7 Insurance Tips for College Students
September 18, 2025There isn’t necessarily “college student insurance.” But, there are specific insurance coverages and considerations for college students, and you can work with your insurance agent to get the right coverage college students need. Here are some insurance tips for college students:
- Make sure your belongings are covered.
- Increase policy limits or obtain additional coverage, if needed.
- Create a personal property inventory list.
- Ensure college students have liability coverage, too.
- Check your auto insurance coverage.
- Determine whether students will need their own health insurance.
- Consider life insurance.
1. Make Sure Your Belongings Are Covered
Insurance protection for personal belongings is one of the insurance considerations for college students that is often overlooked. It’s easy to assume that property in student dorms is protected, but this may not always be the case.
It’s essential to review your existing homeowner’s insurance or renter’s insurance policy to understand:
- What coverage is currently on your policy
- If any coverage will extend to students at college
- Amounts, limits, and exclusions associated with that coverage
In some cases, there may be some protection for personal property away from the premises, but this is not a guarantee, and there are likely limits on that coverage. For example, some homeowner’s insurance policies will include protection for personal property away from the premises based on a base amount or percentage of the Contents (Coverage C).
If your current policy offers a base amount of 10% of the Contents for personal property away from the premises, this could amount to coverage for a college student’s belongings for up to 10% of the household’s total contents coverage. This would provide some protection for a college student’s personal belongings in their dorm room or on-campus apartment, provided it is enough to cover the value of the property.
2. Increase Policy Limits or Obtain Additional Coverage, If Needed
Even if there is some coverage for property in the dorm on existing policies, there will likely be limits on it. If the limit does not adequately cover the value of that property or does not apply to your situation, you will want to increase the limit or obtain additional coverage. For some high-value items, a personal property floater or a stand-alone policy may make more sense for adequate coverage.
In some situations, it may make more sense for the student to obtain renter’s insurance to adequately cover their belongings. This can apply to students living in dorms or campus housing, but tends to be more common when the student is living off-campus.
3. Create a Personal Property Inventory List
If your college student doesn’t already have a personal property inventory list, creating one for what they’ll be taking with them to campus is a great place to start. Not only will this help them get started with an inventory that can grow and update with them, but it will also help them determine and keep track of the value of that property.
If they already have a personal property inventory list, it is still useful to create a specific “dorm inventory” list of the items that will be going to college with them. This is a good opportunity to update or add details for items already accounted for in an inventory, remove items that are no longer owned, and add anything new that has been acquired.
This information can also be used to make sure insurance policies have adequate coverage and limits for the value of the property. Plus, if anything were to happen while on campus, detailed property inventory lists can help settle claims faster and help ensure that you are fully reimbursed for the loss, per the terms of your policy.
4. Ensure College Students Have Liability Coverage, Too
Similar to property coverage, there may be liability coverage on existing policies that extends to a college student. Provided they are a resident of your home and are just temporarily on campus for the school year, this is coverage that would apply if someone were to get injured in your student’s dorm room, they damaged someone else’s property, or there were claims made against your child that require legal intervention.
However, here, too, there may be exclusions for certain situations, there may be limits, and it may not apply to students in off-campus housing. Especially for college students in off-campus housing, a good renter’s insurance policy is usually a better option for property and liability coverage during the semester.
Depending on the student’s situation and the existing policies in place, it may make sense to increase limits, add riders or endorsements, or obtain additional policies. This could be a separate renter’s policy for the college student and/or umbrella insurance to help fill potential coverage gaps.
5. Check Your Auto Insurance Coverage
Regardless of whether your college student’s car goes with them to campus or stays at home with you, it will need auto insurance. Even cars that are in storage usually need to be insured. Either way, you will want to talk to your insurance agent about your current auto policy and coverage.
If the car stays with you while your college student is away and will be driven less often, you could see a temporary decrease in your premium for that time. If the car will be going with your student to college, your insurance agent will need to be aware and your policy adjusted accordingly, if needed. Depending on the location of the school and other factors, your rate may be affected.
If your student is taking their car to school, make sure your existing auto insurance policy:
- Covers out-of-state driving
- Provides or covers roadside assistance
- Has adequate towing coverage
Also, check with your insurance agent about any “good student discounts” or other potential discounts your student may be eligible for. It could even make sense for your student to obtain their own auto policy. Your insurance agent will be able to walk you through your current coverage and help you determine the best next steps for your situation.
6. Determine Whether Students Will Need Their Own Health Insurance
Although children can usually be covered on their parents’ health insurance policies until they are 26, there are other health insurance considerations for college students. Depending on the health insurance plan type and specific details, college students in other locations and states can run into limits on coverage for certain services, high deductibles on care, issues with providers being out-of-network, and more.
Make sure you understand what is and isn’t covered by your current health insurance when it comes to your college student. The insurance contact for your health insurance might be different from who you go to for your homeowner’s insurance, but it’s still a good idea to reach out to them if you need to. Depending on your situation, it may make more sense to look at the health insurance options provided by the college for students or obtain a separate policy for the student.
7. Consider Life Insurance
Part of obtaining insurance is preparing for the worst and hoping you never have to use it. Should something happen to you or your child, life insurance policies can help ease the funeral costs and financial burdens that can follow for the surviving family members.
If a parent is helping a child pay for college, it can be worth considering a term life insurance policy for the time the child will be attending school. Should something happen to the parent before the student graduates, funds from the life insurance policy can help a student continue to pay for tuition and stay in school.
If a student is taking out their own loans or taking on loans to help with tuition, it can be worth considering a term life insurance policy in their name for the time they will be in college. Should something happen to them before the loans are paid in full, funds from the life insurance policy can help pay off that balance.
Get the Insurance You Need on Campus
These are a few insurance tips for college students. The right policies and limits will depend on your specific situation. Your insurance agent can work through the details with you and help you make sure you have the coverage you need. If you need to review your insurance policy or need to explore new coverage options, contact Ruhl Insurance, a Division of Horst Insurance, at 717-665-2283 or 800-537-6880.
Disclaimer: Information and claims presented in this content are meant for informative, illustrative purposes and should not be considered legally binding.