Gap Year Association
The Gap Year Association (GYA) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 2012 that serves as the U.S. Standards Development Organization for gap year education, accrediting programs and consultants, publishing research, and connecting students to a directory of 87+ member providers.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2012
- HeadquartersMissoula, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B and B2C
- OfferingServices
What Gap Year Association does
The Gap Year Association (GYA) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit association founded in 2012 and headquartered in Missoula, Montana, operating with 14 staff and a distributed board. It functions as the recognized Standards Development Organization (SDO) for gap year education in the United States, designated by the U.S. Department of Justice and Federal Trade Commission in 2022, and serves as the sole authoritative accreditor of gap year programs and consultants in the country. GYA's products center on three layers: (1) accreditation services backed by published "Standards of Best Practice in Gap Year Education" and "GYA Consultant Standards"; (2) educational services including a Program Provider Directory of 87 members, a Consultant Directory, and a College Credit Program delivered through a School of Record relationship with the University of Montana ($1,950 per semester) plus CGCS/Hartwick online courses ($575 per 3-credit course); and (3) community and research assets such as the National Alumni Survey, State of the Field Survey, the annual Gap Year Exploration Month, USA Gap Year Fairs, a Gap Year Conference, and an extensive content library. Its customer base spans four sides: students/families (free membership), program providers and educational consultants (paid membership tiers with optional accreditation), higher education institutions (Official Gap Year Colleges program), and K-12 educators. Revenue is generated primarily through membership fees, accreditation fees, college credit transaction fees, and conference/professional development income, with no disclosed financial figures and no venture or philanthropic funding rounds on record.
Gap Year Association firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Gap Year Association
- Legal name
- Gap Year Association
- Website
- https://gapyearassociation.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2012
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- The Gap Year Association (GYA) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 2012 that serves as the U.S. Standards Development Organization for gap year education, accrediting programs and consultants, publishing research, and connecting students to a directory of 87+ member providers.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Gap Year Association industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Educational Association Services
- NAICS
- Religious, Grantmaking, Civic, Professional, and Similar Organizations (813), Professional Organizations (81392), Educational Services (611)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Post-Secondary Transition Planning & Coordination (EDAKANAA)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- College & Career Transition Services (Bridge Programs, Dual Enrollment Pathways) (EDAAABAK), First-Year Experience & Transition Programs (EDALABAE), Structured Gap Year Programs (Multi-Sector & Rotational) (EDAIAGAJ)
Keywords
Where Gap Year Association is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Missoula
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices2 records
Markets served
Gap Year Association business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B and B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others
Revenue model
- Membership Fees: GYA generates revenue through various membership tiers including program providers, educational consultants, higher education institutions, K-12 educators, students/alumni/supporters, and affiliate organizations. Each tier requires meeting basic standards of program operations and services.
- Accreditation Fees: Gap year programs and consultants may undertake a rigorous application and review process to earn GYA Accreditation, which provides additional visibility and eligibility to offer GYA college credit coursework.
- College Credit Program Fees: GYA offers college credit coursework through its School of Record relationship with University of Montana. GYA coursework costs a flat fee of $1,950 per semester for up to 12 credits. Additionally, CGCS online courses cost $575 per 3-credit course through partnership with Hartwick College.
- Conference and Professional Development: GYA hosts a regular gap year conference for gap year professionals and educators to share research, tools, resources, best practices, and challenges. The last in-person conference took place in Missoula, MT at the University of Montana.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Freemium | Annual | Student Membership - FREE |
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | GYA Coursework College Credit |
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | CGCS Online College Credit Courses |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels8 records
Gap Year Association product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Gap Year Association (GYA) is a nonprofit membership association that sets and maintains standards of best practice for gap year education in the United States. It operates as the official Standards Development Organization (SDO) recognized by the U.S. Department of Justice and Federal Trade Commission, providing accreditation for gap year programs and consultants, a college credit program through a School of Record relationship with the University of Montana, professional membership tiers for program providers and educators, original research on gap year outcomes, and planning resources for prospective gap year students and families.
Product overview
The Gap Year Association (GYA) operates as a nonprofit membership organization rather than a single software product. Its core offerings include a Program Provider Directory (87+ member programs), a Consultant Directory for personalized advising, and the GYA Accreditation Program ( Standards Development Organization). Educational services include the GYA College Credit Program (via University of Montana School of Record) and CGCS Online Courses (via Hartwick College partnership). GYA offers free and professional membership tiers, annual Gap Year Exploration Month advocacy, research programs (National Alumni Survey, State of the Field Survey), and planning resources including the Gap Year Planning Guide, Transition Guide, and Fair Trade Learning Guide. The organization facilitates connections between prospective gappers and gap year experiences through directories, events, scholarships, and professional development.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Professional Membership
Quantifiable outcome
- 90% of gap year alumni make their way back to university within a year
- +5 more outcomes
Companies that use Gap Year Association
Customer profileNamed customers9 records
Segments11 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Gap Year Association technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Gap Year Association partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Climate Action Network for International Educators (CANIE)coreGYA is a proud signatory of the CANIE Accord, a commitment by global network of international educators to work towards carbon neutrality and promote climate literacy for students. GYA developed a Climate Action Plan adopted by the Board in 2023.
- University of MontanacoreGYA's School of Record relationship with University of Montana enables students on Accredited GYA programs to enroll in independent study coursework for college credit. This partnership is fundamental to GYA's College Credit Program.
- Centre for Global Citizenship Studies (CGCS)corePartnership with CGCS offers online courses for credit from Hartwick College for gap year students. CGCS offers topics including marine conservation, wildlife, global citizenship, and public health through 3-credit online courses.
- Hartwick CollegecoreHartwick College provides college credit transcription for CGCS online courses taken by gap year students, enabling credit-bearing coursework for students not enrolled in GYA Accredited Programs.
- Association for Experiential Education (AEE)minorGYA references AEE's definition of experiential education: 'a process of challenge and experience followed by reflection, which leads to learning and growth.' GYA promotes AEE's Principles of Practice for Experiential Education.
- Community-Based Global Learning Collaborative (CBGL)minorGYA partnered with CBGL in the development and implementation of GYA's Fair Trade Learning standards for organizations engaging with community partners ethically.
Scale indicators5 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Gap Year Association competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Association for Experiential Education (AEE): A nonprofit membership association advancing experiential education broadly; comparable as a peer association in the experiential learning space that intersects with GYA's practitioner community.
- CIEE (Council on International Educational Exchange): A large, established international education organization offering study abroad and gap year-adjacent programming; comparable as a broader incumbent in experiential education that overlaps with GYA's member programs.
Direct peers
- Pacific Discovery: An experiential gap year program provider serving high school graduates; comparable as a GYA-aligned program serving the same student segment with multi-country itineraries.
- GoOverseas.com: An online community and program directory for gap year, study abroad, and volunteer experiences; comparable as a discovery platform that competes for student attention alongside GYA's provider directory.
- Where There Be Dragons: A GYA-accredited and College Credit program provider offering cultural immersion and experiential gap semesters; comparable in that it operates within GYA's accredited network and targets the same gap year student.
- ARCC Gap Year Programs: A GYA-accredited experiential education gap year program with deep ties to GYA leadership (Sophia Weeks co-founded ARCC); directly comparable as an accredited provider within GYA's program directory.
- National Outdoor Leadership School (NOLS): NOLS is a leading GYA-accredited gap year program provider focused on wilderness expeditions and outdoor education, sitting squarely in GYA's member ecosystem and sharing the same student/customer base.
- Center for Interim Programs: Founded in 1980 as the first independent gap year counseling organization in the U.S. and a GYA Accredited Consultant; serves the same prospective gap year families and operates within GYA's consultant directory.
- Global Citizen Year: A gap year fellowship program targeting high-achieving high school graduates; directly comparable as a program operator competing for the same college-bound student demographic.
Regional players
- Irish Gap Year: An Ireland-based gap year program provider founded and directed by GYA Co-President Ryan Allen; comparable as a peer program operating primarily outside the U.S. market with similar experiential offerings.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Gap Year Association social profiles
Digital presenceGap Year Association compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance2 records
Gap Year Association financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Gap Year Association leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles14 records
Gap Year Association funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Gap Year Association M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Gap Year Association
What does Gap Year Association do?
Gap Year Association (GYA) is a nonprofit membership association that sets and maintains standards of best practice for gap year education in the United States. It operates as the official Standards Development Organization (SDO) recognized by the U.S. Department of Justice and Federal Trade Commission, providing accreditation for gap year programs and consultants, a college credit program through a School of Record relationship with the University of Montana, professional membership tiers for program providers and educators, original research on gap year outcomes, and planning resources for prospective gap year students and families.
Is Gap Year Association a public or private company?
Gap Year Association is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Gap Year Association founded?
Gap Year Association was founded in 2012. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Gap Year Association based?
Gap Year Association is headquartered in Missoula, United States, in the North America region.
How does Gap Year Association make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Membership Fees are the primary driver. The others are accreditation Fees, college Credit Program Fees and conference and Professional Development.
Who are Gap Year Association's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Association for Experiential Education (AEE) and CIEE (Council on International Educational Exchange). Direct peers are Pacific Discovery, GoOverseas.com, Where There Be Dragons, ARCC Gap Year Programs, National Outdoor Leadership School (NOLS), Center for Interim Programs and Global Citizen Year. Irish Gap Year is listed as a regional player.
Does Gap Year Association have an API?
No public API is recorded for Gap Year Association.
What industry is Gap Year Association in?
Gap Year Association's product category is Educational Association Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EDAKANAA, Post-Secondary Transition Planning & Coordination, with a secondary code of EDAAABAK, College & Career Transition Services (Bridge Programs, Dual Enrollment Pathways). Its NAICS code is 813.