QUESTION: Does the class of 2020 still have to pay a graduation fee?

ANSWER: We recognize that there are many questions surrounding the graduation fee of $300. This fee covers many items (yearbooks, graduation attire, programs, announcements, diplomas and cases, graduation awards, senior breakfast, church rental and organist fees, faculty regalia rental fees, senior portrait sitting fees, photographer, along with several others). With the current situation, we will not be hosting the senior breakfast in the traditional sense. We have also decided that the attire for this year’s ceremony will not be the tuxedos. There is no way to facilitate the measurement taking or the picking up and dropping off of the tuxedos. We will make the resulting attire determinations in the coming weeks. With the possibility of the ceremony in August, many of these other costs will remain, some remain no matter if the in-person ceremony takes place or not, and others are added to produce a virtual ceremony if the need arises. Taking all of this into consideration, LSA is reducing the 2020 graduation fee from $300 to $200. If further reductions take place in the coming months (if it is determined the August in-person ceremony cannot take place), we will address those then. If you have already paid the full $300 fee, the $100 excess will be applied to any outstanding tuition balances. If you have paid all balances already, you will receive a refund for the $100 unless you notify our Finance Office that you would like to donate your refund to help students who need help making their tuition payment during this challenging time. Reach out to Ms. Mary Kenny or Ms. Mary Anne Glassen in the Finance Office with any questions.