Deciding About a Second Year (Shana Bet)

What a second year is, and when the question comes up

A second year at the same or another program is usually called shana bet (שָׁנָה ב׳), which simply means year two. It's more common in yeshivas than in seminaries, and less common in general gap-year programs, but it comes up everywhere.

The question tends to surface in the winter. Students are settled by then, friends start talking about staying, and programs begin planning next year. If you're a parent, it helps to know it may be coming so the first conversation isn't a surprise.

Who it tends to suit

There's no type of student who should always stay or always leave. These patterns may help you think it through.

A second year often works well when:

• The student can name specific goals for it, such as a level of learning to reach, a skill, or a subject to finish.
• The first year took months to get going and real progress started late.
• The college plan can absorb a delay, and the family can afford it.
• Teachers who know the student well, when asked directly, think it's a good fit.

It's worth a harder look when:

• The main reason is that friends are staying, or that going home or starting college feels scary.
• The college has said no to more time, or a scholarship or a place in a specific degree track would be lost.
• Paying for it would mean debt the family isn't comfortable with.
• The student is struggling with health or mood and would be far from support.

College timing

A deferral is the college's permission to start later than the year you were admitted for. Most deferrals are granted for one year. A second year needs a new request, and the college decides. Some say yes, some say no, and some ask you to reapply, which puts your place and any scholarship at risk.

1. 1As soon as a second year is a real possibility, email the admissions office. Ask whether a second deferral year is possible, the deadline to request it, and what happens to your scholarship and housing.
2. 2Ask whether credit from a second year would be accepted, and whether there's a cap on credits from outside. See getting your college credit.
3. 3If you're in a joint program with a college for the first year, ask that college's office what its rules are for a second year.
4. 4Get every answer in writing before you commit to the program.

If army service in Israel is a possible future plan, ask before deciding. The Mahal volunteer program's site says time already spent in Israel, including in yeshiva, is counted toward limits that affect the length of service. See staying in Israel.

Cost and scholarships

A second year means a second year of tuition, flights, insurance and spending money, and one more year before the student earns a full salary. Some programs charge less for the second year or give returning students a paid or reduced-fee role, such as helping first-year students. Some don't. It varies by program and by year, so ask the office directly.

• Ask the program for the full second-year price and what it includes.
• Ask whether returning students get any discount, scholarship or work arrangement, and how to apply.
• Check whether grants or scholarships you used for the first year can be used again. Many are for first-year participants only.
• Recheck visa and health insurance dates. See visas and paperwork and paying for the year.

The half-year option

Some programs let students return for part of a second year, often from late summer until the winter, and then start college in the spring semester. Not every program offers this, and not every college admits students mid-year. If it appeals to you, ask both: the program about dates and price, and the college about a spring start, housing, and course availability.

Deciding together

This conversation goes wrong when the student announces a decision and the parents react, or when parents rule it out before hearing the reasons. A little structure helps.

1. 1Student: write down three things you'd want from a second year that you couldn't get by going home. Be specific.
2. 2Parents: write down your real concerns, such as money, college, distance, or changes you're seeing. Share them as concerns, not accusations.
3. 3Gather the facts first: the college's answer, the full cost, the program's view. Agree not to decide until you have them.
4. 4Have one long conversation, by video if needed, where each side talks without interruption for ten minutes.
5. 5If you want an outside view, speak to a teacher at the program, and also to someone with no stake in the result, such as a family rabbi or a school counselor from home.
6. 6Set a decision date that fits the college's and the program's deadlines, and stick to it.

Parents: your child is an adult or close to it, and a decision made with you holds up better than one made around you. Students: your parents are usually paying, and they know you over a longer stretch than one year. Both of those things deserve weight.

Common questions

Will my college let me defer a second year?

Only the college can answer. Policies differ, and some will ask you to reapply. Email admissions early and ask about your scholarship at the same time.

Is a second year cheaper than the first?

Sometimes. Some programs offer returning students a reduced fee or a role that offsets cost, and others charge full tuition. Ask the program's office for the exact figure.

My child's teachers are encouraging a second year. How much weight should that carry?

Their view is valuable because they see your child every day. They also see it from inside the program. Balance it with advice from someone outside it, and with the college and cost facts.