Amidst the emotional process known as, sending your children off to college, it is important to prioritize your child's safety. Whether your child is living in a dormitory or an off-campus apartment, it is essential you ensure they have the necessary coverage to account for their expensive belongings such as laptops, televisions, printers, jewelry, etc. An important question many parents with children heading to college often ask is if their homeowners insurance policy will cover their college student's possessions in the event of a loss.
Understanding A Student's Coverage at College:
- Students under 26 years old who live on-campus are usually covered under their parents' homeowners insurance policy, under "off-premise" coverage. Each policy is different, so be sure to refer to your homeowners insurance policy to understand your policy limits.
- Because of these limits, or if the student is living in off-campus housing such as renting an apartment or home, you may consider obtaining renters insurance. Renters policies cover their personal property in the event of a covered loss, such as damage from theft, fire, or any unexpected circumstance, which isn't covered by the landlord's or rental facilities insurance.
- Some items, like electronics, may have stand-alone insurance should they become stolen, lost, or damaged, depending on the warranty or the benefits used from the store or credit card at the time it was purchased.
Should you have questions or concerns about your family's insurance coverage and the implications of your child becoming a full-time college student, or to determine if additional/supplemental coverage or renter's insurance is needed, please contact your agent.
Ways to Lower Your Risk of Theft or Damage of Personal Belongings While on Campus:
- Leave valuables at home.
- Consider purchasing a small safe to store important documents or valuables.
- Do not access personal accounts on public computers.
- Purchase and use a laptop security cable.
- Take inventory of all the possessions your child plans on bringing to college, preferably with pictures and dollar estimates of the object's value. This will provide you an estimate of how much coverage your child will need and will come in handy should you need to file a claim.
We hope this information assists you in making important decisions while you send your children off to college. Should you have any questions in regards to your Edison Insurance policy, give us a call at 866-568-8922 or contact your agent.
