Homecoming figures are typically alumni or graduates of a school who have been invited to return to their alma mater for a special event. The two most common homecoming figures are ALUM and GRAD, both of which are four-letter words. An ALUM is an informal term for an alumnus or alumna, which is someone who has graduated from a school, college, or university. A GRAD is a shortened version of the word graduate, which is someone who has completed a course of study at a school, college, or university.