Is This The Year For A Gap Year?

With financial aid availability unpredictable, and few jobs awaiting graduating college graduates, the herd mentality of going to college and finishing as quickly as possible is shifting ever so slightly. More and more college-bound seniors are considering a gap year or bridge year before enrolling in college. Many students use a gap year (imagine a one-year sabbatical between high school graduation and freshman year of college) to travel overseas or perform impactful volunteer work. Most agree that a gap year, utilized effectively, can provide for a more purposeful and enriching college experience.

There can even be some financial benefits to delaying college a year if it means adding another sibling in college to the household (read: marginal increase in financial aid eligibility) or more federal grant monies authorized by the Obama administration to trickle down to colleges for disbursement.