If you are asking yourself what graduation gift you should give to your high school or university graduate, check out this list of unique graduation gifts for the new grad that they will love and use in their next phase of life.
This post is a list of unique graduation gifts to consider when deciding what graduation gift you should give to either a high school graduate, university graduate, or college graduate.
Disclaimer: Affiliate links are included for ease of reference and convenience. If used for purchase, they will result in a small commission at no extra cost to the buyer
What Graduation Gift You Should Give – For the Traveler
TSA Pre Check
Cost: $78 or $85
Honestly, when you are deciding on a good graduation gift to give – this is an amazing gift for EVERYONE. Making it easier to travel is the perfect way to reward them for all their hard work!
Getting TSAPrecheck approved is something that most people think is a great idea to do, but either never get around to it or are not willing to buy it for themselves. This is why it is one of the best graduation gifts!
If you have someone who loves to travel, or travels a lot, this is a no-brainer. Even if it is someone who just travels periodically, this is one of those totally unique grad gifts that they will appreciate every time they go to the airport. They will thank you every single time they have to go through the security line!
TSA Precheck is a program that allows pre-approved travelers to go through security faster at the airport. This means you will typically be able to go through the TSA Precheck lines (always MUCH shorter) and keep on your shoes, belts, and light jackets. You can leave your laptop and liquids in your carry on bags as well.
To be eligible, an online application is submitted. Once the application is approved, the applicant schedules an appointment with an enrollment center. There, the applicant will have to provide fingerprints, a passport photo, and proof of citizenship. When the process is completed a Known Traveler Number (KTN) will be issued. For all future flights, the traveler can then enter the KTN when making future flight reservations and it should be added to all boarding passes.
In the USA, this is the general website for the process. TSA has two partners they use for the service – Idemia and Telos.
Idemia is a little bit cheaper at $78 for new enrollment, which lasts 5 years. They also have a lot more active locations, with over 1000 enrollment centers listed. They are a global leader in digital identity and security and are based in France.
Telos is $85 for new enrollment, with 26 active locations. It is a security technology company that specializes in cyber, cloud and enterprise security services. It is based out of Ashburn, Virginia, and was approved to be the second authorized provider of TSA PreCheck enrollment in August 2023. It offers a military discount but does not offer mobile services.
Along these same lines – another unique gift idea is to offer to cover the cost of getting a passport.
High Yield Savings Account
This takes the idea of a cash gift, and upgrades it big time.
One of the best gifts you can give a young graduate is the knowledge and tools that they can use to be financially stable. Starting young is a brilliant idea, and this is why setting them up a high yield savings account is genius!
Most savings accounts are complete trash when it comes to their interest rates. The money is not working for you at all. They basically just store the money for you, and the money doesn’t grow. A high yield savings account grows your money for you.
A high yield savings account is super easy to set up, and it is used just like a regular savings account. So, as a gift idea, take the money you were going to spend on a gift for the graduate, set up the account, deposit the gift money, and let them know that they are all set up with an account that will work for them.
Starting a young graduate off with a high yield savings account in which they can put money they receive from birthdays, Christmas, or earns from their job, is a great idea. Maybe even more valuable than that, is the knowledge they will gain about about finances, savings and money management.
Uber
Uber is a great service, but it certainly isn’t as cheap as it used to be. Honestly, it’s a bit shocking how expensive it has gotten. But for safety after a wild night out with best friends or to get around a big city, it is hard to beat the value it provides.
Giving a gift of an Uber Gift Card to your graduate means that even when they don’t have much money they won’t hesitate to call an Uber when they have had one too many or take a road trip to a fun but strange location.
They will thank you for such a thoughful graduation gift because it will save them money and make things easier for them, and you can know it is the best type of graduation present because it will help keep them safe.
Another ride share company that is popular is Lyft, and they also have gift cards.
AirBnB
It’s really crazy that you cannot book a hotel room until you are 21! That is just beyond our comprehension! You can vote, have a job and a car, but you can’t book a room?? Make it make sense. But it does create an opportunity to give the best gift during graduation season.
The solution to this ridiculous problem is AirBnB. AirBnB is where to go when you are traveling and need a place to stay. While every listing will give their specific requirements, most allow you to book a room once you turn 18.
It is a practical gift that high school graduates can use as they enter adult life. In terms of it being a perfect college graduation gift, it will give them a reason to go on that vacation they were dreaming about during all the late nights studying in their residence hall.
What Graduation Gift You Should Give – Online Version
Most kids nowadays have an online presence or live in an online world. There are lots of programs out there that offer free versions of their products, and these are probably what the kids are using. The upgraded version of these programs make a unique and thoughtful graduation gift for today’s graduate!
Canva Pro
Price range: Annual – $119.99 or Monthly – $12.99 via subscription
Canva is a popular graphic design platform that students use for a variety of projects. There is a free version as well as Canva for Education version that a student can apply for, so they most likely already use that one if they are in school.
However, if your graduate is done with school or not interested in pursuing higher education, we can attest to how much we love the pro version. We ESPECIALLY recommend Canva Pro if they are pursuing a career online. This will make a great graduation gift because it has access to a large library of templates, which can really cut down on the time-consuming activity of designing something if you need a quick turnaround or a short deadline.
The pro version also has access to stock images that you can use without running into copyright issues, which is a huge help when creating content. This feature alone makes it one of the best gift ideas and will have a higher rate of return than a cash gift.
Finally, it has advanced design tools so that even the most non-tech person can make amazing presentations or draft an impressive resume that will land their first job or their dream job.
CapCut (Viamaker Plus)
Cost: Annual – $74.99 or $7.99 monthly via subscription
Like Canva, there is a free version of CapCut, and you might be familiar with it if you are on Tiktok at all. It is an exciting time to be a content creator on social media sites, so this would be a thoughtful gift as they start a new chapter.
CapCut is a video editing tool and Viamaker Plus provides advanced features for creating incredible and engaging videos. The paid version unlocks a plethora of special effects, transitions, and filters, that allow even the most inexperienced user to produce professional-grade content for social media, presentations, or personal projects.
Speaking from experience….we had no experience. That is, we had absolutely no experience with editing videos so we can attest that Capcut is extremely user-friendly. We have been able to figure out so many things with just trial and error, as it is very forgiving if you do something wrong and want to undo it. It truly makes video editing accessible for both beginners and more experienced users.
This digital product is another gift they may not really think about buying for themselves, or immediately discard the idea since it costs extra money, but it is an amazing tool that recent high school grads as well as college grads will be really thankful to have.
Grammarly Pro
Cost: Annual – $144 or Monthly – $30.00 via subscription
Papers are no longer done on paper. Certainly not in high school or college – shoot, not even in middle school. We all know the surge of AI that has come along, but the internet (and college professors) want human-generated content.
This is why Grammarly Pro is priceless. While Grammarly has a free version that does grammar and spell-checking, Grammarly Pro ups its game by quite a bit.
It is basically like having a proofreader or even a copywriter in digital form which makes it the perfect gift. This version doesn’t just correct incorrect grammar; it also gives good ideas for style suggestions and vocabulary options. Another example of its usefulness is that it will give feedback if you have switched tense, and can also let you know about the tone of your writing and whether it fits your objective.
This is a tool perfect for anyone who writes. Not just for a freelance writer or students, it is also really useful if you are putting together business documents such as SOPs, job aides, or instructions. If you are one of the many recent college graduates in a STEM field where writing may not be your strong suit, this is the tool for you.
Creative writers will also love this, as it will adapt to your writing style and elevate your clarity, coherence, and overall product. Perfect for grad students pursuing a master’s degree or for a recent graduate to start off on the right foot at a first job.
It is typically approved for use at colleges and universities!
Audible
Audible Plus: $7.95 monthly or Audible Premium: $14.95 monthly
Not everyone loves to read a physical book, and, in fact, many people struggle with them. Whether that is due to reading comprehension issues or being able to find the time to sit down with a book, the classic reading scenario is not perfect for everyone.
(Tip – If your child has a hard time with English class at school, and specifically the required reading, consider having them listen to the book. You might be surprised at how much more they enjoy it and/or absorb it.)
Enter Audible! This subscription has brand new audiobook releases as well as podcasts.
We love to read, but even for someone like us who loves a physical book, we also love audiobooks. For a recent grad they can listen to a book or podcast while they set up their new apartment, clean up after a graduation party, or take care of many other important items.
Quite honestly, some books are better experienced via audio. (Our latest favorite is Butcher & Blackbird by Brynne Weaver – it is an INCREDIBLE audiobook. It is more like listening to a play rather than a book. Check out our post on it here.)
Audible Premium Plus subscription takes this a step further, offering credits for audiobook purchases and exclusive perks. It is a unique and thoughtful gift.
Spotify
Cost: Premium monthly – $10.99 Premium student – $5.99 via subscription
Life would be miserable without music.
We love our Spotify subscription, and after enduring the free version for a short time, we 1000% recommend the paid version so you can avoid the commercials that pop up incessantly. Premium ensures a seamless, uninterrupted listening experience, so you can just hit play and enjoy all the songs you curated on your playlists.
It’s like having a personal DJ who understands your mood and preferences, creating the perfect sonic backdrop for every occasion. Whether you’re gearing up for a job interview to land a new job, celebrating a triumph, or just winding down after a long day, you can make the perfect playlist for every mood.
We have our productive playlist going as we create this post. Absolutely love it.
What Graduation Gift You Should Give – Physical But Still Unique Graduation Gifts
If you want to give a physical gift for your graduate to tear into, here are some great ideas that will compliment many items they likely already have, as well as the digital gift ideas listed above.
External Hard Drive
External hard drives are invaluable. Very affordable, user friendly, completely portable, they are genius and make genius gifts.
Various physical sizes and capacity storage sizes are available such as this 2T storage, 4T storage, and even this 5T storage will guarantee that storage on their laptop, gaming device, etc., will never be an issue.
Second Monitor
Once you work in a system where you have two monitors you will never go back to one. It is soooo much better to have two monitors to pull different screens, and there are a lot of very affordable options.
The one linked above is the one we use with our macbook pro, and we can highly recommend it. For some additional options, check out these monitors at different price points – KYY Portable Monitor & Innoview Portable Monitor.
Webcam
Believe it or not, some laptops don’t come with cameras! We learned that the hard way, after buying a gaming computer for a STEM major (which we highly recommend, absent camera notwithstanding) and realizing that there was no camera for facetime!
Webcams are actually very affordable and come at different price points, including the lower priced listed above, to this mid-priced and this higher priced. Even saying all that, they are all quite affordable.
Check out these and much more on our college essentials – mom and kid approved – storefront.
What Graduation Gift You Should Give – Unique Gifts Version
We hope this post has given you some great and unique ideas for what graduation gift you should give to your favorite graduate this year!
For more graduation content, our post of gorgeous white graduation dresses will help you find the perfect fit, and once you get the perfect outfit, capture it with great cap and gown photos you can take on your smartphone!
For more gift giving ideas, check out our posts of affordable gifts for her, gifts for 18 year old girls, gifts for 17 year old girls, gifts under $50 for all, and gifts for him.
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Congratulations to all the graduates!
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