<p>I plan to take a gap year before I enroll to (any) college. I know Princeton has the Bridge Year Program, and I know Yale encourages students to consider a gap year, even in the absence of any formal program.</p>
<p>It's just that my family doesn't quite have the resources that would allow me to do this sort of thing without some kind of financial help from the institution I'm taking a year off from, which is what Bridge Year would do. </p>
<p>What do you think Yale would think about helping out with the expenses involved in a gap year? Hopeless fantasy or realistic possibility?</p>
<p>(I posted this in the RD thread, but I don't think very many people saw it. I apologize if this post is unwarranted.)</p>
<p>As far as I know, Princeton is the only college among its peers that funds a student’s gap year. So, I think it would be a hopeless fantasy at Yale, Harvard, Stanford, MIT etc.</p>
<p>First off, congratulations on taking this ‘detour’ from college. In all honesty, I took a Gap Year and found my experience to echo all of the benefits that are being associated with taking some structured time ‘on’ to do your Gap Year. </p>
<p>Okay, but on to the finances. There are several organizations that are able to offer college credit with FAFSA. Of course the college credit is a great benefit, but simply getting college credit also opens the door for private scholarships. The programs that offer FAFSA in addition to college credit are LEAPNOW, Global Citizen Year, and Carpe Diem Education, but these are also fairly structured programs and that may not be your intent with your Gap Year … what is important is that it be structured.</p>
<p>Have you considered traveling/doing something for six months, and working for the other six months to fund it? That’s what most people in my home country do when they do gap years.</p>