To be approved to take a gap year, the admitted student would need approval from the Director of Admissions. Students may not enroll full-time at another college or university during their approved period. JMU will accept up to eight credits taken for college credit during the gap year. To be considered, JMU requires a detailed explanation of the student’s proposed plan for the gap year as well as acknowledgement of gap year guidelines regarding college coursework. The student may email their explanation to the Director of Admissions, Melinda Wood, at gapyear@jmu.edu.

The deadline to submit a gap year request is June 15.

If the request is granted, the student’s deposit will be rolled over to the next fall term and it will be applied to the student’s fall bill the following year. If the student decides not to enroll, this money is non-refundable. The student will also receive two copies of the approval letter and must sign and return one copy to the Director.

Gap year approvals are granted for one year only. Students whose gap years are approved would enter James Madison University as first-year students the subsequent fall semester.