Admitted students who choose Duke can request to defer their enrollment for one year* – their space in the class for the following year will be held for them.

*Two-year deferrals are awarded on a case-by-case basis, usually for required military or religious service requirements.

If you want to defer your enrollment, there are two pathways you can follow:

• Independent Gap Year – Any student who wishes to defer their enrollment can request their gap year through their Applicant Portal.
• Duke Gap Year Program – Those who are interested in joining a cohort of students who are taking intentional gap years, emphasizing civic engagement and personal discovery, may apply to join the Duke Gap Year Program. Some funding may also be available.

Students who defer their enrollment are expected to enroll at Duke once the deferment period ends.

If Participant’s request for a gap year is approved, Participant must agree to the following Terms and Conditions, and Participant’s parent/guardian must acknowledge that Participant has agreed to these Terms and Conditions and to support Participant in doing so:

• Participant will not apply for admission as a degree-seeking student to any other college or university during the remainder of this year or during the coming year.
• Participant will not enroll as a full-time student or degree-seeking student at another college or university during your gap year.
• If Participant chooses to take any college courses for Duke credit, Participant understands and acknowledges that Duke will only recognize the credits in accordance with relevant Duke policies.
• Participant will not enroll in a post-graduate program at a secondary school.
• Participant will abide by the Conditions of Application that Participant agreed to when Participant applied to Duke and the conditions contained in Participant’s letter of admission to Duke.
• Participant is required to maintain high standards of academic performance and personal behavior in and out of school, as mentioned in the letter of admission to Duke University. This includes abiding by our Community Standard.
• If there is any change in the information Participant provided in Participant’s application to Duke—including any academic, personal, disciplinary, or legal matters—Participant agrees to contact the Duke admissions office within 48 hours.

Gap year students will receive an email from Duke Admissions in January of the year they intend to enroll, asking them to confirm their plans to matriculate in the fall. Students should notify the Admissions Office of any changes to their contact information in order to receive this information in a timely manner.

Once their enrollment is confirmed, students will begin to receive email communication from other campus offices, including New Student Programs, Housing, Visa Services, etc.

Students who applied for financial aid during the application process will need to reapply with updated financial aid information in order to receive their new package. Students should connect with the Karsh Office of Undergraduate Financial Support with questions about this process.

Like all admitted students who choose Duke, winners of merit scholarships must request a gap year on their Duke Admissions Portal. Students who were awarded a merit scholarship via the Duke Office of University Scholars and Fellows (OUSF) will maintain that scholarship after their gap year but must also seek approval for their gap year from OUSF. Students who were awarded a Robertson Scholarship and wish to take a gap year must contact the Robertson Scholars Leadership Program to seek approval for their gap year and for more information.