FAFSA DELAYS: HOW TO PLAN A MEANINGFUL EXPERIENCE FOR AN UNEXPECTED GAP YEAR by GYA admin Photo: YMCA of the RockiesApril 2024 has seen a noticeable uptick in REPORTS OF ongoing issues from the rocky rollout of the updated Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). At this point in the year, continued FAFSA delays will have serious implications for many college-bound high school seniors who need to make their college acceptance decisions based on available financial aid packages. For many, it might mean delaying their college start altogether, leaving a large body of students feeling suddenly unmoored as they…
Finances
Gap Year Affordability by GYA admin Photo: Global Citizen Year offers a variety of scholarships for funding gap year students’ experiences In our attempts to spread the word about gap years and to encourage the gap year option for more students, we run into a lot of gap year myths. Much of our gap year advocacy involves debunking those myths in order to get more people thinking about realistic gap year possibilities. A common example: GAP YEARS ARE EXPENSIVE. Let’s bust this myth, shall we? First and foremost, we must acknowledge that yes, the idea of a gap year—an opportunity…
Letter to GYA Dancers by Dominique Robinson, Director of Pizarts Dance Gap Year When I decided to pursue a career in dance, I wasn’t aware of the many avenues I could explore. In today’s culture we as artists have an unlimited amount of resources that inspire and educate us to absorb, process, and express our individuality. Even so, all the information out there can often paralyze dancers, sending them into a whirlwind of confusion: Where do I fit in? What am I trying to say? How do I brand myself? Why do I need to brand myself? The questions that…
How to Cultivate Financial Literacy for Your Gap Year By Susan Doktor There’s a light I can see as plainly as the sign on a Waffle House through my bi-focal rearview mirror: I should have learned about money when I was young. I’m not saying I shouldn’t have dabbled in several languages or learned to wield an SLR camera one summer term. And I’m not saying you shouldn’t work at an aquarium during your gap year if marine biology is your passion. However, learning about finances early in life will help you make sense of your paycheck. It will make…
Developing a Gap Year Savings Timeline by GYA Admin You’re welcome. Here’s the most useful gap year financial planning guide on the internet. Happy saving (and spending – you earned it!). General Saving Tips For Your Gap Year This is probably one of the biggest purchases of your life – yikes! It can be challenging for high school students to reach their gap year savings goals particularly because there is no materialistic, tangible, physical, immediate gain from all of your work. Saving money to buy “experiences” later sounds so lame. But it isn’t. We promise. Your future self will thank…
Finding Money For Your Gap Year by Megan Lee Unfortunately, most students don’t wake up with extra thousands of dollars lying around to spend on purchasing whatever they want. Unless you planted a coin as a kid that later grew into a money tree, you’ll probably need to plan in advance for footing your gap year bill. Traveling CAN cost you a pretty penny. Many of the world’s most expensive cities lie outside of the United States, yet remain popular gap year destinations among students. Does this mean that there are a bunch of cold, hungry, and broke international students fluttering…
How to Raise Money for Your Gap Year by Megan Lee By: Jamie Shaw from www.2moveabroad.com Raising money for a Gap Year is achievable for anyone willing to put in a little bit of time and effort out of their already busy school schedule. With proper planning and the right kind of help anyone can afford a Gap Year or have it paid for by their fund raising activities. The key is finding all the available resources you have at your disposal to reduce your travel cost and other out of pocket expenses. Let’s take a look at all the…
How to Bootstrap a Solo Gap Year by Blake Boles If you have almost no money, how can you fund a self-designed Gap Year experience? Most give up. Some get really creative. Victor Saad was 25 years old and seriously considering MBA programs when he decided that he could get a better learning experience—and spend much less money—by designing his own professional gap year, or in his words, a “self-made master’s degree.” He made plans to quit his job and take 12 business apprenticeships over the course of 12 months. But he had one big problem: money. Victor’s adventures would…
3 Ways to Take a Gap Year and Spend Next to Nothing on Lodging by Michelle Chang When my husband and I first started out traveling long term, we had almost no income. We had just finished our Peace Corps volunteer service and were building up a freelance business from scratch. We had to figure out how to stay afloat while exploring the world. By getting creative with accommodations, we unlocked a new way to travel. And it worked! We didn’t pay for rent or hotels for a year. And no, we didn’t sleep on the streets! We traveled to…
Funding a Gap Year: Tips and Resources by Hannah Miller As the 2018 gap year season gets rolling, we’re faced with the most common issue Gappers have: how to pay for it all. Gap years can add up, especially when factoring in programs, flights, travel insurance, and lodging. But even so, we firmly believe that it’s possible for most students to take a gap year. Gap year organizations have given away $4,000,000 in scholarships and grants, with thousands more available for the coming season. With a little extra effort and research, anyone could receive thousands towards their adventure. Put in…