Insurance and Your Student’s Stuff at College

Now that your college student, or students, are well into their academic year, you might be wondering about the stuff you dropped off with them. There’s the clothes, table lamps, and, front of mind, the laptop.

What if something’s stolen? According to the Insurance Information Institute, approximately 50 percent of all on-campus crimes are burglaries.

Also, what if there’s a fire in the dorm or apartment they’re living in? Are they covered on your homeowners insurance policy?

The first question that comes to mind is whether your son or daughter is an insured while away at school. The answer is that they are, as long as they are under 24 years of age.

But what about covered property on campus? Your student’s stuff is covered for the perils of your homeowners policy. The coverage amount is 10% of your limit of liability for Coverage C, Contents. As you can see, that should be enough to cover your child’s property.

If the student lives off campus in an apartment, call us to see if your policy extends to off-campus living situations.

Property Loss Prevention for Students Away at College

The Insurance Information Institute offers good advice for students to prevent costly losses in the first place.

Leave valuables at home. Why risk loss of your more expensive things? Leave jewelry, luxury watches, or high end electronics behind.

Create a dorm inventory. Write down each item that your student has taken. This will be especially helpful if it gets lost in a major fire. Without an inventory kept at another place, you’ll have to remember everything that was lost. (An inventory of contents is also important for parents at home!)

Engrave electronics with IDs. Engrave your name and other identifying information on your student’s computers, television, smartphones and other devices. This will help police return them if they are able to find stolen items.

Always lock dorm room doors. See the campus burglary statistic above. And share that stat with roommates so they’ll also make sure the room is locked.

Don’t leave belongings unattended. The places where most thefts occur are classrooms, the dining hall, or other public places on campus. So students should keep their stuff with them at all times.

Get a laptop security cable. Dissuade a would-be thief with this inexpensive security measure.

Be careful with hot plates and microwaves. Late night studying often demands a snack. But be sure your child knows how to use cooking utensils safely. These can be a dangerous fire hazard.

As always, we encourage you to give us a call with your insurance questions. If we don’t have your homeowners insurance now, we’ll offer you a competitive quote. We’ll make sure you get the right coverages for the best price.

And we salute all Mohawk Valley students away at college. Good luck with your studies and enjoy your new friends and campus life!

Until next time,

Your SZW Team

SZW Insurance is your Utica area Trusted Choice™ independent insurance agent. Call us for a quote on insurance for your home, car, business, or life at 315.792.0000. Or request a quote here.