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Question: Is financial aid affected if a student works full time during gap year? ~Paul
Mark: Ah, this is a good question. The simple answer is, it depends.
If a student is accepted and gets a deferral to take a Gap Year (actually, he/she doesn’t have to get accepted w/deferral, but they should)…and then works to earn a substantial amount of money to help pay the costs of college, it can actually change “the family's” financial situation. The student has to complete a FAFSA before starting school and if their financial situation changes enough, the additional gained income can actually push the amount of money a student is expected to pay, and could decrease how much financial aid is available.
Anna: We recommend calculating how much money you can earn before pushing yourself out of financial aid to determine whether or not working full time during your gap year can hurt your future financial aid reward.