Deferral Policy

Students admitted to Colby may request to defer their matriculation for a semester or a full year. (Students admitted to begin on campus in January may only defer matriculation to the following January). After submitting an enrollment deposit to reserve their place in the class to which they have applied, a student may request, in writing, such deferral of enrollment to the Office of Admissions and Financial Aid, outlining plans for the upcoming gap semester or year using the Gap Year Request Form. Colby routinely grants these requests, and students will receive written notification of deferral approval.  The enrollment deposit will be held and credited to the student account. 

Midway through the deferral period, students are asked to contact the Office of Admissions and Financial Aid to provide a written summary of their gap experience to date. At this time, the student is asked to reaffirm their intention to enroll at Colby for the coming semester or year.  Those students deferring enrollment for a full year, who had initially applied for financial aid, should now re-apply for financial aid in order to be considered for such assistance.

Requests for deferral should be made as soon after notification of admission as possible. First-year students admitted Early Decision or Regular Decision are eligible for deferral requests; students admitted from the waitlist are not typically approved for deferral.

The final enrollment of students undertaking any academic work during their gap semester or year is subject to review of this work, and students are responsible for providing official transcripts of such work. Students choosing to enroll full-time at another college or university will not be approved for deferral. Admitted students who plan to attend another full-time post-secondary program may choose to apply for transfer admission if their interest in Colby continues.