If substantial financial aid is a possibility in the future, then community college or attending whatever university he still has access to, might be the best path. I know many kids in this kind of situation who took a “gap year” that turned into years of low paid work and feeling lost. For some kids, once they step off, it is hard to step back on, for a variety of reasons. This may or may not apply but in general, for families without a lot of financial resources to make a gap year really inspiring, that year can lead to a lot of problems.