Are you wrapping up your gap time? 🛬 You aren’t alone! We have you covered with an informational guide drawn from the experiences of alums just like you! Download this free guide under the Student section of the Gap Year Association website!
If you are taking a gap year and wondering where to begin, head over to the gapyearassociation.org Student page and download our free planning guide! This guide was lovingly assembled by gap year alums, gap year counselors and other professionals who want you to have the tools to plan a great year out! Happy planning!
#gapyear #explorethegapyear #collegedecisionday
Happy Friday, everyone! Today, we are elated to welcome another fantastic program provider to our community. Please join us in welcoming @neurodev.mentoring ! 🎉
NeuroDev is a developmental gap year designed for neurodivergent young adults who need more than just time off. With campuses in Raleigh, North Carolina, and St. George, Utah, the program engages students in the real world through taking classes, exploring career paths, creating meaningful relationships, and trying new experiences. Through mentorship and structure, students develop executive functioning, confidence, and independence while building momentum toward what comes next.
For more information on NeuroDev, check out their website: neurodev.circle.so
Interested in becoming a member of the Gap Year Association? Click the link in our bio to learn more!
#ExploreTheGap #GYA #ProgramProvider #GapYear
*RESOURCE ALERT*
What makes it hard to start planning a gap year, is knowing where to start. Lucky for you (and us), @GapYearAssociation has done all the lifting work of creating and organizing resources to plan a gap year!
Check out the GYA website for:
🧨 Gap year planning and transition guides.
👀 Searchable profiles for gap year programs and consultants.
🎓 Learn about college credit options.
🏦 Find financial aid options for funding your gap year.
@OutwardBoundUSA is a proud partner of GYA, who helps tens of thousands of people embark on the adventure of a lifetime, every year.
Hit us up!
#GoOutwardBound #TakeAGap
We’re pleased to announce yet another incredible new program provider joining the Gap Year Association! Today, we’re highlighting and welcoming @highspiritcommunityfarm to our community. 🌟🎉
@highspiritcommunityfarm provides residential support to individuals with disabilities, offering gap year students the opportunity to take part in a paid experience where they contribute to support staff, residents, and the larger community. Students live, work, and contribute to a family-like culture within a home alongside house managers, staff, and individuals with disabilities.
This is a truly unique and meaningful gap experience for students looking to make an impact through relationship building, co-living, and much more! Although living where you work is non-traditional, there are many benefits to consider. In addition to regular pay, live-in staff receive free housing and meals while building lasting, purposeful connections.
Nestled in Great Barrington, Massachusetts, the farm fosters a beautiful community of shared living and lifelong relationships. 🌲
For more information on High Spirit Community Farm, check out their website:
🔗 /
Interested in GYA Membership? Head to our website, link in bio!
#ExploreTheGap #GYAMembership #GapYear #Program #HighSpiritCommunityFarm
A gap year doesn’t leave you behind, according to research it can lead to enhanced future academic, personal and career success!
Gap Year Alums:
😃 Tend to have higher GPAs than traditional students once they start college
🤩 Tend to complete their undergraduate degree in four years, compared to the six-year national average for American students.
🫡 Gap year alums overwhelmingly report feeling more excited and prepared for college as a result of their gap time.
🌿 Grab resources with @GapyYearAssociation
🏕️ Find a Gap adventure with @OutwardBoundUSA
Links in Profiles!
#GoOutwardBound
#TakeAGap
#CollegeReadiness
We’re just days away from May 1st, National College Decision Day in the United States. For many students and families, this week brings big decisions, along with a fair amount of stress and pressure.
At GYA, we want to share a few key reminders as you finalize your plans, especially if you’re considering taking a gap year before starting college.
✨Reminder 1: Make sure you and your family or caregivers fully understand the deferral policies of any college or university you’re considering.
✨Reminder 2: If you haven’t already, take the time to write a strong, thoughtful deferral letter. Check out our previous Instagram posts and blog for tips on structure and what to include.
✨Reminder 3: Thinking about a gap year but not sure where to start? You’re not alone. GYA offers a range of accessible resources, from our Gap Year Planning Guide, designed to help you plan an intentional and meaningful gap year, to expert consultants, financial aid and scholarship opportunities, and so much more!
And finally, remember: this decision doesn’t have to be perfect. It may come with challenges, but also with unexpected moments of growth, discovery, and possibility!
#ExploreTheGap #GapYear #GapYearPlanning #Intentional
Happy Friday, everyone!
What better way to start the weekend than by welcoming a new program provider to the Gap Year Association! Today, we’re thrilled to have @westernslopeinstitute joining the GYA🎉
@westernslopeinstitute provides programming for students to travel on the Upper San Juan River. This unique adventure is one of the experiences that make the College Field Semester in Regenerative Design distinct.
This multi-day river journey is not only about adventure. It is designed to help students build community, deepen their understanding of the San Juan watershed, and engage the layered ecological and cultural history of the region.
As students travel the river corridor between Bluff and Mexican Hat, they encounter a landscape shaped by water, time, and human relationships, including significant Indigenous cultural sites along the river. The experience invites students to learn not only from the river itself, but also from the broader story of place, stewardship, and community that surrounds it.
In the semester, the river serves as a living classroom for watershed literacy, community, reflection, and place-informed learning.
The College Field Semester in Regenerative Design launches in Fall 2026 in Southwest Colorado. Students earn 16 college credits while engaging in sustainability, watershed stewardship, wilderness travel, intentional community living, and personal growth.
For more information, check out their website:
Want to join the Gap Year Association? Discover membership perks, eligibility, and how to apply by clicking the link in our bio✨
#ExploreTheGap #ProgramProvider #GYAMember #GYA
One of the many incredible opportunities offered by the Gap Year Association is our College Credit program. GYA currently offers five engaging courses designed for independent study during your gap year. Students typically complete reflective journaling and supplementary readings throughout their experience, and conclude their course with a final paper.
All GYA College Credit courses are offered through the University of Montana, allowing students to fully immerse themselves in a gap year while still making progress toward their academic goals.
Even better, enrolling in GYA College Credit may unlock access to funding sources, such as 529 savings plans, which can be applied toward college credit courses and eligible programs’ tuition costs.
GYA College Credit Courses include:
⭐️Intro to Leadership Development
⭐️Self & Culture in Experiential Cohorts
⭐️Intro to Ethical Volunteering
⭐️Domestic Internship
⭐️International Internship
Interested in earning college credit during your gap year? Explore our accredited program providers and look for the GYA College Credit Seal to find opportunities that fit your goals.
Finally, if one of GYA’s college credit courses doesn’t align with your interests or needs, explore our list of program providers that offer college credit opportunities outside of GYA.
Link in bio!
#ExploreTheGap #GapYear #CollegeCredit
Dreaming is the fun part, but turning your Gap Year into a reality takes thoughtful planning. That’s where our outreach team (and our friends at Gap Year Association) come in.
Whether you’re mapping out your journey with Dragons or just starting to explore your options, these resources on the GYA website can help you take the next step:
✨ Scholarships & financial aid opportunities
✨ Upcoming events + info sessions
✨ Program directories to find your fit
✨ The Ultimate Planning Guide
✨ 1:1 support from experienced gap year consultants
We believe gap time should be intentional, immersive, and transformative, and the right planning makes all the difference.
🔗 Let's start planning YOUR Gap Year!
#wheretherebedragons #gapyearassociation #gya #gapyear #studenttravel
✨ New Episode Drop! Suzanne Roske on How to Take an Adult Gap Year ✨
This conversation is all about what happens when you stop running on autopilot and start asking bigger questions about how you actually want to live. Suzanne Roske, founder of @vamonosexecutivecoaching and Gap Year Association board member, shares how she went from a 25-year corporate career to moving her family to Oaxaca and redesigning her life from the inside out.
We dig into burnout, identity, slowing down (even when it feels uncomfortable), and how to actually create change on a small or big scale. As I mention in the intro to this episode, this one is for the Big Kids by request!
🎧 Listen now wherever you get podcasts + at gapyearradiopodcast.com
May 1st, which for many is National College Decision day, is fast approaching, and students everywhere are finalizing their post-secondary plans, whether that means committing to a college, requesting a deferral, or considering gap time. Before you decide, here are a few things we at the GYA want you to know:
✨ Gap time doesn’t have to be a full year. It can be a semester, a few months, or whatever length best fits YOUR goals and needs.
✨ We know the college application process can feel overwhelming and stressful. That’s why we advocate for intentional gap time, giving you the space to focus on personal, academic, or professional growth while thoughtfully preparing for what comes next.
✨ You’re not alone. At GYA, we offer a wide range of resources to support students, families, and advisors, from our Planning Guide and program provider directory to gap year consultants and scholarships.
✨ Gap time is for everyone. Whether you want to travel, volunteer, intern, or earn money, there are options that can work for you.
Ready to explore your options? Visit our website (link in bio) to learn more about all the resources we offer!
#ExploreTheGap #GapTime #Intentional
