Year off

A gap year is a period during which a student enrolled in an initial course of higher education temporarily suspends his or her university course in order to gain personal or professional experience in France or abroad.

It can also be carried out with a view to receiving training in a field other than that of the student’s course of study.

Main features of the gap year

When?

It is open to first-time applicants from Parcoursup, and can be taken at the start of or during any course of study (B.U.T, bachelor’s degree, master’s degree, engineering course).

A gap year is not possible:

• After the final year of a course,
• For the specific “health access” pathway (PASS),
• For the license with “accès santé” (L.AS) option.

For how long?

The gap year lasts a maximum of one year and a minimum of one semester, in indivisible periods equivalent to at least one university semester. It begins at the start of the academic semester.

It can take place over two academic years (^2nd semester of year N and^1st semester of year N+1).
In this case, the gap year is necessarily one year: the student completes the^1st semester, takes a one-year gap year and returns to complete S2 with the following year’s intake.

How?

The gap year is strictly voluntary for the student , and is not compulsory for obtaining the degree prepared before and after the suspension of the course.

An educational contract must be drawn up. The gap year is subject to approval by the President of the University of Rouen Normandie.

Why?

The break may concern :

• Training in a field other than the one in which the student is enrolled;
• Work experience in France or abroad:
  – employment contract,
  – unpaid volunteer experience,
  – internship under contract, limited to 6 months per host organization.
• A civic service commitment in France or abroad , which can take the form of:
  – an international solidarity volunteer program,
  – an international administrative volunteer program (VIA), a corporate volunteer program (VIE) or a European voluntary service.
• A project to set up a business as a student-entrepreneur: the student must apply for the student entrepreneur status (SNEE) issued free of charge by PÉPITE by contacting La Maison de l’entrepreneuriat.

Note that it is quite possible to combine several forms of gap year during the gap year period (e.g. internship and civic service / work contract and volunteer work…).

Student rights

During the gap year, students are eligible for the French higher education grant based on social criteria.

If the gap period consists of a training course, in addition to the income-related conditions, eligibility for the grant is subject to the common law conditions attached to the nature of the training course. In particular, the course must lead to a national higher education diploma, or be authorized to accept scholarship holders. Continuation of the scholarship is subject to the conditions of progress, course attendance and exam attendance laid down in common law.

In all other cases, the right to a grant may be maintained at the discretion of the school. The decision will be made on the basis of the relationship between the theme of the gap year and the training provided at the establishment.

Please note that maintaining your scholarship entitlement during your gap year is deducted from your cycle scholarship entitlement.

The Césure Commission

The gap-year project is studied and submitted to the gap-year committee for approval or rejection.

The decision is sent by e-mail to the student as well as to the Heads of Pedagogy and the Registrars.

In the event of an unfavorable decision, the student may lodge an appeal with the President of the Jury of the Commission de Césure via the following e-mail address: cesure.baip@univ-rouen.fr

More information