Once again, it is time for school to be back in session and that includes first-year college students. If you have a student that is headed off to the local university, and they are currently on your auto insurance policy as an insured driver, you both may have some questions concerning their coverage once they leave home.There are a few things that parents of college-age kids need to be aware of when it comes to auto insurance. Those include the potential discounts your student could be eligible for, which may cause your premium to go down. You should also find out if any changes need to be made to your policy, such as the garaging address if your child is going to school in a different state.
Can You Keep a Child on Your Auto Insurance Policy Once They Leave for College?You may have mixed feelings about your child leaving home to be an independent college student, but there is one thing for sure, you always want them to be protected while they are on the road. But can you still have your child on your current
car insurance policy if they are no longer living with you 365 days a year?The answer is, yes you can. And you can even keep your child on your policy also if they don’t take your car with them when they leave.
Reasons Why You Should Keep Your College-Age Child on Your Auto Insurance Plan - They will have coverage any time they return home for a visit and want to use the car.
- They will have protection if they are driving their friend’s car while they are away at school, even if that vehicle does not have adequate insurance.
- They can have security and coverage if they are struck by a car while walking or riding a bike, or if they are a passenger in someone else’s car during an accident.
- Keeping your child on your car insurance policy will help them maintain continuous coverage, which can be helpful when they decide to get their auto insurance plan.
Additional Benefits of Keeping Your College Student on your Auto Policy Sometimes an auto insurance company will offer other discounts to student drivers. Your child may be eligible for a Good Student discount if they keep their grade point average up. Or they may qualify for a Distant Student Discount if they are attending school in another state. These discounts vary from one insurance provider to the next, so be sure to ask an agent if your student is eligible for any discounts.
College Students Who Take Their Car to College If you paid for your child’s auto insurance policy on their car while they were in high school, you could still keep them and their vehicle on your plan when they leave for college. And it is often the best choice for college students since it is generally more expensive for younger drivers to take out their policy than it is to stay on their parent’s insurance plan.The only reason why your student would need to get their auto insurance policy is if the title of the car they are using is in their name.
What If Your Child Lends Their Car to a Roommate or Friend?If your child lends their car out to a friend, and that person
gets into an accident, whose insurance would cover the damages? The main thing that you need to remember about this type of situation is that insurance policies cover the vehicle more than the driver.That means when you lend your vehicle to another driver; you are also loaning out your insurance coverage with it. Generally, there is nothing wrong with loaning a car to someone in need but always use your own judgment. If the person is loyal and trustworthy, you shouldn’t have any issues. Just keep in mind that you could end up with a claim that will remain on your record if that person ends up in an accident.
What You Need to Do to Ensure Your Child Remains Fully Protected If your child takes a car to school that is already on your auto insurance policy, you will need to let your insurance provider know about the change in the garaging address. Doing so could even help save you money with some providers if your child is attending school in a lower populated part of the state.A full-time college student can remain on their parent’s auto insurance policy if their primary address is still their parent’s residence. This is true even if they are attending school in another state. Just be sure that your auto policy meets the minimum insurance requirements for the state they are attending an out-of-state college since it could be different from your state.
Contact Demont Insurance Today to Learn More About Auto Coverage for your College StudentTo learn more about auto insurance coverage for your new college student, contact the experts at
Demont Insurance Agency at (850) 942-7760. Our licensed insurance experts will be happy to answer any questions you have.
