In 2012, gapyear.com states that 2.5 million British teens and young adults – 34% of students – will be taking a gap year, putting off or taking a break from their college plans. In the UK, “high university applications and lower deferrals” have led to “an explosion of young people travelling, volunteering and working abroad.”

The situation in the United States is similar, though gap years aren’t as popular here as they are in other countries like Australia and the UK.  However popularity seems to be on the rise! One of our partners, the USA Gap Year Fairs organization, has expanded their roster of Gap Year Fairs annually and attendance is growing. TeenLife’s Guide to Gap Year Programs is one of our most popular guides among students, parents, and guidance counselors.

Attending a USA Gap Year Fair, reading our guide, visiting our Gap Year web pages, and doing research on different programs are important first steps toward making sure teens have a smooth, well-planned gap year. Programs like Youth for Understanding or Andeo International Homestays have contacts abroad with reputable organizations to plan safe, fun trips for students. Several Gap Year Advisors are also available to give advice on opportunities, some of which only they know about.

However, American teens face many of the same challenges as other students when it comes to planning for the financial and logistical challenges of going abroad. A major concern for many teens embarking on a gap year is not just their physical safety and comfort, but also how they’ll make purchases. This article from IndependentTraveler.com discusses the pros and cons of cash, credit and debit cards, traveler’s checks, and money-transfer services. Traveler’s checks, for example, are very secure, but fewer merchants accept them these days and they offer less favorable interest rates than credit cards.

While U.S. credit cards with a magnetic strip “will still work as long as there’s someone to swipe them,” teens might be out of luck if they try to use them at unmanned vending kiosks for transit tickets. For that reason, it’s always important to have some foreign currency on hand, which IndependentTraveler.com recommends especially for the first 24 hours of a trip abroad. Teens traveling to rural areas may need to carry more cash; most gap year programs have their own set of spending regulations designed to maximize convenience and safety.

Is your teen considering a gap year? It’s still not too late for seniors waiting on college acceptances to look into the gap option and defer, and juniors can start planning now if they’re interested. USA Gap Year Fairs are happening all over the country right now; for a list of dates and locations, click here.