My son is a high school senior and is in the process of applying for admission to several schools. As everyone is aware, the college experience is not the same due to the Covid health crisis. If the situation is the same next Fall, my son probably will defer for a year and take a few requirements at a local college or on line. Does anyone know if the Merit scholarships offered by colleges are deferred? I assume that it could be a case by case basis. I do not want to contact the colleges before he has even applied.
That will be school specific; some schools require that you start right after june/august graduation.
Be careful about attending the local college or taking an on-line college course- your child may lose his freshman status and his scholarship, if the conditions are that he be a first time freshman. In addition, if he transfers, or attend grad school, those courses must be reported and transcripts must be submitted.
At some schools even if you take 1 credit after graduating high school, you are a transfer student.
Agree with the above…you will need to research whether merit aid is guaranteed if the student gaps school by school.
Also, some schools didn’t allow deferrals this year for students who simply didn’t want to take remote classes…including UCLA and U Maryland, so you will need to look into that as well.
Perhaps ask these questions anonymously during virtual admissions sessions?