Deferral Information

Who May Request a Deferral

Deferrals of admission may only be granted to first-year students for a full academic year, from one fall semester to the very next fall semester. Transfer students cannot defer admission. The one exception is for first-year or transfer students deferring to complete obligations for the U.S. military, such as basic training or a deployment. Students requesting a U.S. military deferral may request consideration for future entry in either the spring or fall semester provided their school offers new student entry for the desired term.

Deferrals of admission may be granted to:

first-year applicants admitted for the fall semester, and

transfer applicants who will be pursuing U.S. military service.

How to Request a Deferral

Please contact us in writing to request a deferral after indicating your intended school of enrollment and submitting your $150 enrollment fee online by June 1.

A deferral is official only when you are notified that the Office of Undergraduate Admissions has granted your request. Your Rutgers Application Portal will be updated to show when the deferral request has been granted. Deferred students must comply with all conditions of their deferral.

Conditions of Deferral

First-year applicants requesting a deferral must submit a final official high school transcript certifying graduation and showing all courses and grades from grades 9 through 12 by July 1. Deferrals are conditioned on successful completion of all senior courses with no decline in grades. Any final grades below a C can result in the deferral being rescinded.

Transfer applicants requesting a deferral due to U.S. military service must submit final official college transcripts by June 1. Deferral is conditioned on successful completion of all current college courses with no decline in grades. Any grades below a C in the most recent semester can result in the deferral being rescinded.

During the deferral year, you may not take any additional high school or college courses. Enrollment in any college credit-bearing courses, even if you do not complete them, or enrollment in a post-graduate high school year will nullify the deferral.

Granted a Deferral? Next Steps

Rutgers–Newark and Rutgers–New Brunswick: Applicants who have been granted a deferral for 2024 do not need to submit a 2025 application or pay a new application fee. The information provided on the 2024 application will carry over to 2025. Students will use the same login credentials to access their 2025 application as they did for 2024. Applicants can update the email address affiliated with their application via the Manage Account section of the Rutgers Application Portal.

Rutgers–Camden: If your deferral has been granted, you must complete and submit a new application for undergraduate admissions, follow all instructions, and adhere to all deadlines. No new application fee is required.

If the deferral is granted, and you adhere to the terms above, you will receive notification of admission by December 1 (spring applicants), February 28 (first-year fall applicants) and April 15 (fall transfer applicants). You will need to accept your offer of admission by December 7 (spring applicants) or June 1 (fall applicants). The enrollment fee you paid when requesting your deferral will be applied to the new year. This fee is not refundable if you do not complete all conditions of enrollment within noted due dates, including if you do not enroll.

Please be sure that all your email and other contact information is accurate on your status screen to receive updated information.