Penn State Abington Commencement — Cap, Gown, Tassel & Regalia Guide

Penn State Abington requires all participating graduates to wear official academic regalia to walk in commencement. For undergraduate (baccalaureate or associate) degree candidates, the official academic dress consists of a blue gown with wide sleeves and a blue mortarboard cap with a tassel, worn on the right front edge. When degrees are conferred, graduates move the tassel to the left.

Regalia (cap, gown, tassel) must be ordered ahead — typically by ordering through the campus bookstore or via the institution’s vendor before the deadline; no regalia will be provided at the ceremony itself.

Penn State Abington allows certain official ornamentation at commencement. Specifically, recognized academic‑honor cords are awarded on the basis of Latin honors: “Cum Laude” graduates receive a white cord; “Magna Cum Laude” a blue cord; “Summa Cum Laude” a blue‑and‑white cord. In addition, eligible U.S. military/veteran students — active duty, reserve, National Guard, or commissioned via ROTC — receive a red‑white‑blue military honor cord. Other cords for approved honor‑society membership (e.g. campus‑recognized national honor societies) are permitted; colors vary per society.

The institution’s regalia policy prohibits unofficial ornamentation — no unauthorized stoles, sashes, ribbons, pins, or decorative accessories beyond the approved cords or cords provided by recognized societies. For graduate degree candidates (master’s or doctoral), academic hoods are used, with hood velvet border denoting the academic discipline and the hood lining reflecting the awarding institution; the hood’s velvet trim indicates the field of study.

In short: Penn State Abington’s commencement emphasizes official academic regalia — blue gowns and mortarboard caps with tassels (for undergraduates), and discipline‑color hoods for advanced degrees — combined with approved honor cords for Latin honors, veteran status, and recognized honor‑society membership. Regalia and cords must be ordered in advance; undocumented accessories or custom stoles are not permitted.

• Undergraduate regalia: blue gown (wide sleeves), blue mortarboard cap, tassel on right until degree conferral.
• Graduate/doctoral regalia: cap, gown and academic hood — hood velvet border denotes discipline; hood lining shows institutional colors.
• Honor cords awarded for Latin honors: white (Cum Laude), blue (Magna), blue‑and‑white (Summa).
• Military/veteran honor cord: red‑white‑blue for eligible graduates (active, reserve, National Guard, ROTC).
• Cords for approved honor‑society membership allowed (color per society).
• No unofficial stoles, sashes, ribbons, pins or custom decorations permitted.
• Caps, gowns and tassels must be purchased ahead of the Graduation Fair; no regalia will be provided at the ceremony venue.
• Graduates are required to check regalia for accuracy and condition before commencement and wear appropriate footwear.

Note: To confirm the exact colors of the graduation gown, cap, tassel, honor cords, and stoles for your specific program at Pennsylvania State University Abington , 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.