Financial Wellness, an initiative of the Thrive Center, supports student wellbeing through a holistic approach that recognizes the diverse identities, lived experiences, and challenges, shaping students' academic and personal journeys. The Cap and Gown Get Down project, led by Financial Wellness, seeks to reduce the financial stress associated with purchased graduation regalia while also promoting sustainability through the reuse of regalia items. Financial insecurity throughout the college experience, including during graduation preparation, can impact student success and disproportionately affect students from historically marginalized and underrepresented communities, amplifying inequities in academic and wellness outcomes.
Financial Wellness will establish a graduation regalia recycling program. The team will collect, clean, and maintain donated graduation regalia for future lending to students who may not have been able to purchase their own regalia. In addition to reducing financial stress and waste, the project will promote a culture of celebration that honors the persistence and determination that students have as they approach graduation.
