– Deadlines Extended –

Due to the delay in FAFSA data being supplied to the University of Oregon, the UO is extending the confirmation deadline to June 1, 2024, for first-year students admitted for fall 2024. We are also extending the priority FAFSA filing deadline to April 1, 2024, for all UO students.

Gap Year

Gap years and other deferral experiences

A gap year is only meant for incoming first-year students (first time in college) originally admitted to start in the fall. Students can request to defer their admission for up to one year. Any period longer than one calendar year will require a student to reapply for admission with the new applicant pool.

A gap year might include travel, an internship, volunteering or working within your community or elsewhere, engaging in specialized training, or conducting research. It is important not to approach it as time off, but as time on. You should come out of your gap experience with stories to share and ways to articulate what it has meant to you.

Planning ahead

Chances are if you’re reading this page you might already know about gap year programs, and have some advice and options from your school, from family, or from friends. Still, the University of Oregon encourages you to make use of these helpful links that talk about how to plan well, and to make sure you choose a reputable program. Not all schools will allow you to defer your admission while you do a gap program and will instead tell you that you will have to apply for that later term. A growing number of schools, including Oregon, will allow you to be admitted at the usual time as you complete high school and hold your space for you while you pursue your gap experience.

Want some great, general advice on planning a Gap Year? Check out this great article from NACAC, and also learn more about the Gap Year Association.

Is taking a gap year the right option for me?

Please note that gap year applications are evaluated on a case-by-case basis. Submitting a gap year application does not guarantee acceptance into the program. Deferrals are only extended to students we are confident we would admit again. Students will not be eligible for our gap year program if they do not meet our freshman admission requirements, were admitted from our waitlist, have seen a drop in grade point average later in high school, or have an internally-calculated GPA that is significantly lower than our current incoming applicant pool. That does not mean that you would not be admitted to the university if you were to reapply in the future, but the gap program may not be right for you.

Students planning to apply to other colleges or universities during this year should not seek a deferral. By requesting and accepting a deferral, you are making a commitment to enroll in a future class of incoming Ducks at the University of Oregon.

How do I submit a request to defer my UO admission for a gap year?

As you become a senior, it is important that you apply to the UO in the usual way, by the standard deadlines. Once you are an admitted senior, you can tell us you want to take a gap year. In order to defer your admission and merit-based scholarship, you will need to take the following steps:

  1. Review our policies and requirements on this page and contact our office if you have questions regarding your deferral.
  2. Submit your Intent to Register (ITR) and deposit by June 1.
  3. Prepare a statement about your plans for your gap year. Submit your deferral agreement and proposal of plans via our online form no later than June 30. Don’t forget to make a copy of the deferral agreement for your records!
  4. If admitted to the Clark Honors College or Business Direct Entry, the request for deferral into the program must be approved by admissions when the gap year agreement and proposal are submitted.
  5. If admitted to an architecture or music program, you will need to reach out to them, decline your spot in next year’s incoming class, and reapply to the program the following year. A general UO deferment does not guarantee your spot in the program.
  6. We will notify you as soon as possible whether you have received a deferral of admission, and scholarship if applicable. Details will be provided in your approval, but it will typically be a condition of keeping your admission and scholarship that we see you maintain at least the GPA you had at the time of admission. Clark Honors College deferrals will be granted separately.
  7. Throughout your gap year, we will periodically remind you of coming deadlines, and ask you to keep us apprised of your activities and preferred contact information. We’ll keep in touch with you during your gap year so you don’t miss any information for incoming students.
  8. If you have applied for financial aid, you must submit a new FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) or ORSAA (Oregon Student Aid Application) any time after October 1 and before our priority deadline of March 1 of the year you will enroll.
  9. To confirm your finalized plan, pay or defer your advance tuition deposit. You must apply for housing and register for IntroDUCKtion student orientation with your new incoming class, regardless of whether you might have done either or both of these things the previous year.

A student deferring their enrollment to the next academic year generally remains eligible for merit-based scholarships, with these important details to consider:

  • Apex, Summit, and UO Excellence scholarship recipients will still receive these scholarships the following year provided their final high school transcript still shows they met the minimum GPA requirement.
  • Students who received other scholarships with a competitive process (such as Stamps, Presidential, or the Diversity Excellence Scholarship award) should contact the appropriate office to determine what is possible for the deferred start—these scholarships may be re-awarded, but must be reviewed case-by-case.
  • PathwayOregon is based on federal Pell Grant eligibility and is reassessed each year, based on your FAFSA.

If you are enrolled at another institution during the deferral, or earn any college credits otherwise, even if on a part-time basis or as part of a gap year program, you will no longer be considered a gap-approved student, but a transfer applicant instead (even if your high school grades are still in consideration for admission).

As a transfer student, how do I change my entry term?

Transfer students who wish to enroll in a later term than they originally applied for should reach out to their admission counselor and let them know of their plans.

As a current UO student, how do I pause my studies?

If you are an admitted undergraduate or postbaccalaureate undergraduate student, you can be away from the university for three terms (not counting summer terms) and still register with no paperwork required and without the need to notify the university. When registration opens for the term you want to return, check your registration priority time, and then use DuckWeb to register for classes as you normally would.

Note: Admitted undergraduate and postbaccalaureate undergraduate students who have been away for four or more terms will need to complete a re-enrollment application.

Questions?

If you have questions about a deferral request you have submitted, please contact Sarah Goldman at 541-346-1388 or gapyear@uoregon.edu.