Is Your Student Covered on Campus? by Mapfre Insurance

​As college campuses come back to life this month with students moving into the dorms, registering for classes and enjoying freedom away from home, they’re probably not giving much thought to car and property insurance.  Morgan Martini certainly wasn’t, and she paid a price.  She went to brunch with her friends and returned to a surprise in her dorm. “I was planning on finishing a lab report that afternoon, and needed my laptop. I realized almost immediately that it was missing,” she said.  Morgan reported the theft to the college and the police, but never saw the laptop again.

So how should college students and their parents protect themselves against things like thefts and car accidents while away at school?  You can take some preventive measures.

• Invest in a laptop lock in case the student leaves a computer unattended. Best way to ensure against theft is to secure it.

• Even if the student isn’t bringing a car to campus, parents should opt to keep their student as a driver on their policy. If your student drives a friend’s car and has an accident you’ll want to make sure he or she is covered. If you do take the student off the policy, it’s important to add them back onto the policy upon their return home before they operate the vehicle, even if it’s just for a weekend visit.

• Families might also explore if they can benefit from a student away discount and good student discount for their college-aged driver.

• Since identity theft occurs at a greater rate for young adults ages, 16-24 years-old, it’s worth exploring identity theft coverage.

Carrying that dorm room fridge up three flights can be heavy lifting. Making sure your college student is covered doesn’t need to be.