Graduation is an exciting time!
Whether you are graduating from high school, college, or any other academic or training program, it is important to show appreciation to those who honored you on the day, gave you a gift, or attended your graduation party.
You may also want to thank one or more of your teachers. Review our teacher thank you note examples.
What To Write in a Graduation Thank You Card
In your graduation thank-you notes, you will want to express your gratitude for any gifts received. Your notes should specifically mention the gift when possible. However, you can use a generic graduation thank you message if you didn’t make a list.
Your wording may also vary depending on the graduation. For example, for high school and college graduations, how you will use the gifts and what you plan to do next with your life will likely be different.
I encourage handwritten notes. Here is a template:
Dear Person’s Name,
Thank you for the graduation gift. I appreciate the cash and will be using it for _______. Another sentence with your next steps, or you can include a compliment.
Sincerely,
Your Name
Below, we will cover:
- Tips for Writing Graduation Thank You Cards
- High School Graduation Gift Thank You Messages
- College Graduation Gift Thank You Messages
- Thank You for Coming to My Graduation Party or Ceremony
- Thank You Notes for Graduation Money
- Generic Graduation Gift Thank You Messages
Writing Graduation Thank You Cards Tips
If you have a child (or children) graduating high school, they will need to write thank-you notes for any gifts they receive.
If you are a parent reading this, your child may need your help to get organized and not feel overwhelmed by the task. Your attitude could impact how much they enjoy or do enjoy the process. Being prepared will hopefully lead to less nagging to get your graduate to finish the thank-you notes.
- Help your graduate get started. If your child did not grow up writing thank-you notes for birthday and holiday gifts, they might need some help to get started with knowing what to say. The examples below can help. It will be easier for them if they’ve been writing thank-you notes already. The challenge may be the number of thank-you cards that need to be written if they received many gifts.
- Stay organized when opening gifts. Please make a list of who gave each gift and what the gift was as it is opened. You can use a gift list tracker. Remember to keep track of gifts received in the mail too! A parent or another family can make a list while the graduate opens each gift. Record the gift giver’s name and the gift. If a list is not made, they will likely feel frustrated when writing the notes and can’t remember who gave what. Do not convince yourselves that you/they will remember! Do you remember what you had for lunch three days ago?
- Take your time. Plan for several thank-you note writing sessions. Write them in batches of 5 to 10 notes. For more tips, read: How to Write 100 Thank You Notes Without Feeling Overwhelmed.
- Involve the graduate early. Let them help choose the thank-you note design. They may get excited about the thank-you note process if the card’s design is to their taste.
- Share the space. I have a twin brother, and we had a joint high school graduation party. This was another opportunity where we were able to share thank-you note cards. For people that gave us both a gift, I wrote my thank-you note on one side of the card, and my brother used the other. Of course, we had to be careful to ensure we didn’t write the same message! This approach also allowed my parents to save a bit on thank-you note cards and stamps.
- For the money. Money is a popular graduation gift, and sharing how you plan to use it is thoughtful.
High School Graduation Thank You Note Examples
Here are some examples to inspire your thank you card wording for high school graduation gifts.
#1 Thank you for coming to my graduation party and for the cash. I appreciate it and will save it when I start college in the fall. I will put it in my fund to cover the costs of books as I hear they can be expensive.
#2 I am thankful for the gas gift cards. They will be great when I’m on my own and have to buy all of my own gas. Also, thanks for coming to the party. I hope you had a lovely time.
#3 I enjoyed visiting with you at my graduation party. I’m sorry that your kids could not make it. I liked hearing the updates on all of them. Thanks for the crockpot. It will be beneficial in my dorm room.
#4 Thank you for the toaster. I will use it often in my dorm room as I love to warm up Pop-Tarts. Perhaps, I will also find a healthy alternative to toast. Thank you for coming to the party as well!
#5 I was sorry you were not well enough to attend my graduation party. I hope you are feeling better now. Thank you for mailing the check. I am saving all graduation money for college expenses which can be expensive! I will stop by and visit with you before I head to [School Name].
#6 Thank you for the graduation money. You are very generous! I will put it towards a used car this summer as I have a job at [Company]. I feel one step closer to being independent.
#7 I am grateful for [Book Title] you gave me for graduation. I’ve started reading it already, and it offers advice I can take action on right away to be better at managing my finances. Then, perhaps, we can get together in a few weeks to discuss. I would love to hear your thoughts on it. This could be a life-changing book!
#8 I was excited to see you at my graduation party. Thank you so much for coming. I was very surprised, and I hope you enjoyed the food and the cake. I also am grateful for the money you gave me, which will be spent on new clothes for school, as I will need much warmer clothing for the move to [City/Region Name].
#9 Thank you for the graduation gift. I will use the money towards items I discover I need once I move into the dorm. I am excited to start the next phase of my life.
#10 You are very generous! Thank you for giving me so much. I was astonished and will be diligent with how I spend the money. As indicated in your note, you can have confidence that I will use it only towards college expenses. Thank you again for helping me to start college life.
College Graduation Thank You Message Examples
Graduating from college was one of my happiest days, and I felt very accomplished to receive a bachelor’s degree (I majored in math if you were wondering). I didn’t have a big party for college graduation as I did for high school graduation, but I probably received a few gifts from family members—honestly, I don’t remember!
These example messages will help you say thank you for college graduation money and any other gifts.
#1 Thank you for sending a card and check to recognize my graduation. I am excited to start interviewing for relevant jobs. I appreciate your support and will put the money towards a car I can use once I have secured a position.
#2 Thank you for the graduation money. I will be using it towards travel expenses. I plan to move to [City Name] now that I have a degree, as they have many companies specializing in [Degree Field]. So there should be many opportunities for my career there.
#3 I am grateful for all the support you’ve given me while studying for the past four years. You believed in me and my abilities when I didn’t. Thank you for encouraging me to keep learning and to stick with it. I love [Degree Field] more than ever and look forward to my first job.
#4 Thank you for the money and graduation card you mailed last week. I will use it for things I need as I start interviewing, including a nice suit. I am excited to be moving to the next stage of my life.
#5 I am incredibly excited to have my degree! First, thank you for meeting with me once each semester. I enjoyed hearing about what is happening in [Degree Field] at your workplace. Your stories have inspired me that I can make a difference. Thank you in advance for agreeing to be a reference once I land a job interview.
#6 Thank you for doing the summer independent study class with me. Because of it, I could graduate at the end of the summer instead of the fall semester. I enjoyed the book we read and then discussed together. It’s given me a new outlook on [Topic].
#7 I appreciate the money you sent to recognize my college graduation. And thank you for noting in the card that spending it on something fun is fine! I will use it to take my girlfriend and me out for a celebration dinner. We love the fancy sushi restaurant downtown and usually do not have the budget to go there. So it will be a real treat.
#8 I look forward to reading the book [Name of Book]. Now that I’ve graduated, it will give me new insights on [Topic]. I am excited that we share an interest in [Topic] and will follow up in a few months to let you know how the book has influenced me.
#9 Thank you for the graduation card and encouraging note. Sharing your experience of how your degree impacted your life was inspiring. I appreciate the time you spent to write it out. Next time you are in town, let’s plan to meet for lunch. I’d love to hear more details from your life story.
#10 Thank you for supporting me during the past few years while I was in college. I am incredibly excited to be finished! Your encouragement has meant a lot to me, and I hope to pay it forward someday.
Thank You for Coming to My Graduation Party or Ceremony Examples
Here are examples to thank someone for coming to your graduation party. If the person gave you a gift, be sure to thank them for that too. You may want to combine examples from throughout this post.
#1 Thank you for celebrating my graduation with me! I was excited to see you at the commencement ceremony. As always, I appreciate the support you’ve given me over the years.
#2 Thank you for coming to my graduation party. After hearing so much about you, several of my friends were happy to meet you. Also, thank you for the money. I will try to be responsible with it.
#3 I was surprised to see you at my graduation ceremony. Thank you for being there to help me celebrate this milestone in my life. I am looking forward to the next stage of my life.
#4 I enjoyed visiting with you at my graduation party and am grateful you could make the trip. You are a wonderful mentor and friend. I appreciate the words of wisdom you wrote on the card as well. They will be words I will remember for years to come.
Related: Thank You For Inviting Me To Your Graduation Party Messages
#5 You are a wonderful grandma! Thank you for coming to my graduation party and to the ceremony. You’ve always brought sunshine to my life, and thank you for all the encouragement you gave me to study and finish school.
#6 Thank you for coming to my graduation celebration on Zoom. It wasn’t the party I dreamed of, but I was glad to have you and so many others wish me congratulations on the virtual party. And thank you for mailing me a card! I am saving the money for college expenses in the fall.
#7 You’ve always been there for me, and I was happy you came to my graduation party. Also, thank you for the book and the money. I will be sure to read the book as you would only give me a book that you believe will help me somehow.
#8 Thank you for coming to my party. Graduating is a huge accomplishment, and I’m glad you were part of my celebration.
#9 I want to thank you for celebrating my graduation with me. The party and you and many others coming helped me feel special. Thank you for the cash gift as well.
#10 Thank you for helping make my party so fun with your presence. My younger nieces and nephews think you are the funniest guy ever! They were very entertained by you. Also, thank you for the beautiful card and inspiring note.
Thank You Notes for Graduation Money
When writing thank you cards for graduation money, it’s nice to share if you plan to save the money or how you will use it. However, it’s not a requirement if you are uncomfortable sharing your plans.
As with most times when you say thank you for money, you do not need to include the amount in your note. Also, your thank you note will acknowledge any cash or checks in graduation cards received in the mail.
If the person attended your ceremony or party, you can thank them for attending along with your gratitude for the money.
#1 Thank you for the graduation money. I greatly appreciate your generosity and support.
#2 I was excited to see you at my graduation party. Thank you for coming, and also, thank you for your check. I plan to use it toward backs in the fall. Also, I had the best looking graduation cap thanks to your creative cap ideas.
#3 Thank you for your very generous graduation gift. You’ve been a great mentor as I made my way through college. I appreciate your love and support during the last few years. I’ve started looking for jobs and hope to land something in my field soon.
#4 Thank you so much for the graduation gift. I will be using it towards my trip this summer to Europe. I was happy to see you at my party. You’ve been one of my greatest supporters!
#5 You’re a wonderful aunt. Thank you for coming to my graduation party and for the gift. I will use the money towards items I need for my dorm room in the fall.
#6 Thank you for your thoughtful graduation gift. I will use it towards a new laptop for art school in the fall.
#7 Thank you for the wonderful gift for my graduation. I am thankful for the money and will use it towards a professional wardrobe for my new office jobs.
#8 Thank you for the graduation money. I will put it to good use before moving on to the next phase of life. Also, thank you for coming to the party. It was nice to see you and your family.
#9 Thank you so much for your generous gift and being there on my big day! I will be saving up the money towards a used car.
#10 I had a lot of fun with you at my graduation party. Thank you for coming and for your thoughtful gift. The money will be used for school expenses.
Generic Graduation Thank You Messages
Here are some short thanks for the graduation gift messages where the gift is not mentioned specifically.
These messages are for when you only want a short message, or you don’t remember who gave you each gift. It’s up to you if you want to admit that you don’t know what the gift was.
- Thank you for coming to my graduation party and the gift!
- Thank you for attending my graduation ceremony and being part of my special day.
- Thanks for the graduation gift. Unfortunately, I do not remember who gave me each gift. I appreciated all of them!
- Thank you for being part of my graduation day! I’m so grateful that you were able to attend the ceremony and grad party.
- I appreciate you honoring me on my special day with your presence. Thank you for being at the party and for the thoughtful gift.
I hope these tips and examples are helpful to you. Happy Graduation!
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Thank you for reminding me that I should assist my child whenever she needs help in getting her tasks organized such as writing thank-you notes to the people who sent her gifts. She’s the student council president during her senior year, so it is to no one’s surprise that a lot of important people from the school are congratulating her for taking the first spot. She even received a custom kente stole from her homeroom teacher. I’ll apply your tips and also make her value everyone’s appreciation of her.