Investing in a Christian, Liberal Arts Gap Year

There's no way around it: a gap year is a significant investment. College? Even more so. 

Students who have completed a gap year are more motivated and disciplined in their academic pursuits. Too many students use valuable time in college just learning how to navigate life away from home. Instead of focusing on classes, extra-curriculars, and building healthy relationships, they're learning how to balance time demands, developing realistic expectations and boundaries, and taking extra classes trying to determine their major.

While Vanguard is an investment, it prepares students to jump into college with a purpose, knowing who they are and where they want to go.

Program Costs

If a Vanguard takes full advantage of the opportunities to reduce program cost (see below), the total out of pocket program cost for a year of room & board, travel, 8 college credits, and guided vocational discernment is $17,300. 

Additional Information: Vanguard Program Costs

• Deposit: A $300 deposit (nonrefundable after May 1) confirms enrollment. After successful completion of the program, all bills being paid, this deposit will be refunded.
• Immersion Experiences: Vanguards will raise support for their immersion experiences. If their goal is not met, the amount will be added to the summer semester bill.

Reducing Program Costs

Additional Information: Decreasing the Cost of Vanguard

• Student Contribution: A matching scholarship up to $1,000 is given when a Vanguard participant contributes $1,000 of their own money towards program costs. This must be personally earned and cannot be raised through fundraising or gifts.
• Fundraising: All Vanguards work as a team to fundraise towards their Vanguard year.  As the actual cost of the year is higher than the billed cost, Vanguards will engage in a number of fundraising efforts as a community to help offset the difference.  Each Vanguard will have a fundraising goal of $5,000 for the year the helps cover program costs associated with the year.  Fundraising efforts will include: support letters, local community work days, online auctions, etc.

Work at HoneyRock Over the Summer

Another way to consider offseting the cost of Vanguard is to work at HoneyRock in the summer, after you've completed the year. It's also a great way to immediately apply what you've learned from the year!

Listed below are the estimated indirect costs that a participant could incur that are outside of the program cost.

We strongly encourage each Vanguard to have a debit card that parents can access and monitor. This allows Vanguards to learn how to budget their living expenses over the course of one year.

• Personal expenses/miscellaneous = $1,000
  Includes but not limited to laundry, snacks, dinner in town, movie, etc...
• Transportation = $600
  Traveling to and from HoneyRock during Christmas and pre-summer breaks.
• Total Estimated Indirect Costs = $1,600