My eldest son likes to program. I have wondered if at age 17 I should give him the choice of $240K for college or $240K to spend as he sees fit, perhaps to work on a start-up idea. I can't provide (2) and (3) of Y Combinator's services, but I can do (1). The Tiger Mother will probably nix this idea.
A gap year, six months to identify and begin working at a niche business. Checkpoints for: identifying a market, developing a business plan, meeting with SCORE professionals, make a software development plan, begin programming.
If at six months the market & business plans aren't moving forward, then he shifts gear to working on a meaningful software project within the open source arena while building out a resume of specific contemporary/bleeding edge technologies. Cost: food and a roof + <$2000 for development tools.
Software is the cheapest arena to enter if you have the mindset, drive, and your own free technical skills.
