Deferring Application or Admission

Students who wish to change their application to a future term after they have applied for graduate admission but before they receive an application decision, or who have already been admitted and wish to defer their enrollment to a future term, may request a deferral by completing the Application Modification Request in the Application Status Portal. Once the request is submitted, the following steps take place:

• The Graduate School changes the application to the requested term.
• The department/program makes a decision regarding admission for the new term (admission is not guaranteed).
• The Graduate School finalizes the decision for the new term.
• A decision letter regarding admission for the new term becomes available in the Application Status Portal. 
• If applicable, the Graduate School will process course withdrawal and assistantship contract termination for the original term without further action required from the student or the department/program.

Deferral of Immigration Documents for International Students

International students who defer their admission must complete the Deferred Admission Form I-20 Request in IntlHokies and submit updated proof of funding, including a new assistantship contract, if applicable, before their SEVIS record can be deferred to the new term and a new I-20 or DS-2019 form is issued and mailed. The Cranwell International Center provides up-to-date information about their processing timelines at https://international.vt.edu/processing_times.html.