Deferred Enrollment and Gap Year Policies

  • A non-refundable tuition deposit of $500  is required from all students who intend to enroll at Westminster. The postmark deadline for the deposit is  May 1, or within the time-period indicated in the offer of admission.
  • Requests for deferred enrollment must be submitted by August 1, and approved by the Office of Admissions. Deferred enrollment may be requested for up to 4 semesters. Exceptions may be granted by the Office of Admissions.
  • A second non-refundable tuition deposit of $500 is required by January 15, to confirm a student's intention to enroll at Westminster University for the following fall  A second deposit is not required when a student defers for one semester.
  • Deferred enrollment is not intended to allow students to begin or continue their university career elsewhere. A student may not attend another institution on a full-time basis during the deferred enrollment period. Full-time status is enrollment in 12 or more credits per term.
    • Exceptions may be made for specific field-based accredited programs. Please contact the Office of Admissions for more information.
    • No more than 11 credits per semester and no more than a total of 22 semester credits will be accepted as transfer credit. The university's standard rules for transfer credit will apply. See the university catalog online for more information.
    • Westminster assumes that any academic work pursued during the deferred enrollment period will be at a level consistent with or above the student's record with which they gained acceptance to Westminster University. The university reserves the right to reverse a prior admissions decision based on poor results of academic work completed during the deferred enrollment period.
  • Requests to defer enrollment to the Westminster's Honors College or the School of Nursing should be sent directly to respective programs.
  • Prior to enrollment at Westminster, each student who chooses the deferred admission option will be required to:
    • Reaffirm their intention to enroll at Westminster University in the semester specified on the reply form.
    •  Submit an updated FAFSA if applying for need-based financial aid.
    • Update their contact information, including mailing and email addresses, with the Office of Admissions.
    • Provide a statement of activities since being admitted to the university. If university coursework is complete during the deferred enrollment period, official transcript(s), showing courses completed and grades received, or anticipated coursework and expected credit(s), as applicable must be submitted.
    • Submit the second non-refundable tuition deposit (if required).
  • A student deferring their enrollment remains eligible for the following merit-based scholarships and awards: President's Scholarship, Provost's Scholarship, Dean's Scholarship, Faculty Scholarship, and Westminster Award.
    • Recipients of talent-based scholarships (athletics, dance, debate, Gillmor Scholars, music, and theatre) must reapply and compete with candidates for the new academic year.
    • Westminster Commitment funding may be deferred.

Deferred Enrollment and Gap Year Deadlines

  • May 1 – Initial tuition deposit deadline
  • August 1 – Deferred enrollment form submission deadline
  • December 1 – New FAFSA submission deadline* (if applicable)
  • January 15 – Second tuition deposit deadline*

*Due in the same calendar year for which a student intends to return. For example, if a student intends to return Fall Semester 2026, the 2026–27 FAFSA and the second tuition deposit are due January 1 and January 15, 2026.

Apply for Deferred Enrollment

If you would like to apply for deferred enrollment, please let us know by emailing the program director listed below. Once we receive your request, our deferred enrollment counselor will reach out and help you complete the official deferred enrollment form.

If you are a current student interested in filing for a leave of absence, there is a separate process for that.

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