About 1200 people, including nearly 650 in absentia, will graduate at the 3pm Dunedin Town Hall event, the largest number of graduates from a single Otago Polytechnic graduation ceremony.
Mr Loader (39), who undertook previous study at the University of Otago and in the United States, will gain a bachelor of applied management through Capable NZ.
This Otago Polytechnic body recognises ''prior learning'' and identifies how students can further add to that in order to gain nationally recognised qualifications, including degrees.
''I've got a degree which I'm very proud of,'' Mr Loader said.
''Capable NZ, it was a great way to do it.''
Gaining the degree had ''fulfilled my need'' and the qualification would help him ''to further my education in the future''.
Mr Loader spent much of his earlier life in Dunedin, and was coached by the late Duncan Laing from the age of 12.
Mr Loader, who left Dunedin about 10 years ago, has been living in Auckland for the past four years, where he became the programme coach for Swimming New Zealand at the National High Performance Centre at the start of this year.
He undertook further project work this year to complete his polytechnic degree through Capable NZ and Otago Polytechnic's Auckland campus.
Mr Loader valued experience-based knowledge as well as more theoretical understanding, and he paid tribute to Mr Laing.
Mr Laing had possessed a great deal of experience-based knowledge and ''people knowledge'' and was also well-read in the field.
Mr Loader said he had made an initial presentation to Capable NZ outlining his previous achievements, and had undertaken a further project, based on his current coaching role, to complete the degree requirements.
''I used my role as a project.''
He had not wanted to undertake further highly structured tertiary study based on lecture attendance.
''I found that wasn't the best way of learning for me.''
He liked ''learning on the job'' and was able to do that through the polytechnic programme.
