the office, the “Originator” listed, who has placed the hold on their account.

5. Check your Mountie Bounty balance

A $10 account processing fee will be assessed if your Mountie Bounty balance is greater than $10 and has been inactive for one year. Any balances $10 or less will be reduced to $0. To ensure you don’t lose access to your remaining Mountie Bounty, check your balance and either spend those funds or request a refund.

  1. Sign in to MyMountaineerCard with your WVU username and password.
  2. View your balance from the main page.
  3. If you have a balance, you can either spend it at participating locations or request a refund.