The University began to release additional Inaugural Ball tickets this week to a waiting list of more than 1,500 people.

Since Monday, hundreds of students on the waiting list for GW’s Inaugural Ball have been contacted with an offer to purchase two tickets each, University spokeswoman Tracy Schario said. The University will release a total of 1,200 additional tickets before winter break, she said.

Officials secured additional space at the Omni-Shoreham Hotel for the Jan. 20 event, which already had 4,000 confirmed guests two week ago. In addition to four ballrooms, they have booked the hotel’s exhibit hall to accommodate a majority of the students, faculty, parents and alumni on the wait list.

Schario said everyone on the wait list has been assigned a confirmation number and will be contacted via e-mail in stages based on the order that they signed up.

Roughly 100 people who signed up on Election Day will be offered two tickets at the $85 sale price. Those who signed up after Nov. 4 will be offered two tickets at $100 each.

Everyone must purchase their tickets within two business days of receiving their offer or risk losing their ticket to another person on the waiting list.

Tickets can be purchased in person at the Marvin Center TicketMaster office or by phone with a confirmation number.

GW secured the additional space because of “the enthusiasm and interest in the inauguration of President-elect Barack Obama and Vice President-elect Joseph Biden,” according to the news release.