529 College Savings Plans
Did you know that you can use your 529 Plan to pay for ANY Irish Gap Year program and earn up to 12 college credits while you gap?
We are an accredited Gap Year provider with the Gap Year Association (GYA). The GYA offers college credits through University of Montana (UM) to students attending GYA-accredited programs. Students can therefore, attend one of our programs while also taking courses for college credit. There are no online classes or academic impacts during your program time and registration with the University of Montana is handled entirely through Irish Gap Year.
Follow the 9 steps below to avail of college credits during your Gap Year Program.
Steps to Using Your 529 Account with Irish Gap Year
| Step 1 | Register here with Irish Gap Year and start your application for one of our gap year programs |
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| Step 2 | Interview and get accepted into your Irish Gap Year program of choice |
| Step 3 | Choose the UM course(s) you want to take for credit while on your Irish Gap Year program. See course descriptions at the bottom of the page. |
| Step 4 | Confirm which course(s) you wish to take with Irish Gap Year directly at info@irishgapyear.com and submit a college credit application form. An additional flat fee of $1,950 is charged for participation in the college credit program regardless of the number of credits received. |
| Step 5 | GYA and your UM Instructor of Record will then get in touch with you directly with your course syllabus, next steps and work with you throughout your Irish Gap Year program. |
| Step 6 | Submit all course work, journals and papers directly to your Instructor of Record within 30 days following your program with Irish Gap Year. |
| Step 7 | Wait for official grading report by GYA Instructors |
| Step 8 | Wait 2-4 weeks for UM Registrar to create official UM transcript |
| Step 9 | Receive your official transcript from the University of Montana |
College Credit Courses Available
Up to a full semester (12 Credit Hours / 3 Credits per Course) of college credits are available for transfer. Taking one or more courses allows you to pay for your entire Irish Gap Year Program fees through your 529 plan. Please note that students will not receive a tuition statement form (Form 1098-T) for receiving college credit. In lieu of a Form 1098-T, it is recommended that you maintain proof of payment to IGY and documentation of enrollment with the University of Montana in the form of a student Id number and/or official transcripts.
In most cases, a daily journal (one per semester, not one per course) is required, as well as papers based on recommended reading to be written once you’ve returned home.
Please visit the frequently asked questions page here for more details on the college credits process.
Listed below are the courses available for college credit. Learn more about the course descriptions on Gap Year Association page here.
| CTE 191 – 3 Credits | INTRODUCTION TO LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT |
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| COLS 191 – 3 Credits | SELF & CULTURE IN EXPERIENTIAL COHORTS |
| CTE 298 – 1 to 6 Credits | INTERNATIONAL INTERNSHIP Available only for Dublin Gateway Internship Program |