Gap Year Association

The Gap Year Association is a community committed to advancing the gap year movement through standards of best practice, professional development, research, resources, and advocacy with the ultimate goal of empowering more people to access transformative gap year experiences.

Vision

We envision a future where gap year experiences are widely accessible and recognized as vital to personal, professional, and educational development.

We want to see more students taking intentional time away from the classroom—before accruing college debt, starting their careers, and/or pursuing other life paths—in order to expand perspective, purpose, and personal growth. Research shows that taking an intentional gap year increases college graduation rates, improves college GPAs, increases participation in campus activities, and increases career satisfaction.

Purpose

The Gap Year Association (GYA) is the Standards Development Organization (SDO) for gap year education in the U.S. as recognized by the U.S. Department of Justice and Federal Trade Commission. GYA is the only national nonprofit working to coordinate the growing gap year movement. As a public benefit not-for-profit member association, we pursue this work in a way that benefits our members as well as the general public.

The work of the GYA revolves around four core areas: (1) Research, (2) Equity & Access, (3) Resources, and (4) Standards & Accreditation. In addition to our foundational work as the SDO for gap year education, we also:

• Advance gap year research through surveys and systematic data collection by GYA’s Research Committee
• Work to promote scholarships and inclusivity efforts within our membership and the broader gap year community, guided by the belief that all gap year students should have access to financial aid and clear college/career pathways
• Provide valuable professional development opportunities for professionals in the gap year field and related industries.