Students Speak: How Tassel Is Giving Graduation Back to the Graduates
Graduation season is supposed to be a time of joy, reflection, and pride, but for many students, it can also be a time of financial strain. Between cap and gown, ceremony fees, photos, and traditional announcement cards, the cost of celebrating educational milestones often adds up quickly.
Tassel is stepping in to change the narrative with a modern, virtual gifting platform built to help celebrate graduates in a more meaningful (and affordable) way. Tassel’s digital Graduation Announcements let students share their educational stories and receive monetary gifts and messages of encouragement from friends and family, all in one place.
We designed this new platform to make graduation about actually giving back to students, but don’t take our word for it. We surveyed graduates from Utah Valley University, Western Governors University and Pace University, and asked about their experience using this new platform. Keep reading to hear what they had to say.
A Smarter, More Inclusive Way to Celebrate
Traditional graduation announcements have always been about presentation: glossy paper, embossed lettering, and high postage costs. Tassel reimagined this tradition for the digital age. Instead of mailing cards, schools provide their graduates with a link where they can create a free school‑branded gifting profile that tells their story, has their graduation information, a messages board, and links to send monetary gifts. This profile can easily be shared on social platforms or via direct link.
One graduate put it simply:
“I honestly wasn’t going to do grad announcements until my school emailed me with the option. I did environmental science and management as my major, so it felt pretty wasteful to get a bunch of cards to be sent out just for a one‑time event. So I was going to skip it but this alternative was a really easy way to still tell people I was graduating and let them know what I was doing. I made it and posted it to my LinkedIn and my story on Instagram and Facebook. My parents reposted those so it got around to all their friends. It was really cool to be able to get that digitally.”
Tassel makes graduation accessible for everyone, not just those who can afford pricey announcements or travel. It’s also a more environmentally friendly option that’s completely free for students, and Tassel never takes a cut of gifts. The service is included in the pricing for schools who are customers of Tassel.
Gifts That Truly Give Back
Unlike companies that profit off graduation expenses, Tassel’s mission is to put money back into students’ pockets. The platform lets supporters send direct monetary gifts alongside heartfelt notes, which students can use however they need most, whether to cover travel, rent, or simply to celebrate with loved ones.
For one nursing student, the impact was immediate:
“I’m in an accelerated nursing program and I’m saving the money to help pay my loans for college and to help get through this semester because I’m not working at the moment.”
Another graduate shared how it extended far beyond herself:
“I’m a stay‑at‑home mom. The money came in handy. I didn’t use it on myself — I used it for the things my children needed. We flew them out to watch me graduate, and it helped cover the hotel and rental car.”
Graduation today is about celebrating culture, community, and connection, just as much as it’s about celebrating education. It’s also often a time of transition in lifestyle, location, and stage of life. While gifts from family and friends were often a part of this tradition to ease that transition, the old paper model of sending out cards simply doesn’t fit the modern expectations of many students graduating from college today.
A New Kind of Graduation Connection
Even for loved ones who can’t attend a ceremony in person, Tassel’s digital Graduation Announcements creates space for them to be part of the moment.
“My first gift was from my aunt. She wasn’t able to attend my ceremony, so she sent a monetary gift and a message in lieu of her attendance. It was a way for me to see that she acknowledged my accomplishment and was proud of me — it allowed her to be there without being there, if that makes sense.”
By turning a costly, one‑sided tradition into an interactive and personal experience, Tassel ensures that every message, every dollar, and every click matters. Each page is school‑branded and designed to create a social space where graduates can share their journey, life, and plans with the people they love most. While it serves practical purposes for graduates, it’s also meant to be a fun and meaningful way to celebrate and connect.
Digital, Personal, and Practical
Graduation is a major milestone and Tassel believes it should belong to the graduates themselves. The platform merges sustainability with celebration, practicality with pride, and community with technology.
As one grad put it with refreshing honesty:
“I sent it out on Facebook and Instagram stories. I mostly did it selfishly so I could get money from people and donations. It’s obviously cheaper than sending out announcements which is really archaic and expensive.”
Call it practical. Call it smart. We call it the future of graduation. A future that honors hard work, uplifts stories, and helps graduates start their next chapter with a little more confidence (and cash) in their pockets.
Click here to learn more about Tassel's new gifting platform.