What Does Taking a Gap Year Mean for Students Nationwide?
High school graduation is an exciting time for students and their families. Walking across the stage and collecting your diploma in front of those who have watched you grow into a young adult is truly a rite of passage for all scholars. For millions of students nationwide, this moment also signifies the next step in their educational journeys—college.
Unfortunately, given the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, many high school graduates will not have the opportunity to walk across that stage in person. They have also been reevaluating their decisions to start college this fall. The ever-popular gap year, which is seen as a way to explore your interests, recharge your battery, and gain focus before entering college, has piqued the interest of many future college students. In fact, Google searches for “What is a gap year?” increased by 180% the last week of April.
Despite the increase in interest, taking a gap year in 2020 presents many limitations, as non-essential travel has come to a halt, and jobs are limited. This option poses additional concerns for low-income students who cannot afford to go a year without work or school and are afraid they will lose scholarship and grant funding if they don’t enroll in college immediately.
We recently spoke with Autumn Lewis, a senior at The SEED School of Maryland (SEED MD) and a recipient of the 2020 SEED Foundation Scholarship, to see how she felt about the possibility of taking a gap year. Here’s what he had to say about how the COVID-19 pandemic has impacted his college plans:
Where are you attending college this fall?
I am attending Goucher College this fall, majoring in journalism and with a minor in theater arts.
Have you considered taking a gap year due to the COVD-19 pandemic?
No, I didn’t consider taking a gap year. With the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, I know this is an uncertain time for many students like me. But with SEED I feel supported, and I’m excited to enroll in college this fall.
How has SEED helped you stay on track to enroll in college this fall?
My college success team has made sure that I know all my options. We’ve created a checklist of things to do before move-in day that helps me stay on track!
