Students planning a gap year face restricted travel, internships and volunteer opportunities, so come college and universities are offering virtual alternatives.
In New York, Adelphi University’s new Gap Year Experience is an online, 11-week program that begins with three weeks of training. Students will then join a small team to work on an eight-week consulting project for a business or an organization.
The two sessions run from Sept. 7-Nov. 20 and Feb. 1 through April 16.
Students will spend 10-15 hours a week on projects covering business strategy, marketing, social work, health and other subjects. They will work with domestic or international organizations, including startups and Fortune 500 companies.
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The program, which offers either three college credits or a certification, is open to students who expect to continue at Adelphi or other colleges and universities.
The for-credit program costs $3,510 per term, while the certification track is $3,200 per term.
Gap years for transfers and high school grads
Park University, which is based in Kansas City, has launched an online, reduced-tuition gap year program for students from other colleges and universities.
If they transfer, these students can take as many online courses as they want for a flat fee of $9,000.
Champlain College in Vermont is also a virtual gap year for high school graduates who haven’t yet started college.
The 15-week program, which costs from $5,000 to $6,800, offers college credit and focuses on academic growth, holistic wellbeing and virtual internships, the college says on its website.
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