Cover at university

To what extent does your house insurance policy cover your offspring whilst at university?

When your offspring are heading off to university of the first time there are a million and one things to worry about; house insurance may be the last thing on your mind but that doesn’t make it any less important.

Do you need insurance at university?

The short answer is yes you do especially as many students take high value electrical equipment with them to university such as computers, mp3 players and mobile phones. Living in shared accommodation such as halls of residence or student houses also increases the risk of burglary.

Does my house insurance cover my offspring at university?

Many house insurance policies do cover family members at university, however, some do not. The best advice is simply to check with your provider; it is also important to note that some insurance companies will only cover students under certain circumstances, e.g. if they stay in a room that has a lock on it, or if they do not keep valuables in communal areas.

It is also important to check if your policy will cover high value items such as personal computers. It may be the case that for such items additional cover may have to be taken out.

What to do if my policy won’t cover my offspring at university

Not to fear; there are many reasonably priced student insurance packages out there that will provide contents insurance for students living in rented accommodation. As with any form of home insurance the key is to shop around; get quotes from as many potential suppliers as possible and take a closer look at the terms and conditions of those which fall inside your budget.

As with full house insurance packages it is important to be flexible; if a particular provider is just above your budget but provides a service that seems right for you, it might be worth the extra cost for the additional piece of mind it will provide.