For future missionaries · updated October 2026

School, scholarships and your mission

Most Church schools let you hold your place while you serve. The steps differ by school, so here’s each one in short.

Start here

Church Education suggests applying during your senior year, before the mission. Whether a scholarship can be deferred depends on each school’s policy.

Sources: Church Education college application FAQ

BYU

Be admitted as a degree-seeking student first.
Submit the mission deferment after you have your call, before the end of the semester you were admitted for (spring/summer admits have until the end of fall).
Not available on academic suspension. Don’t register for the semester you leave.
Coming home October–April? Plan to enroll by fall. May–September? By winter.
Fall/winter scholarships can be deferred; spring/summer ones can’t.

Sources: BYU departing and returning missionaries · BYU mission deferments for scholarships

BYU-Idaho

Apply before the mission and choose that you’ll attend after it.
After your call, once the departure date is firm, submit the Missionary Deferment Form. It drops any current classes.
Defer financial aid too. Some scholarships need their own deferment.
You can lift the deferment within 6 months of coming home.

Sources: BYU-Idaho missionary deferments

BYU-Hawaii

Admitted students who haven’t taken classes request a mission deferment by the last day of the semester they were admitted for.
Students who have earned BYUH credits complete a discontinuance, handled by the Office of the Registrar.
When you come home, follow the returned missionary steps on the BYUH admissions site.

Sources: BYU-Hawaii mission deferment (new students) · Deferment or discontinuance

Ensign College

Use the deferment form and choose your return semester.
On return, update your application and get a new ecclesiastical endorsement.
Students who have finished at least one semester can take a leave of absence of up to 7 semesters and keep scholarships.

Sources: Ensign College admission deferment · Leave of absence policy

BYU-Pathway

Students can be placed on leave for missionary service.
After 5 years on leave, a student is withdrawn.

Sources: BYU-Pathway enrollment status

Next steps

Life after a missionPrepare for a missionServing at 18Start your papers

Questions

Can I defer BYU admission for a mission?

Yes. Once admitted as a degree-seeking student, submit the deferment after your call and before the end of the semester you were admitted for.

Can scholarships be deferred for a mission?

It depends on the school. BYU defers fall and winter scholarships but not spring or summer ones.

When should I apply to college if I plan to serve?

Church Education suggests applying in your senior year, before the mission.

Sources

Updated October 2026. Unofficial: check your call packet and the Missionary Portal for your own details. Official pages and your leaders are always the final word. GotMyCall is unofficial and not affiliated with or endorsed by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.