Penn State Altoona Commencement — Cap, Gown, Tassel & Regalia Overview

Penn State Altoona requires all graduating candidates participating in commencement to wear appropriate academic regalia. Caps and gowns (with tassel) must be purchased in advance via the campus bookstore; regalia is **not** provided on ceremony day.

The academic dress code follows traditional U.S. standards: bachelor’s gowns have short or regular sleeves; master’s gowns have pointed sleeves; doctoral gowns (if applicable) include full bell sleeves with velvet panels and sleeve bars. Hoods are worn by master’s or doctoral recipients; bachelor’s-degree candidates typically do not wear a hood. The cap is a standard mortarboard, and tassels are generally black; undergraduates wear the tassel on the right side until the degree is conferred.

For academic honors and special recognition, Altoona permits **honor cords** — but only those awarded for academic distinction or by recognized campus or national honor societies. A variety of honor‑society cords (by group) are listed: e.g. gold cords for one society, forest‑green/red for another, green‑and‑gold for business, royal purple for the campus Honors Program, red‑white‑blue for veterans/active‑duty military, and others for specialized societies such as engineering technology, criminal justice, education, etc.

Importantly: other adornments — stoles, sashes, pins, custom decorations or unauthorized cords — are **not** part of the publicly documented regalia code for Altoona. Only cords issued through official honor or veteran programs are sanctioned.

In summary: Penn State Altoona’s commencement maintains the standard academic‑regalia rules: cap, gown, tassel (and hood for advanced degrees), with honor cords only when officially awarded. Regalia must be ordered ahead. Any product listing or retail description claiming “official Penn State Altoona stoles, custom tassel colours, or unverified decorative accessories” should be treated as speculative — only cap/gown/tassel and honored cords per campus guidelines are publicly verified.

• Cap, gown and tassel required for all degree candidates — ordered through campus bookstore before commencement.
• Bachelor’s regalia: standard gown (short/regular sleeves), mortarboard cap, tassel on right until degree is conferred.
• Master’s/Doctoral regalia: gown with pointed/full sleeves, academic hood worn by master’s/doctorate recipients — hood indicates degree level and field.
• Honor cords: awarded only for academic distinction or recognized honor societies/veteran service; examples include gold, royal‑purple, green‑and‑gold, red‑white‑blue cords per society or veteran status.
• No public allowance for custom stoles, sashes, pins, or non‑official decorative accessories.
• Regalia compliance (cap, gown, tassel/hood, cords) is mandatory for procession and degree conferral — missing or incorrect attire may disqualify participation.
• Graduates are advised to order early (e.g. during Senior Salute Bookstore event) — gown+cap+tassel set costs around US$55 plus tax.

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