‘Unbelievably unfair’: Ticket ‘glitch’ stops UoY students buying additional graduation tickets

University of York students anticipating their graduations next week have been let down by a glitch in the university’s ticketing system.

Many students have been left without the opportunity to purchase additional graduation tickets, after emails advertising the tickets failed to be sent to the full graduating class.

Graduates have taken to Instagram and have spoken to The York Tab directly, sharing their feelings of let-down following the issue in the ticketing system. 

Students received an email explaining and apologising for a ‘glitch’ in the system

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With graduations only a week away, University of York students received an email from the University on Tuesday explaining an issue in ticket sales. 

The email, seen by The York Tab, explained to students: “Our email system prevented many of you from receiving our July 5th instructions regarding how to request additional guest tickets”. 

The result of this issue in the system resulted in many students missing the booking window, meaning they did not and have not received the opportunity to purchase additional tickets. 

The university has offered a partial resolution. Explaining that because graduations are taking place in just a few days, they will not be able to reopen the ticket portal. 

However, some tickets will be available to buy on the day of graduation, but not for all ceremonies, as some are already sold out. This has left some students with no opportunity to purchase additional tickets at all. 

‘We have worked so hard, and have been treated unbelievably unfairly on what is meant to be the best day for us’

The York Tab spoke exclusively to many graduates who have been left let down by the university. 

Speaking to The York Tab, Beth Mart explained: “While some have been given the opportunity to celebrate with extra family, many of us have been left completely in the dark”. 

Beth went on to share that despite the apology of the university, her “disappointment and anger are real”, especially when “we have worked so hard, and have been treated unbelievably unfairly on what is meant to be the best day for us”. 

Responding to being asked about how the University of York has dealt with the issue, Beth expressed: “The way UoY has dealt with this is appalling.” 

Another graduating student, Grace, reached out to express her upset. She told us that the university is “not bothering to do anything to rectify the mistake.” She explained that now the only way to purchase additional tickets is on the day, if ceremonies have seats available. 

For Grace, this is not an option. She told The York Tab: “My ceremony is full, so I can’t even try that.”

Chloe also explained how she had been “contacting the uni for weeks trying to get them to state when extra tickets would be released”. However, every time she emailed, she was told to wait for the email to be released with the information to purchase tickets. 

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It was only on July 13th, after weeks of trying, that she found out there had been an issue with the system, and she had not received the original email that would have allowed her to purchase additional tickets. 

She expressed her upset, adding: “It’s unfair that I have been in consistent communication and was never once told when the email would be sent or that it should have already been sent.” 

Macey, a fellow 2026 graduate, also reached out to us. She expressed how the situation has left her feeling as though “It was made out to be our fault, not theirs.”

Despite the university now recognising the fault in their system, she insisted how “a later acknowledgement of the fault doesn’t undo the impact or the feeling that we were let down at the final hurdle of all our hard work”.

UoY’s Activities Officer said he was ‘disappointed and frustrated’

The York Tab reached out to the Student Union and multiple sabbatical officers for their response to the tensions surrounding graduation tickets. 

The Activities Officer, Alex Brown, responded to us. He told The York Tab how he feels both “disappointed and frustrated” by the situation. 

Alex, who is also graduating this year,  says he understands “how important the milestone of graduation is in providing both closure and celebration for students.” He went on to explain that the “poor communication” surrounding graduation tickets has “led to a dampener for many students who wanted to celebrate with family.”

Speaking on what the student union plans to do to resolve the issues, he noted the short time they have to resolve the problems. However expressed that “the student union is working to find the best solution possible”. 

The Student Union is working to find a solution

When The York Tab reached out to the Student Union for comment, a spokesperson immediately recognised that “we know how important graduation day is”.

The York SU Spokesperson acknowledged how the “system and process error” has now “overshadowed” the joy of graduation for many students. Emphasising with how many students had already made arrangements for flights, hotels and restaurants for the day.

They informed The York Tab that while “at this time it’s still not clear from the University how many students have been impacted”, currently they have heard from 70 students who have been affected.

It appears as though the Student Union is moving quickly to try and find a resolution, with the spokesperson explaining that they have “requested an urgent meeting with the Vice Chancellor.”

A spokesperson for the university said ‘we are sorry’

The University of York has issued an official statement via a spokesperson, they apologised saying: “We are sorry for the new system error that affected the booking of any extra tickets.”

They explained that students are never guaranteed additional tickets due to “limited seating in the ceremony hall”. However they promised that “no one will be turned away from our campus”, despite the issues in ticketing as graduation ceremonies will be screened for free at various location on campus.

The spokesperson added: “We always have free, unticketed spaces with large screens right next to the main venues so additional family members can celebrate together and not miss a moment of the ceremony.