Given that President Obama’s proposed reforms for college tuition aid won’t take effect until 2010, The New York Times suggests that delaying college for a year could have benefits. There might be more federal aid available this time next year. Students will be wiser and more mature for having a “gap year” between high school and college.

The problem: this is not part of the “cultural norm” in the USA. People are unfamiliar with it. It’s much more common in Europe, where even Royalty take a gap year. Perhaps, like a partially-nationalized banking system and more affordable health-care, this is one of the changes in cultural norms that American’s are about to become more familiar with.