I'd recommend he pick up a few low grade, presentable cards of his favorite HOFers. '33 Goudeys, T206, T205, T201, game cards would all be good places to start. I would advise against any kind of set building on such a tight budget. Some people have the right resolve to work on the monster for 20 or 30 years, but most bow out because the task seems too daunting when cards are coming in very slowly.
When I was 17 and got my first job I did pretty much what I am advocating. I collected HOF RCs, which included a few T206s and Goudeys. They all appreciated over time, and even though I moved away from post-war, I was able to trade or sell most of them for a profit when I returned to collecting a few years ago.
The good news is it's hard to really go wrong. Most of the major pre-war sets are going to hold their value, so even if he started out getting a bunch of low-grade T206 and then changed his focus, he could get his money back when he sells them. Good luck, whatever he chooses!
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