All graduation ceremonies for Credit students will be held in the HPF building (gymnasium) on the main (Amnicola Highway) campus.
Spring / Summer Ceremony

Graduation Ceremony

Tickets

Each participating graduate may receive up to six (6) guest tickets to their ceremony. Every guest, regardless of age, MUST have a ticket to enter the ceremony. Tickets are issued for a specific ceremony time, not for a specific seat. Ticketed guests may sit in any available seat. We recommend and request that groups of guests arrive together, enter together, and sit together. We expect that all seats will be used at each ceremony, and we have not allocated "buffer seats" between groups of guests.

Location

Graduates line up in the Branch Center lobby.

All ceremonies will be in the HPF Building (Gymnasium) on the main (Amnicola Highway) campus.

Arrival Time

Graduates - Arrive 1.5 hours before the scheduled ceremony time, and come dressed in regalia (cap, gown, cords, medals, etc.)
 
Ticketed Guests - We aim to open the doors 30 minutes before each scheduled ceremony. This will depend on the duration of the preceding ceremony.

Duration

Ceremonies will start promptly at the published time and will likely last around 45 minutes.

Photos

Professional photographs will be taken, and you will have the opportunity to order prints through the photography company. You will receive more details at the ceremony.

Parking & Access

Graduates and guests should park in Lot P1, the Visitor Parking Lot. All ceremonies will be held in the Gymnasium (HPF) building, which is number 4 on the campus map.

Accessibility & Accommodations

If you or any of your guests have accessibility needs or wish to request accommodations, please email the Center for Access and Disability Services at [email protected] or call 423-697-4452.

Typical requests might include that you or your guests cannot navigate stairs, or that your guests need to sit in a place where they can read the live captioning. The planned route for graduates includes a few stairs into the HPF building.

Exhibition Reception: May 1 from 4:00pm - 5:00pm

Elliott Herring, a dual-enrollment high school student of Dr. Alan Nichols, will present a recital of solo piano music featuring works by Franz Schubert, Alexander Scriabin, Sergei Rachmaninoff, and others. Admission is free.

All events are free to the public (except as noted) and are presented at the Chattanooga State Humanities Theatre (except as noted), 4501 Amnicola Highway.

Donations will be accepted at the door.

For further information call 423.697.2460 (for Music) or 423.697.3246 (for Theatre).

Last Day To Pay, Wednesday, May 6, 2026 @ 5:30 p.m. ET (Credit & TCAT) 

ChattState is so proud to be part of this community, and we couldn't think of a better way to celebrate than by throwing open the doors of ChattState's brand-new Rhea County Higher Education Center — and inviting every single one of you in.

Whether you're a recent high school grad, a working adult ready for a change, someone supporting a family member's future, or simply a neighbor curious about what's happening on Delaware Ave — you are welcome here.

This open house is for everyone. Come see what's possible right here in your own backyard:

• Welding 
• Automation 
• Robotics 
• Electrical 
• Computer Support Technician 
• Emergency Medical Technician (EMT)

These are real careers, with real demand, available right here in Rhea County — no long commute, no uprooting your life.
Join us for light refreshments and explore:

• Classroom tours of the brand-new facility
• Hands-on demonstrations
• On-site enrollment and advising services.

Date & Time: Tuesday, May 19 | 4:00 p.m.–6:00 p.m.
Location: ChattState's Rhea Co. Higher Education Center, 815 Delaware Ave, Dayton, TN

Last Day To Pay, Wednesday, May 24, 2026 @ 1 :00 p.m. ET (Credit & TCAT) Payments made on campus must be paid by Friday, May 22 @ 4:30 p.m. ET

Campus is closed.

View the full Academic Calendar for Summer 2026.