<p>I don’t see why you would take a gap year when you are concerned about money. Right now, you have very little earning capacity. By delaying your education, it’s going to cost you roughly the year’s salary that you would earn when you would have graduated without the delay, minus what you can earn during the gap year. You are worth much more after you graduate. Go to UCLA. It’s not likely that you will win a merit scholarship that will make up the difference.</p>