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An increasing number of U.S. students are participating in a 鈥済ap year,鈥� in which they take a break from their studies to explore the world, often right after graduating from high school. The benefits for students can include personal growth, increased maturity and a stronger sense of what their interests are.

What students do during this one-year break from school can vary widely; it can include taking part in聽highly organized programs聽targeting student interests such as art history or wilderness exploration, or it can involve聽loosely structured programs or foreign travel.

Managing a gap year can be stressful for parents, however, financially and otherwise. Whatever the specifics of a student鈥檚 experience, it鈥檚 a time when a teen is not in school but聽not in the 鈥渞eal world鈥� 鈥� and therefore still dependent on parents for support.

Here are some practical tips on how parents and students can best manage the needs of 鈥済appers鈥� at home and abroad.

1. Pay attention to currency聽exchange fees

Access to money and currency聽exchange are crucial considerations for young people traveling abroad. Most banks and credit unions offer poor exchange rates and charge various聽hidden fees, so consider shopping around for an international money transfer specialist聽to save money. Many firms also offer the opportunity to lock in favorable exchange rates, which can protect users from adverse currency movements.

2. Research overseas employment opportunities

For those on a gap year who feel they need more money during聽their time abroad 鈥斅爋r who want to enrich their experience by learning what it鈥檚 like to be a working person in a foreign country 鈥� having聽a job can be fulfilling, according to Sara Haberman, founder of聽AdmissionSense, a college counseling service.

But it鈥檚 important to do plenty of research first,聽because聽every country has different rules about foreign workers and some jobs may require special training. Teaching English in a foreign country, for example, might require taking a course and getting certification from a recognized organization.

3. Hone budgeting skills

A gap year offers parents a good opportunity to work with their children on their budgeting and personal finance skills. Janice Rossman, a nurse in New York, saw her daughter repeatedly go over their established budget during聽her year in Israel. They discovered that 鈥渉idden expenses鈥� 鈥� things beyond the established costs of rent, utilities and food 鈥斅爓ere to blame for the budget-busting. 鈥淲e discovered it was mostly 鈥楿bering,鈥� 鈥� she says, referring to the popular transportation app. This led to a productive discussion of ways to make use of other transportation options to keep costs in line.

4. Learn from other 鈥榞appers鈥�

Students who are going abroad and their parents should do significant research on each country in advance, not just online but by聽reaching out to other students who have lived there. Consult聽gap-year message boards聽that provide information on cultural, financial, legal and other issues.

5. Break the year into chunks

For parents of students who are seeking a more free-form gap-year experience rather than a tightly planned program, the idea of an entire year of unstructured time can produce anxiety. Rather than trying to plan out the whole year with your child, consider taking it three months at a time and setting goals that fuel his or her interests but lead to achievements.

These goals can include finding a job, taking a few college or online courses, pursuing interests the child may not have time for as a full-time college student, or taking particular聽trips. By breaking the year down into manageable chunks and setting short-term goals, the gap year can feel more manageable and end up being more productive.

6. Keep up the networking

Spending a gap year backpacking in a remote part of the world might be a wonderfully enriching experience, but it also could separate students from the types of social contacts that may be needed when they make their re-entry. To guard against that, students聽should take the time to network while out of school 鈥斅爏etting up LinkedIn profiles and staying in touch via social media to grow and maintain contacts. If they are staying at home during their gap year, they should consider working or volunteering in their community to establish connections聽that聽may be helpful in the future.

7. Watch out for reverse culture shock

After several months living abroad, many kids acculturate to their temporary聽home in terms of daily life, food and social norms, so they may experience culture shock when they return. Students returning to the U.S. may have trouble relating to the friends they once spent a lot of time with, or they may find that activities they used to engage in feel聽trivial. This may lead to symptoms of depression, anxiety, restlessness and even panic, Haberman says.

Parents should prepare to spot聽these symptoms and provide support during the聽adjustment. Once students are back in school, parents can聽urge them to establish a relationship with a counselor, teacher or other mentor to help ease the transition.

8. Go easy during re-entry

A whopping聽90% of American gap-year students聽continue on to college聽within six聽months to a year of their return. But for those who聽are still not ready to pursue higher education, parents should treat the break聽as聽an initial 鈥渃ooling-off period鈥� and provide a judgment-free zone to let kids re-examine their options. Though聽this might cause聽parents anxiety, some kids just need a little more time to decide on their path.

It鈥檚 important, though, that post gap-year students are doing something productive if they鈥檙e not going back to school right away, whether that鈥檚 working or volunteering. It鈥檚 also wise for families to commit to a time frame聽for this next phase and to explore聽options, which can range聽from vocational school to college.

This article first appeared at NerdWallet.聽Learn more about Jeff聽on NerdWallet鈥檚 'Ask an Advisor.'