By Madeline Klein on August 31, 2018 in Insurance Basics
If your kid goes to college away from home, they tend to drive a lot. They’ll come home for winter and summer breaks, but also for those random weekends when they’re missing home or need to do some laundry for free. But they come home to see you too, of course!
If you decide to send your kid to college with a car, you’ll want to do a review of their car insurance to make sure it’s up to par for these regular road trips. They’re still young drivers who are part of the greatest proportion of distracted drivers, so ensuring your coverage can stand up to their traveling will help provide you with some peace of mind.
Keep your insurance provider up-to-date
Tell your insurance provider about the change. Some may require students to get their own policy, but really the insurance company needs to know where the vehicle is primarily located. Plus, if you are going out of state, there may be different minimums required in the new location.
If your college student is renting or living in a dorm temporarily at school, they can most likely stay on your insurance policy. Check with your insurance provider to be sure.
Should your college student get their own insurance policy?
It is likely a bit cheaper if they stay on your policy. And with all the other expenses for college, you may prefer to do that.
However, we all know young drivers are a little reckless compared to more experienced drivers. Any accidents your young driver gets in could potentially increase your whole family’s premium and lead to higher rates. Having them on a separate policy could help protect your family’s cost from going up.
Best car insurance for college students - what types of coverages do they need?
Roadside Assistance: This service is one of the most important ones for a college student who is driving home often. Roadside Assistance will ensure a student can get help if they break down, whether they were driving with friends around their college town or headed home for summer break with all their stuff in their car. Some providers, like Say, will include Roadside Assistance in their policies at no extra cost. So you’ll have no reason not to include this service.
Comprehensive: Comprehensive coverage will be useful if their car will be parked outside for the majority of the time. And that’s the case for a lot of college students because most colleges have large parking lots that aren't covered.
Comprehensive coverage will keep their car safe from any acts of God, like hail. It also protects from vandalism or theft. You can never be too safe on a college campus.
Collision: This coverage will help pay to fix or replace your student’s vehicle after an accident, and it doesn’t matter who was at fault. Because colleges are full of young, less experienced drivers, this may help save your wallet if your student does get into an accident.
Liability: Liability coverage helps pay for the damages your driver may cause to others and their property in an accident. It includes both Bodily Injury and Property Damage. Having this coverage means you won’t have to pay the full cost of the accident out of pocket if your young driver does happen to make a mistake and cause a lot of damage to another person or their property.
What are the best cars for college students?
You’ll want to make sure you send your kid off into the world with a safe, reliable vehicle they can count on. After all, if they have a reliable car, that means they can come home to visit more often, right?
Key features of good cars for college students:
- Safety ratings
- Gas mileage
- Cargo space
- Maintenance costs
We’ve gone into detail about some of the best cars for college students here, but basically, you’ll want cars with an excellent safety rating that will hold up well over time.
Your college student will have a lot going on while in school, so ensuring they have the best car insurance for college will keep them safe and covered. And it means they won’t have an excuse not to come home to see you!