Gift for Student Traveling Abroad?

Why not give her a few sheets of labels with family addresses already printed, plus a few blanks on which she can write freinds' addresses? Together with the stationery, it's a great gift that makes it much easier for her to write home.
Mama S.

I agree with some money. There is a neat Traveler's Journal at Barnes and Noble, I always said I want, when I travel! It has quotes and cool things on each page about travel and exploring the world.

What about an international calling card so she can call home.

I've backpacked around the world twice for a total of 12+ months, and while you may not feel that it's the most thoughtful, the BEST gift for is some money. When you travel like that you're really scraping by, often doing what you can to live on $10-20/day for everything, incl your hostel! Spending $20 on one thing (like a special piece of jewelry) is a REAL splurge.

I give money to my family who is traveling with a very heartfelt note to spend it on a very special experience/item that they may not usually treat themselves to. Journals/backpacks/travel things etc are nice, but she probably has everything she needs. We received a beautiful Natl Geog. travel journal, but that thing weighed about 2 lbs so we left it at home. I have a pile of travel gifts people gave us that never made it out of our house. You have to be really picky when you're backpacking!

Go the money route, but add a very special note about how she should spend it, I love all the "expensive" (i.e. $10-20) jewelry pieces I've bought on my travels. :)

I don't know how much you want to spend. My brother in law travels abroad frequently. Here are a few items that have been very helpful for him. We got him a travel backpack with a day pack as a graduation gift. He loves it and uses it on all of his travels. The other item is a travel wallet - it holds his id, passport, ticket info. It makes it easier in the airport, because everything is in one spot. I have one too and I love it, it saves me from frantically digging through my purse for what we need. And my BIL couldn't live without a money belt. It sounds silly, but he says it's a necessity. It's safer than a purse or wallet, especially when you are in more touristy parts of a country.

I love all the ideas you've got so far! I would either go with some a really pretty compass, or the stationary or the journal...and definitely some $ too, even if it's just an emergency $20!

Actually customs agents are not very fond of passport covers. More often than not I've seen them make people take their passport out of them.
I like the idea of a travel journal of sorts.

I would get a special travel journal. I always take one with me when I travel abroad so I can record all the things I saw, all the experiences, etc. You can usually find one at a nice hallmark type of store or I've even seen them at Target.

We just sent home a foreign exchange student.
She needed a good backpack for traveling to different cities and amusement parks. I think they are called drawstring backpacks or daypacks. We gave her one of ours.
Money is good but she will have to get to the bank and exchange it into the county's currency or Euro's if she is going ot countiries in the European Union.
A digital camera.
A journal,
An adapter for her electronics.
An iPod.
A small picture album with pictures of her as a baby and of the family and her friends. This is what kept my Karin going during those times when she really missed Germany. She would bring out her pictures to show us her German life.
An ATT calling card.
Tell her to bring Poprocks to give to all her new friends. .

iTunes gift certifciate. They can use it to download tunes or movies for the journey. It doesn't take up any space and can be used at any point in the trip.

I think a colorful luggage tag would be more useful than a passport cover and I know I saw some at World Market last Christmas. They help you spot your luggage from among the sea of others. I traveled a lot and LOVE journals, but a lot of young people these days just journal on the computer. Still, there's nothing like a paper one...so if she's into that, I think it's pretty thoughtful. Of course if she doesn't have a good camera, that would be a bigger thing, but very useful. I really liked having an album of things from home (family, friends, places) while I lived abroad. Not only do people want to see where you are from, but it's nice when you get homesick. If you have time to do a little album for her, I bet she'd appreciate it. Have fun!

She most likely will download Skype (video/calling option on the computer for CHEAP!). So a giftcard for skype would be great.
Passport cover--depending on where she is going isn't always a great idea to have a USA passport cover, If you do go that route make sure its a plain one (really I never use mine though).
A travel journal... most people blog instead now. (not saying its not cool but not something most youth I think would do). Maybe pay for a year/months of web hosting instead!
A universal charger like an iGo is GREAT for travel. Its one unit with different tips for each item (ipod, computer, cell phones, NDS, etc) this way you don't have to pack all the cords for each.. you just have this one unit with different tips. Plus then you only have to have one foreign adapter!
I live on the road traveling... so depending on how much you want to spend I have TONS of ideas! LOL Feel free to message me if you like... knowing WHERE she is going would help also.

some nice ideas from other responders - but if you are def. interested in the passport cover, paper source used to carry them in wonderful colors! the PS in evanston on central street is heavenly, and you might find some other great items for travel, such as journals and other fun fun do-dads. another great shop on central street in evanston is perrenials, where they may also have the passport covers, lovely stationery & journals, "smell-goods" (shower gels and lotions w/wonderful scents that would be great treats when traveling), etc.

Money. She can never have enough when in another country for a year.