Tufts wants accepted students to indulge in wanderlust before freshman year. In a new program launching this fall, the university will fund approximately 50 incoming freshmen to travel abroad for a year, the AP's Paige Sutherland reports.
During the gap year program, called Tufts 1+4, the university will set students up at international volunteer or educational programs considered "satellite Tufts communities," where they will video chat and email with academic advisors to keep in touch.
According to the AP, Tufts is planning on funding most of the expenses including the housing, airfare, and visa fees, which can add up to $30,000 or more.
The university seems to be catering to the growing trend of students taking a gap year after high school. Since 2006, the number of students traveling has jumped about 20% to 40,000 in 2013, according to the American Gap Year Association.
Princeton University and the University of North Carolina are among a small but growing number of universities that help fund a gap year for incoming students.