Class of 2024 Parents: Here Is Your Finals FAQ, Part I

UVA Today is bringing you answers to the burning questions you may have about the big event in two installments.

Part II will land in your inbox Wednesday morning. Today’s focus is on electronic tickets and caps and gowns.

Q. How many guest tickets will degree candidates receive, and when will they be distributed? Do students need a ticket for Final Exercises?

A. Degree candidates will receive six guest tickets to Final Exercises on the Lawn, seven if they win the ticket lottery. Degree candidates can access school assembly areas by wearing a cap and gown and showing their UVA Student ID. If they do not have their UVA ID, graduates can download a “Graduate Ticket” in their Virginia Athletics Ticket Account, add it to their mobile wallet, and present it to event staff at the entrance. 

Degree candidates will receive an email from the Office of Major Events to their “virginia.edu” email address during the week of May 6, no later than Thursday, with information about claiming tickets. 

If there is severe weather, Final Exercises will be moved to John Paul Jones Arena. Due to capacity limitations at the arena, students will be limited to three guest tickets. Under the severe weather plan, all tickets to the Lawn ceremony will be cancelled and new severe weather tickets will be sent to degree candidates’ ticket account with Virginia Athletics. Visit the Office of Major Events tickets page for more information. 

Q. How do I get Final Exercises electronic tickets on my phone?

A. Degree candidates will claim tickets using their Virginia Athletics ticket account and then transfer them to family members.

Major Events’ best advice is for one person in your party to download all of a group’s tickets and plan for guests to arrive together at one of the entrances to the Lawn so everyone can be scanned in at the same time.

There is also the option to transfer tickets to individual phones. Tickets must be added to a users’ mobile wallet. Screenshots of the tickets will not work because they must be scanned at the entrance.  

Please be sure to download tickets prior to arriving to the Lawn. Wireless connectivity on Central Grounds is not reliable during large-scale events and could cause problems with the downloading process. 

Helpful user guides are available on the Office of Major Events tickets page. 

Download Tickets

Step 1:
Log into your Virginia Athletics ticket account at VirginiaSports.com /MyAccount.

Step 2:
Scroll down to the ‘My Upcoming Events’ section and tap on the desired event.

Step 3:
Tap the ‘Add to...’ button to add your tickets to your mobile wallet.

Step 4:
In your mobile wallet, tap the ‘Add’ button to save your ticket.

Transfer Tickets

Step 1:
Log into your Virginia Athletics ticket account at VirginiaSports.com /MyAccount.

Step 2:
Tap ‘Transfer Tickets’ on the menu.

Step 3:
Select the event, and then select the tickets you would like to transfer. Tap ‘Continue’ at the bottom of the screen.

Step 4:
Enter the recipients information and select phone number or email. Tap ‘Review Transfer’ to continue.

Step 5:
Once you have confirmed the information is correct, tap ‘Transfer Ticket’.

Step 6:
You will see a confirmation screen once the tickets have been sent. The recipient will receive the transfer invite via text or email.

Accept Transfer Tickets

Step 1:
Tap the link sent to your text messages or the ‘Accept Transfer’ button in your email.

Step 2:
Review the ticket information and tap the ‘Accept Transfer’ button to continue.

Step 3:
Log in to your Virginia Athletics ticket account or create a new account if you do not have one.

Step 4:
You should now see the ticket in your account. Add the ticket to your mobile wallet by tapping the ‘Add to...’ button.

Q. My graduate is a double major. Will they receive 12 tickets for Final Exercises?

A. No. Undergraduate students graduating with a double major receive one diploma and will receive six tickets for Final Exercises. The student can participate in both departmental diploma ceremonies after Final Exercises if the timing allows. 

But if the student is in a dual-degree program (i.e. Juris Doctor and MBA dual-degree program), they will receive 12 tickets – six tickets for each degree. 

Q. When and where can degree candidates pick up their caps and gowns?

A. Complimentary caps and gowns can be picked up at the University Bookstore May 15 through 17, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. each day; on May 18, from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m.; and on May 19, from 7 to 8:30 a.m. 

Degree candidates in Darden, the School of Law and the School of Medicine (Doctors of Medicine only) will receive regalia from their school registrars.