During this time of year, Langlois Insurance Agency receives many phone calls from anxious parents who are sending their kids off to college. They have so many worries – the cost of room & board, how crazy expensive the textbooks are, the overall safety of the college campus, just to name a few. They are also worried about how this life change can affect their insurance. Here are some common questions that I often hear from parents as they send their kids off to college:

Will my child still be covered under my auto insurance policy?

College students are normally covered under their parents’ auto insurance policy, as long as they reside with their parents when they aren’t at school (ex. summer break). As always, please review your specific policy to confirm.

Will I see my auto insurance rates increase?

The short answer to this is “it depends”.

Rates may increase – or decrease – depending on the driving habits of the student. For example, if the student is driving the car in an urban-located school, you may see your rates increase. This is because drivers in urban locations generally pay more for insurance than those in rural areas.

On the flip side, if the student leaves the car at home versus bringing it to school, you may see a decrease in your insurance rates. I have seen rate decreases for college students called a “distant student discount”, which is for a student who is at a college at least 100 miles away and chooses to leave their car at home. As always, please review your specific policy to confirm.

(Check out this bad boy above – the car that I took to college back in the day.  It’s a classic beauty.)

Are there any “good student” discounts available?

You now have another excellent reason to push your student to study hard since students with good grades may qualify for a “good student” discount. As always, if you have a child either in college, or about to head off to college, please contact Langlois Insurance Agency to review your individual policy.

Will my homeowner’s insurance policy cover my student’s belongings if they live off campus?

If your child is living off campus, you may want to purchase a renter’s insurance policy for them. Renters’ insurance protects your student’s personal property and provides most of the benefits of home insurance, including liability insurance. However, it does not protect the dwelling or structure of the dwelling itself, which is the landlord’s responsibility to insure.

Our carriers can protect your college student and their property against the following:
Fire
Theft
Vandalism
Liability if someone is hurt or accrues damage to personal property in their rental home
Additional living expenses (ex. If your child has to live somewhere else while the home is being repaired)

As always, please don’t hesitate to give me a call if you have any questions regarding your child’s insurance coverage.  I always love to hear from my customers!

Warmest Regards,

Matt Langlois