Students need to have the proper insurance coverage while in college.  Advice regarding the most common insurance issues is provided below:

HEALTH INSURANCE.  All colleges and universities require students to have some form of health insurance, either through their parents’ health plan or through a health insurance provider offered through the college.

If the medical coverage provided by your parents’ health plan is limited, consider purchasing the health plan offered by your college.   

DENTAL INSURANCE.  Make sure you have dental insurance while you’re living at college.  Locate dentists who accept your existing dental plan in your college’s town by contacting your dental insurance provider and asking for help.  Obtain the names, phone numbers, and locations of dentists who can tend to your dental needs while you’re away at college.

AUTOMOBILE INSURANCE.  A family’s automobile insurance should cover cars taken to college as long as the car is registered with a parent.  Check with your insurance provider.  If you are not taking a car to college, consider removing your name (the student) from the family insurance policy during the months you are away at college; this will reduce the insurance premium substantially.

RENTER’S INSURANCE.  Renter’s insurance is property insurance that protects students’ personal property brought to college (except for automobiles).  Several student possessions have high enough value to justify purchasing renter’s insurance (laptop computer, television, CD / DVD player, etc.), however, most homeowner’s insurance will cover student items up to 10% of the personal property limit on the parents’ policy ONLY WHEN STUDENTS LIVE IN THE COLLEGE RESIDENCE HALLS.

This means parent’s homeowner’s policy typically provides adequate coverage for the personal property of freshman students living on-campus.  Check your parents’ homeowner’s policy; it may be best to purchase renter’s insurance only when you live off-campus.