Yes, if a student has been admitted to the University and wishes to take a year for some sort of enriching experience, the Dean of Admission will be glad to review the case and will often grant deferral for a year. (Note Maria’s post above, though – no classes can be taken for credit during the gap year.) Need-based financial aid will always be available, though families will (as always) need to reapply the next year. For merit-based scholarships, you would need to make a formal request to whatever party governs your scholarship; I know that gap year deferrals on scholarships have been granted in the past for several of our scholarships.