You, fellow Bruin, did it. You made it to commencement. You are graduating from UCLA.

What will be several seniors’ biggest accomplishment to date is the accumulation of several different factors: hours spent studying, sunny picnics on Janss Steps, high-fiving team members on the intramural field, cramming friends into a classic triple dorm for late movie nights and finishing lengthy final capstone projects.

These memories shaped students into the people they are today as they walk across that stage.

However, graduation is also the accumulation of another factor: money. And that doesn’t just include tuition.

Behind the cap and gown, there are many unseen costs that come with a UCLA diploma. With all the effort, time and money students put into their UCLA education, the university should reduce its profit margins when it comes to graduation gear.

Let’s begin with the famous graduation sash. The satiny blue and gold gives each student a lustrous shine as they walk across the stage. That sash alone costs each student $55. But it must be worth it if each sash is custom embroidered with names, majors, minors and any other desired messages, right?

Think again. Each additional piece of text a student adds costs $30. If a student wants to put their name, major and minor, they are looking at a $145.00 piece of fabric.

Doesn’t seem so lustrous anymore, does it?

“The sash definitely was very expensive, especially customizing it, even though they had a promo going on,” said Divine Adeboye, a fourth-year biology student.

Then there’s the cost of the physical cap and gown. Another $50. If you want to put your hard-earned diploma in a UCLA frame – as plenty of young professionals do in their houses or work offices – you are looking at another $145 to $250.

This attire and memorabilia are sold at significantly cheaper price points through third-party options, such as Graduation Attire and Grad Shop. Many students may turn to these more affordable options. Students can purchase a cap, gown and tassel from Graduation Attire, for example, for as low as $20.39.

If other businesses can afford to offer these lower price points, UCLA should also be able to.

Savannah Ulloa, a fourth-year psychology student, said she thought the cap and gown in particular could be sold for less.

Making a cap and gown less expensive would be reasonable when students already spend so much on a degree, said Ulloa.

UCLA does not have a graduation application fee, where students have to pay a fee to attend commencement, while some other California colleges do. But the university makes up for its lack of a graduation fee with the cost of caps, gowns, diploma frames and sashes.

“I feel like I was a little bit surprised, especially with embroidering and stuff like that, just how expensive it did get,” Ulloa added. “I knew it would probably cost a little bit more, but the extent to which was a little bit surprising.”

Students also make additional non-UCLA-associated purchases: white dresses, suits, ties, heels and dress shoes.

Many students also choose to hire a professional or student photographer for graduation photos. Seniors may also purchase plane tickets and book hotels so that loved ones can come to campus and support students on graduation day.

One could argue that these graduation purchases are technically optional and not all students need or want to partake in these endeavors.

However, how optional is it really when hundreds of your classmates will all be wearing the same cap, gown, sash and elegant attire underneath as they walk across that stage with you?

UCLA should learn from California’s K-12 public schools.

All public K-12 schools in California are legally required to provide a free rental cap and gown option for all graduating seniors. This ensures that commencement is accessible regardless of family income.

Why does this practice end when attending a public university like UCLA?

“UCLA’s commencement and student support resources are available at https://commencement.ucla.edu/ and https://www.uclastore.com/students-graduation-resources,” a UCLA spokesperson said in an emailed statement.

However, these so-called student support resources completely brush over the associated graduation costs.

UCLA could do a better job at mitigating the costs associated with graduation attire, especially for students coming from lower-income backgrounds, said Anthony Wong, a fourth-year electrical engineering student.

Luckily, some seniors can rely on programs like the Bruin Underground Scholars, in which underrepresented students can access graduation resources. For example, Bruin Underground Scholars offers free caps and gowns for students in their program.

Yet, students on campus still struggle with the hidden costs behind graduation.

So, you did it. You made it to graduation and are excited for what comes next. The least UCLA could do to celebrate the graduating class and their accomplishments is alleviate some, if not all, of the financial burdens associated with graduation gear.

After all, when seniors walk across that stage on commencement day alongside their lifelong friends and peers, they should not have to contend with the thought: I just spent hundreds of dollars on graduation attire.

There should only be one exhilarating thought that you need to grapple with: I did it. I’m graduating!