College life has many risks – this year don’t be a statistic and make sure you’re protected heading into this school year. There are many ways to ensure you will have a safe, healthy semester. Here are four risk areas where you may be vulnerable and ideas on how you can protect yourself!
1. Protecting Your Stuff
You bring a lot of stuff with you to college, as well as some pretty expensive items. Your laptop, smartphone and bike can add up. What if one or all of those was stolen or damaged? You’re looking at a hefty price tag to replace those items, and likely on a college budget.
Being diligent about protecting your stuff can help – always lock your door, never leave your things unattended, avoid bringing valuables to school and stow your belongings safely to keep them in top condition. You may also want to look into engraving certain belongings and getting a lock for your bike and laptop, as well as a safe for any valuables you must bring along.
Besides taking good care of your possessions at school, consider insurance to help you protect your belongings. Talk with your parents to see if they have a homeowners insurance plan that will cover you, and if it makes sense for your family to use that as your financial protection for your things while at school. Consider the deductibles as they compare to the cost of your more expensive college necessities as well as whether a claim filed for your belongings would affect their premium. If you do not qualify under their coverage or decide it’s not a good fit, consider renters insurance.
2. Protecting Your Health
Hopefully you’ll have a happy and healthy school year, so make sure to take care of yourself! Ensuring that you get enough sleep, enough water, eat right and take time to relax and de-stress will go a long way to staying healthy at school. Taking care to wash your hands and maintain proper hygiene and cleanliness in the dorms will help you fend off germs and lower your chances of catching something going around the dorms, like the flu or a cold.
In addition to healthy habits, health insurance can help students protect themselves from the costs of healthcare should an illness or injury occur. Talk with your parents and an insurance agent to determine what kind of plan is right for you – if you’re under 26 you may opt to stay on your parent’s plan, your school may offer a plan or you may be eligible to enroll via the health insurance Marketplace.
3. Protecting Your Tuition Dollars
For many families, college is a large investment. Many families also don’t know much about the details of their school’s refund policy in the event of a medical withdrawal from school. Accidents, illness and mental illnesses can be disruptive to a students’ education, and many schools do not refund 100% of tuition after a few weeks into the semester. Tuition refund insurance can help complement a school’s refund policy if you are forced to withdraw for medical reasons.
4. Protecting Yourself on the Move
Travel is a part of life for many college students – whether it’s commuting, traveling away to school or studying abroad. There are many different types of insurance and benefits that can help students protect themselves while traveling or while away. Some protections to consider are travel insurance for trips, emergency medical evacuation if you’re traveling somewhere remote, family emergency travel protection if you’re far from home and roadside assistance if you have a car on campus. Some student benefit plans combine many of these protections in one product, like the Student Protection Plan.
How do you stay safe at school?
