Deferment for a year

[dolphins123]

Hello, has anybody successfully deferred for a year? If so, what did you do in that year off? Looking for a pros / cons. Thanks!

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[SkiOtter]

Most schools will require a pretty good reason for allowing a deferment, just FYI

 

[WildZoo]

I deferred for medical reasons. Once I was well enough, I got a job at a small animal clinic and did some zoo volunteering. Wasn't really by choice so idk if it's fitting for a pros/cons list...but I wouldn't trade that year for anything. It was a huge growth year for me.

 

[that redhead]

Hello, has anybody successfully deferred for a year? If so, what did you do in that year off? Looking for a pros / cons. Thanks!

Pros - you can deal with whatever scenario has led to your deferral without the added stress of school. Potential ability to save up additional funds for moving, living expenses, etc.
Cons - a year of doctor income lost

 

[K9CRZY]

Hello, has anybody successfully deferred for a year? If so, what did you do in that year off? Looking for a pros / cons. Thanks!

I deferred because my mom is sick and I needed to be at home to help care for her and enjoy the time we had together while I could. We were told she had a year to live last June. I worked at a human and veterinary hospital during this time. I agree with Skiotter, most schools are going to require a pretty solid reason for you to not start in the fall. I’m thankful my school gave me the time.

I think it really depends on the reason. The pros are that you get the time to get done what you need to do and can use that time to build your resume for after school. For example, if you have a specialty you think you are interested in you could take the time to build experience in that area. I think the only con is that it delays you a year.

 

[SkiOtter]

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I’m glad you’ve been able to spend extra time with her
Sending all the hugs your way, k9crzy<3

 

[dolphins123]

@K9CRZY can you message me about the process? I tried to message you but it wouldn't let me. Thanks!!

 

[K9CRZY]

I’m glad you’ve been able to spend extra time with her
Sending all the hugs your way, k9crzyQUOTE]

Thank you ️

 

[SeaSloth]

I deferred for a year because my husband is in the military and was stationed cross country from the school I was accepted to. The only small con was having some occasional FOMO when I saw a friend going through white coat etc, but overall I was super happy with my decision and had some amazing work/internship experiences during my year off!

 

[Dancer.17]

I deferred for a year because my husband is in the military and was stationed cross country from the school I was accepted to. The only small con was having some occasional FOMO when I saw a friend going through white coat etc, but overall I was super happy with my decision and had some amazing work/internship experiences during my year off!

I’m in the same situation. My husband is getting stationed in Italy in March and I should be starting school next fall. How did you go about asking for a deferment for that?

 

[EngrSC]

I’m in the same situation. My husband is getting stationed in Italy in March and I should be starting school next fall. How did you go about asking for a deferment for that?

I didn't defer but my husband was stationed in Greece for my first semester of vet school. I thought it was super helpful to adjust to school without my husband being here - didn't have to stress about making time for him and making sure I'm giving him the attention he needs, and allowed me to focus on academics and making friends. Just playing devil's advocate
(Note: I didn't have the option to accompany him to Greece otherwise I may have considered deferring)

 

[SpiderPony]

I didn't defer but my husband was stationed in Greece for my first semester of vet school. I thought it was super helpful to adjust to school without my husband being here - didn't have to stress about making time for him and making sure I'm giving him the attention he needs, and allowed me to focus on academics and making friends. Just playing devil's advocate
(Note: I didn't have the option to accompany him to Greece otherwise I may have considered deferring)

I’m in the same situation. My husband is getting stationed in Italy in March and I should be starting school next fall. How did you go about asking for a deferment for that?

I deferred for a year because my husband is in the military and was stationed cross country from the school I was accepted to. The only small con was having some occasional FOMO when I saw a friend going through white coat etc, but overall I was super happy with my decision and had some amazing work/internship experiences during my year off!

If y’all don’t mind me asking, how did the military factor into residency status for different schools? This is the first place I’ve found people in the exact situation I’m trying to navigate

 

[Nottodaysatan821]

If y’all don’t mind me asking, how did the military factor into residency status for different schools? This is the first place I’ve found people in the exact situation I’m trying to navigate

I would like to know this as well!

 

[britzen]

If y’all don’t mind me asking, how did the military factor into residency status for different schools? This is the first place I’ve found people in the exact situation I’m trying to navigate

Depends on the school. Your best bet is to call the admissions office, veteran's office, and/or financial aid people at the schools you are interested in. If the school is public, they have to charge you in-state rates if you are a "covered individual" using Montgomery or Post 9/11 GI Bill benefits, but states can have different specific requirements for what that means. (Not sure if that law applies to private schools that have in-state tuition rates, but I doubt it.) Technically they only have to give you IS rates for semesters you use benefits, but I would guess that you would stay coded as IS even if your benefits ran out.

 

[Dancer.17]

I didn't defer but my husband was stationed in Greece for my first semester of vet school. I thought it was super helpful to adjust to school without my husband being here - didn't have to stress about making time for him and making sure I'm giving him the attention he needs, and allowed me to focus on academics and making friends. Just playing devil's advocate
(Note: I didn't have the option to accompany him to Greece otherwise I may have considered deferring)

This makes me feel a little better about the situation. But I’m looking at being separated from my husband for the next 4 years and don’t know how I’m going to do it 😞

 

[EngrSC]

If y’all don’t mind me asking, how did the military factor into residency status for different schools? This is the first place I’ve found people in the exact situation I’m trying to navigate

For applications/admissions you’re considered non-resident but you get the resident tuition rate. I’m not 100% sure if schools have to give you resident tuition if you’re not using the GI Bill or some other type of military aid (though I suspect most would). Every school I applied to said they would give me resident tuition since I am on the GI Bill but I would be responsible for the difference if the school is private. If the school is public, tuition is 100% covered by the GI Bill.

My account here at VMCVM still has me classified as a non-resident (that will never change) but the VA office on campus coordinates with the bursar’s office to make sure I’m only charged resident tuition. I imagine every school has their own way of doing things so it’s best to contact the VA office at your accepted schools (or schools you’re applying to) for more specific information. Some schools are definitely better than others ... one nameless school blew me off entirely and LSU was like oh, you’re military? Here, let me update your status to resident (after acceptance).

 

[battie]

This makes me feel a little better about the situation. But I’m looking at being separated from my husband for the next 4 years and don’t know how I’m going to do it 😞

Hopefully my phone doesnt die while I'm replying.

I did all of undergrad long distance from the man I thought I was going to marry (300 miles). Now I am in a long distance with my fiance and have been for three years now (1000 miles). Not quite the same, but close.

This is something yall need to sit down and talk about. My fiance and I talk every day, and do a videogame night that we go for about once per week. We communicate how we're doing with one another in plain terms. We're honest on if we're doing good, okay, or not. It works well for us because we are each pretty self sufficient people.

You can see if a deferralment will be granted. You've got nothing to lose by asking. However, I'm not 100% sure theyll accept this. This is a grey area one since so many students attend professional school in long distance relationships, even married couples.

 

[raegan117]

If y’all don’t mind me asking, how did the military factor into residency status for different schools? This is the first place I’ve found people in the exact situation I’m trying to navigate

I just applied and reached out to a handful of schools before doing so. So the GI Bill covers up to the IS tuition rate (at public schools). Florida gives you an OOS tuition waiver, which brings your cost down to IS rates so the GI Bill covers everything. NC State is similar to this, but I found that info on their website rather than emailing them. At Purdue, they don’t adjust your tuition. You’re still responsible for paying OOS rates, so the GI Bill only covers like half of your tuition. Since no one’s talked about private schools yet, let me tell you about Cornell. They really surprised me. So GI Bill will only cover up to $25,000 a year if you attend a private school (exact number varies by school and program). However, Cornell will automatically bring you down to their IS rate (I believe it’s like $35,000). Furthermore, you can apply for a Yellow Ribbon seat (first come first serve) which then covers the remaining cost of your tuition. So ultimately all tuition is covered. They only have 2 YR seats but they told me that they usually don’t have much demand for them and they’re allowed to ask for more seats. So definitely ask around! I was surprised how many schools would completely cover my tuition.

 

[EngrSC]

I just applied and reached out to a handful of schools before doing so. So the GI Bill covers up to the IS tuition rate (at public schools). Florida gives you an OOS tuition waiver, which brings your cost down to IS rates so the GI Bill covers everything. NC State is similar to this, but I found that info on their website rather than emailing them. At Purdue, they don’t adjust your tuition. You’re still responsible for paying OOS rates, so the GI Bill only covers like half of your tuition. Since no one’s talked about private schools yet, let me tell you about Cornell. They really surprised me. So GI Bill will only cover up to $25,000 a year if you attend a private school (exact number varies by school and program). However, Cornell will automatically bring you down to their IS rate (I believe it’s like $35,000). Furthermore, you can apply for a Yellow Ribbon seat (first come first serve) which then covers the remaining cost of your tuition. So ultimately all tuition is covered. They only have 2 YR seats but they told me that they usually don’t have much demand for them and they’re allowed to ask for more seats. So definitely ask around! I was surprised how many schools would completely cover my tuition.

Fun tidbit: military spouses are not yellow ribbon eligible but that’s supposed to change summer 2022.

The GI Bill (post-9/11) covers 100% of tuition at public schools (currently $25,162.14), only a private school can make you pay additional tuition out of pocket. It’s a law (Section 3679(c) of title 38) that a public institution has to give you the resident tuition rate if you’re on the post-9/11 GI Bill ... or the VA will not pay anything because the school is not fully compliant.

 

[britzen]

Fun tidbit: military spouses are not yellow ribbon eligible but that’s supposed to change summer 2022.

The GI Bill (post-9/11) covers 100% of tuition at public schools (currently $25,162.14), only a private school can make you pay additional tuition out of pocket. It’s a law (Section 3679(c) of title 38) that a public institution has to give you the resident tuition rate if you’re on the post-9/11 GI Bill ... or the VA will not pay anything because the school is not fully compliant.

If you're more than 3 years out from discharge, you don't count as a covered individual and schools don't have to give you IS rates (a lot still will, but they aren't required to).

 

[raegan117]

If you're more than 3 years out from discharge, you don't count as a covered individual and schools don't have to give you IS rates (a lot still will, but they aren't required to).

I actually didn’t know about the law! But my dad’s been off of active duty since 2011, so I definitely don’t qualify.

 

[britzen]

I actually didn’t know about the law! But my dad’s been off of active duty since 2011, so I definitely don’t qualify.

It depends on the state too!

Some states passed laws that anyone using GI bill counts as an IS student, even if past the three year mark (I'm pretty sure Illinois has this, for example). Definitely check with every school you are interested in to see what their policies are!

 

[WildZoo]

Yup that is the case in Tennessee, if you're eligible for VA benefits they switch you to in-state status