INSURANCE FOR COLLEGE STUDENTS
Heading off to college is an adventure. However, the adventure should not include unpleasant surprises about insurance against auto accidents, or the loss or destruction of personal property.
Here are some things you should know about insurance coverage before you leave for school.
Automobile
If your parents auto policy covers children now, it will provide the same coverage while you are away at school in the United States, Puerto Rico or Canada.
Your parents’ auto liability insurance policy will cover any accident for which you might be held responsible while driving somebody else’s car, up to the policy’s dollar limits. The liability policy covering the car driven generally must pay first. Your parents’ policy will pay for expenses in excess of those paid by the policy on the non-owned car you were driving. However, your parents’ policy will pay on a primary basis for damage to the non-owned car itself.
Several insurance companies offer “student away at school” premium discounts when you are covered by a policy attending college, away from home without a car. Some companies offer 10 percent discounts to college students classified as “youthful drivers” who maintain grade averages of at least “B” or 3.0 on a 4.0 scale. Your parents’ agent can tell them if their company offers this discount.
Personal Property
A student’s personal property -- clothing, bicycle, musical instruments, computer equipment, stereo, etc. – can be expensive to replace if damaged, destroyed or stolen.
Your parents’ home insurance policy automatically covers the personal property of dependents temporarily living away from home. The coverage is limited to 10 percent of the personal property coverage provided by the parent’s policy. If your parents have $70,000 in personal property coverage, for example, the policy will replace your property up to $7,000. There are certain exceptions, so it’s a good idea for your parents to talk to their insurance company or agent about coverage for your personal property away from home.
If you should need more personal property coverage than what your parent’s policy affords, an option is to buy a separate renters policy. Premiums for these policies average approximately $20 per month.
Source: Texas Department of Insurance
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