GRADUATION 2026
FAQs
This FAQ document has been created to answer questions around graduation.
If you have any outstanding questions that are not answered, please email: registrar_rw@alueducation.com
What are the academic requirements for graduating from ALU?
Students are presented at an Assessment Board that confirms that they have achieved the relevant credits to graduate from ALU. There are differences depending on the campus and if the student intends to graduate with an ordinary degree or an honours degree. ALU Rwanda students will also need to have their graduation approved by the Higher Education Council (HEC) of Rwanda.
If a student has not yet reached the required milestones for an ordinary degree, they can choose to exit with a diploma or certificate, but this is not considered a graduation from ALU.
ALU Rwanda
All Rwandan students who completed their high school in the Rwandan education system (REB/WDA/TVET) must submit their Advanced Level Certificates.
All Rwandan and non-Rwandan students who completed their high school in a different education system must submit their Equivalence Certificates obtained from NESA (National Examination and School Examination Authority).
A student can be awarded a Bachelor’s Degree with Honours with 480 credit points, of which a minimum of 120 must be at Level 5 and 60 at Level 4. The award “with honours” will be granted on the basis of the 180 credits at Levels 4/5.
An undergraduate student can be awarded an Ordinary Degree with 360 credit points, of which a minimum of 60 must be at Level 4. The award “with Distinction” will be granted on the basis of the 120 Level 3/4 credits.
Students who fail the capstone project will have an opportunity to retake the module and be presented at the next Assessment Board meeting. They may have to join the next graduation ceremony, depending on the timeline.
What other requirements do I need to fulfill before I am allowed to graduate?
Students will also need to do the following in order to complete their graduation from ALU:
- Return of ALU property (i.e., library books, laptops, etc.) Students who have any ALU property are required to return them or pay for them by the time they complete their studies, where applicable.
- Financial Requirements
Students whose accounts are not in good financial standing will typically not be allowed to receive their graduation parchments or even walk down the stage during graduation ceremony. Financial costs include:- Outstanding tuition fees or housing & meal plan costs.
- Damages for any ALU property broken or misplaced (library books, laptops, etc).
- Graduation costs (e.g. cost of robes or to send parchments to students absentia) (where applicable).
- Disciplinary Eligibility Graduating students involved in a disciplinary and/or academic integrity case before the graduation ceremony may need to serve out the implications of such cases before they are allowed to graduate.
Without fulfilling the above requirements, your official graduation status could be:
- Eligible to Walk during the graduation ceremony You can graduate and attend the ceremony, but don’t get the official documents post-graduation until all is cleared.
- Not eligible to participate in the ceremony
You cannot attend the ceremony and do not get any official documents post-graduation until all requirements are cleared.
What are the academic timelines for a graduation ceremony?
This provides information on what happens after your completion of studies.
- Assessment Board: After you complete your studies, the Assessment Board meets to confirm your grades and degree classification/exit awards. These grades are then presented to a Senate to ratify and confirm the grades..
- You will then be asked to confirm your details (formal full name, email and mailing address, etc.) as you register for the next graduation ceremony.
- HEC submission (for Rwanda): After the Assessment Board and Senate’s approval of your grades and degree classification, ALU submits your graduation request to the Rwandan Higher Education Council for approval. This review takes up to 30 days.
- Once all grades have been confirmed by the relevant parties, a Graduation Ceremony is held to officially award students their degrees. Before this occurs, students may be invited to an Asante Sana celebration.
What is the difference between Asante Sana and the Graduation Ceremony?
Asante Sana is an official ALU celebration of gratitude to the families, stakeholders, staff and faculty who have supported the student to this moment of success. It is traditionally the day before Graduation.
The Graduation Ceremony is when the conferment of the Degrees is officially performed and graduands are presented. It traditionally contains speeches and awards.
What type of support documents can I get from the ALU?
Document Type | Document Details | ALU |
Transcript | The transcript lists all courses taken at ALU with earned grades and credits | Unofficial transcripts are provided at completion of the programme before Graduation. Official transcripts are provided upon graduation. |
Proof of studies completion | This is a letter confirming the student has completed their studies and is awaiting the official graduation ceremony and degree conferral. This letter has a statement confirming that the language of instruction was English. | ALU can provide this once the AB has confirmed that the student has met all the requirements for graduation. |
Proof of Graduation | This letter confirms that the student has officially graduated from ALU. This letter has a statement confirming that the language of instruction was English. | This letter is provided upon request after the student has graduated from ALU. |
When should I expect to receive my official transcripts?
Normally, the official transcript and degree documents are available three weeks post the graduation ceremony.
How do I get/receive my official documents?
If you are in the country, we expect you to pick up your official documents in person, from campus.
If you are not in the appropriate country, you should arrange to get your official documents shipped to your address. The mailing address that you provide during the graduation registration is used when determining the shipment costs. The RO team provides you with the shipment cost invoice and finance details for payment. Once payment is made, we will ship your documentation.
What happens to my email address after graduation?
After you graduate, your ALU student email address is converted into an alumni account. Your alumni account is then added to your graduation class listserv for future group mails.
Who do I contact if I have any issues after I graduate?
If you have general issues related to your academics, reach out to registrar_rw@alueducation.com (for ALU Rwanda).
For general queries regarding your career or any other general question, reach out to alumnisupport_rw@alueducation.com
How many guests can I invite to attend my Graduation?
Each graduand is allowed to invite two guests each. This is irrespective of cohorts graduating together in one ceremony. The names and contact details of these guests must be registered prior to the ceremony. The planning for the ceremony is based on the number of graduands and their two guests.
If a graduand has more than two guests they wish to invite, they may approach other graduands to request their guest’s seats, if they know their seats will be available.
Is there an additional cost for Graduation?
A cost for graduation was to be included in your annual fee structure. This covers, in part, the ceremony and the Institution sponsored events leading up to the ceremony, eg. the Life Beyond ALU series and the Asante Sana event. There is an additional cost as a deposit for ALU regalia.
Students that decide not to attend (ie. Graduate in-absentia) may have to make a payment to have their parchments delivered after the graduation ceremony.