I’ve been offered admission to my top choices, and I am getting close to making a commitment to one of them. I’m also being vetted for a gap year of service with FEMA Corps, so my plan will be to defer matriculation until fall of 2019 and spend the year with AmeriCorps. I now have questions to ask the two schools that I’ve narrowed it down to, but I’m afraid of divulging that I plan on requesting deferment. I understand that I will need to first accept their offer and send in the deposit, and then I can request the deferment, but should I be concerned that I could lose a scholarship offer if they are aware of my plans prior to paying the deposit?
You need to ask them BEFORE you commit. If they don’t hold the scholarship for Gap year students then you need to know before you commit. They will not rescind the scholarship unless it’s a general policy.
Agree with above. You need to find out their policies before committing. Do they allow a 1 year deferral and, if so, will they hold the scholarship. Some schools are flexible, some aren’t.
What’s the rush to decide anyway? Is there a deadline attached to any of these decisions prior to May 1st? Have you looked online to see if there policies re: gap years, deferrals, and the holding of scholarships is outlined?
They aren’t going to pull offers they’ve already made if you just ask questions about this. You don’t have to give them details, just ask about policies related to deferring for a year, impact on aid/scholarships, etc.