Often, we want them to have a chance to do better, to become more of a success than we were in our lives. We want to see the next generation of our lineage advance to a higher level and have a better quality of life. It’s only natural, then, that we try to give our children additional opportunities for enrichment and learning that go beyond traditional classrooms and schooling. One of the most profound experiences you can offer your young adult is the chance to study abroad during their college years.

Study abroad programs offer the chance to experience and be immersed in a completely different culture. Your child will attend an overseas university, interact with students from across the world, and get to absorb traditions and ways of living that are very different from their own. Studying overseas offers a perhaps once in a lifetime chance to broaden their horizons and experience amazing levels of personal growth. It will be a new adventure for both you and your child. Still not sold on the idea? Afraid of what may go wrong? Here are some tips to make the transition easier.

Help Pay for Their Overseas Education

College can be expensive, especially when you factor in the costs of travel. Your son or daughter might also be used to paying for part of their education by working during the school year. As a student traveling to a new country, it’s unlikely that your child will be able to work on a student visa. As a parent, you can help finance and pay for their semester or year abroad by applying for parent loans for college. These private, low-rate loans let you borrow all the money you need for your child’s education and make payments at an affordable rate, over time.

Be Sure to Address Any Medical Issues

Before your son or daughter departs for their out of country college program, you’ll want to be sure that you schedule a full checkup with their family physician. It’s best to do this around a month before they depart, so anything that comes up can be taken care of well before departure time. You’ll also want to carefully research which immunizations they will need for their travels, and whether any additional shots are recommended or required. Make sure your student has a full supply of the prescriptions they will need for the journey, and a copy of the prescriptions too. Putting together a travel first aid kit is also a great help.

Get Tips from Other Parents

Tap into technology and online communities and forums to get great ideas and tips from other parents who are in your position. You’ll be able to come across some wonderful ideas, lessons learned and things you would have never thought of on your own. You can also ask questions on the forums and social media groups. Parents who have navigated this process before will be an excellent source of guidance and ideas.

Partner Up on the Paperwork

There’s always a lot of paperwork associated with applying to college programs, and when you study abroad, you’ll have additional requirements. You can lend a hand by walking through all the forms and applications that must be filled out. You can expect to have to put information together for their student visa application, and for travel insurance coverage and housing forms and applications. There will also be forms that are required for the overseas college or university. You want them to have the best experience and missing a deadline can hinder that. Setting up a calendar of when the forms are due will also help you manage the process.

Talk About Safety

It can be challenging when your child is jetting into the unknown and going overseas alone for the first time. One of the key concerns, even in the best student friendly countries to visit, that parents should address is safety. Communication is key, so be sure to set up a safe arrival call or notification; email often works best for this. It’s also a good idea for them to be aware of pickpockets when they travel, and only carry small amounts of money. You’ll want to make sure that there are backups copies of visa documents and their passport on their computer or in a secure cloud location. Keeping an emergency debit or credit card in a secure place, separate from their wallet, is also a good plan.