Hillsborough Community College

HCC holds a formal commencement ceremony each spring (and summer/fall depending on graduation eligibility), with a large in‑person event at the state fairgrounds (e.g. the 56th Annual Commencement in 2025 was scheduled at the Florida State Fairgrounds). Graduates must register and claim tickets; each graduate receives up to four complimentary guest tickets.

According to HCC’s “Commencement Apparel” page, graduates must wear a cap and gown, and regalia (caps, gowns, tassels) are available for purchase via the HCC Bookstore or through approved vendors. Caps are to be worn flat with the tassel on the right side before the diploma is conferred, and graduates may move the tassel to the left after receiving their diploma. Honor cords must be looped and pinned over the left shoulder.

The official commencement program (2025) provides a color‑coding chart for various honor cords and stoles worn by students:

Regarding faculty and other degree‑level regalia: the commencement program describes sleeve shapes on gowns to denote degree levels (e.g. long pointed sleeves = Bachelor’s; oblong sleeves with slit = Master’s; bell-shaped sleeves and velvet/chevrons = Doctor’s). The hoods or gown facings for faculty are trimmed / lined in colors corresponding to academic disciplines — for example, Apricot for Nursing; Copper for Economics; Dark Blue for Philosophy; Light Blue for Education; Pink for Music; Purple for Law; Golden Yellow for Science; etc.

Hillsborough Community College Graduation Regalia — Cap, Gown & Tassel

Celebrate your HCC graduation with an academic regalia set built to match official commencement standards. This set includes:

• Mortarboard graduation cap
• Academic graduation gown (classic black)
• Graduation tassel

Perfect for adding official stoles, cords or hoods:

• Apricot stole for Nursing baccalaureate graduates
• Gold stole for Phi Theta Kappa members
• Gold cords for honor‑graduates (Latin honors)
• White stole for Student Government Association leaders
• Blue cords for AMSA national members
• Black Kente‑trimmed stole for Collegiate 100 members
• Light‑blue stole for dual‑enrollment high school students
• White satin stole with blue lettering for Associate‑level Health program graduates

Also suitable for faculty and graduates with advanced degrees: Master’s or Doctoral regalia can include degree‑level gown sleeves and discipline‑specific hood trim colors — as per HCC’s Academic Regalia guidelines (e.g. Golden Yellow for Science, Light Blue for Education, Dark Blue for Philosophy, etc.) :contentReference[oaicite:18]{index=18}

Note: To confirm the exact colors of the graduation gown, cap, tassel, honor cords, and stoles for your specific program at Hillsborough Community College, you can reach out directly to the college's administration or the office responsible for commencement and student services. They can provide you with the most accurate and up-to-date information regarding academic regalia.