Student Travel Insurance Tips
Read these 9 Student Travel Insurance Tips tips to make your life smarter, better, faster and wiser. Each tip is approved by our Editors and created by expert writers so great we call them Gurus. LifeTips is the place to go when you need to know about Educational Travel tips and hundreds of other topics.
The Necessity of Travelers Insurance
Students who are traveling on educational travel tours or holiday trips for spring break or summer vacation should always have traveler insurance. This is because it is impossible to predict what will go wrong on a trip. Some examples of things that might affect a trip are:
- sudden family illness which means that the educational travel tour must be cancelled
- the student gets ill before traveling and has to cancel the trip
- flights are delayed or rerouted, resulting in missed connections and lost time
- travelers get ill and have to be hospitalized in the destination country
- student travelers get mugged while on holiday
- students get injured while doing a sport on holiday
- students' digital camera or laptop gets stolen
All of these are events that could easily happen. A student traveler insurance policy would provide some protection against these events. Talk to your travel company, educational tour company or insurance company for more information on purchasing travel insurance.
Student Travel On The Cheap
Cheap student travel insurance is available from a number of sources. Travel insurance can often be bought when booking an educational travel tour or student trip. Cheap student travel insurance is also available online. There are many insurance companies that specialize in insurance for students. They offer competitive insurance quotations because they know that many students do not have a lot of money. To find cheap student travel insurance, do an Internet search. It is also worth visiting an insurance comparison site to look for the best student travel insurance deals.
Student Travel Insurance For Loss
Some student travel insurance policies cover students against loss of their possessions. Possessions that might be covered include baggage, though some insurers require additional insurance for this. Student traveler insurance might also cover passport replacement costs and stolen money. Some student travel insurance policies also cover medical treatment if students are injured while being mugged or attacked. Whether this benefit is available depends on the level of cover the student has paid for. Read your traveler insurance plan carefully and familiarize yourself with the policy you purchased.
Picking A Traveler Insurance Policy
There are many types of traveler insurance policies for students. What is covered and the amount covered depends on the particular policy. Student traveler insurance policies are likely to be of three main types:
- an insurance policy to cover a single educational travel tour or holiday trip
- an insurance policy which covers students who are living abroad before starting college or university
- an insurance policy which covers students who are traveling to different locations around the world, such as backpackers.
Students should decide which type of policy best suits the type of travel they will be doing before taking out traveler insurance. It is also worth comparing traveler insurance policies online or offline to see which one offers the most cover at the best price.
Cover Yourself For Student Travel
Student travel insurance covers a range of situations, depending on the type of policy and the level of cover selected. Most student travel insurance policies insure students against loss of or damage to belongings, cancellation of trips and medical emergencies. Most insurance companies offer different levels of cover depending on how much the insured is willing to pay. For example, a basic student travel insurance policy might:
- provide coverage up to a certain sum
- provide a partial refund if an educational travel tour is cancelled or cut short
- help with the cost of a flight back home
- provide expenses in case there is a delay.
In comparison, a comprehensive student travel insurance policy might:
- provide a high level of financial coverage
- pay for a family member to travel out in case of illness
- cover a return ticket in case of illness or emergency
- provide emergency money in case of baggage loss
- reimburse travel expenses
With all student travel insurance policies it is advisable to read the terms and conditions to make sure that coverage is appropriate to the likely circumstances of travel.
Traveler Insurance Explained
As a student, the type of traveler insurance you need will depend on the type of trip you are taking, the location you will be visiting and the duration of the trip. To start with, students may need to decide between single trip and multi trip traveler insurance. There are also traveler insurance policies to cover students who plan to visit different countries for different lengths of time. Some insurance providers also provide specialist traveler insurance. Some examples are:
- traveler insurance to cover students who only need insurance for flights. This type of insurance is likely to cover travel for a limited duration, loss of luggage and cancellation or curtailment of flights.
- traveler insurance for those who are studying abroad. This might include cover for a laptop, PC, camera or other study-related electronic device
- coverage for students planning a skiing trip. This type of traveler insurance policy can cover a range of winter sports and activities, as well as equipment, emergency medical care and a lack of snow.
- traveler insurance policies for extreme sports such as abseiling and microlighting.
Many traveler insurance policies have conditions and exclusions, so it is worth reading these carefully to make sure the level of insurance cover is appropriate for the chosen activity.
Search And Rescue
As well as the standard cover for illness, medical care, injury, theft and changes to bookings, student travel insurance can cover a range of unusual circumstances. For example, some student travel insurance policies cover students who get lost. This may happen if students are traveling in an area they don't know well. A student travel insurance policy can ensure that a search and rescue operation takes place.
Some student travel insurance policies also cover students who need legal help. This might occur if students accidentally damage someone's property or injure someone. Not all these benefits are available with basic student travel insurance policies, so it is worth reading the fine print to see what is covered and what is excluded.
Covering Cancellations With Student Travel Insurance
With student travel insurance, it is important to make sure that two sets of circumstances are covered. The first is the cancellation of the trip, rerouting of flights and missed connections caused by trip organizers or others. Many student travel insurance policies provide some level of refund to cover these circumstances.
There are also occasions when students may need to cancel or curtail trips themselves. This can be because of accident, illness or bereavement. Some insurance policies provide cover to allow students to return home early in those circumstances. The level of cover depends on the type of student travel insurance taken out.
Insure Against Illness
Most student travel insurance policies provide a level of cover against illness. Typical medical cover on a student travel insurance policy might include:
- paying medical bills in case of accident or medical emergency
- paying for hospitalization or care in a medical facility
- dental treatment for emergencies
- travel and accommodation for a companion if the person covered is ill
- flights home if needed
- funeral costs
The extent to which these items are covered will depend on the level of cover taken out. Basic policies may only cover some of the items listed above. There may also be a ceiling on how much the student travel insurance company will spend on each item.
| Guru Spotlight |
| Lynne Christen |
