Commencement

Rising Star

Congratulations to the 2024 GateWay Community College Graduates!

GateWay Community College will be celebrating our graduates with an in-person event this May.

Commencement Ceremony Date: Thursday, May 9, 2024

Location and Start Time:

Location:
Phoenix Rising FC Stadium
3801 E. Washington St., Phoenix, AZ 85034

Time:
4:30 p.m. – Student check-in
6 p.m. – Doors open for guests
7 p.m. – Ceremony begins

Additional Event Information

Parking and Directions

Free parking will be available at Phoenix Rising Stadium on a first-come first-served basis. Guests parking in general lots should use eastbound Washington Street, then turn right onto either southbound 37th Street (Lots 1 and 2) or southbound 38th Street (Lots 3, 4 and 5). There will be no left turns on westbound Washington Street at 38th Street. Overflow parking will be available at the GateWay Community College parking lot.

Phoenix Rising Parking Guide

Please be informed that air horns, balloons, flower vases, confetti/party favors, selfie sticks, or large signs that could obstruct views are prohibited at the event for safety reasons.

Watch the 2024 Commencement Ceremony

We are proud to host the Spring 2024 Commencement Ceremony at Phoenix Rising FC Stadium for Fall 2023, Spring 2024, and Summer 2024 graduates.

Watch the 55th GateWay Community College Commencement Ceremony
Thursday, May 9, 2024
7 p.m.

Congratulations Class of 2024!

Download the 2024 Commencement program here.

For more details visit gatewaycc.edu/graduation.

Echo in Graduation Regalia

Share Your Photos Using #GateWayGrad

In addition to these events, we have dedicated our social channels to highlight you. Here's how it works:

1) On Instagram, Facebook, or Twitter post a picture, message, or shout out to celebrate graduation. 

2) Make sure to tag us at #GateWayGrad or #GateWayProud.

3) Don’t forget to make your profile public so we can use your post on our site.

4) That's it, we'll do the rest!

We’ll start to showcase the Class of 2024 on our social channels for you to view and share with friends and family. Once again, congratulations on graduating! We’re excited to share your accomplishments with the world.

Commencement FAQ

Credit students must apply to graduate regardless of ceremony participation.

Yes, graduates (clock and credit) will receive communications by email to their Maricopa email account with invitations to participate in the ceremony. Information will also be posted on this webpage when available. Graduates will receive information on how to register and what information is needed to participate in the ceremony. Deadlines to register will be included in the communications.

No. If students choose not to take part in any ceremony and their academic requirements are met, similar to prior years, students will receive their diplomas in the mail.

At the end of the term, all graduation applications are reviewed to ensure all academic requirements have been met. Once the review is complete, the award will be posted to the student account and will be posted the student transcripts. Diplomas will be printed and mailed 4-6 weeks after final grades are posted. Graduates will receive an email notification via their Maricopa student email account when the award has been posted to their account. Diplomas are mailed to the graduate’s home address. Graduates are requested to keep their home address in their Student Center at portal.maricopa.edu current and accurate.

*Please note, diplomas are printed with the primary name on your student record. Please visit gatewaycc.edu/students/registration-forms if you need to update your primary name.

Honor cords are presented to graduates who participate in the in-person commencement ceremony. Honor Cords are distributed based on graduating GPA:

  • Distinction: 3.5-3.69
  • High Distinction: 3/7-3.89
  • Highest Distinction: 3.9-4.0

Please note: Honor cords are for students who are applying for an Associate Degree, Certificate Programs are not eligible.

Stoles

PTK students should visit this site to order their stole before commencement.

Veteran students should register at this site to receive their stole.

There is no fee for applying to graduate. The commencement fee for participation in the ceremony has been waived for Spring 2024.

Regalia can be purchased online at https://www.buildagrad.com/gcc. Balfour will close the site for purchasing on April 2 to allow time for processing and shipping.