Recommendation to Purchase College Insurance

evolving
Wed, 03 Aug 2011 23:59:46 +0000

Hi, NYU Students and Parents (this applies to other colleges as well),

I recommend that you purchase insurance for yourself (if a student) or your child(ren) in college (if a parent).

For a nominal amount, the college student’s valuables can be brought to college insured and you can have peace of mind.

Case in point: I was hanging onto my S’s Ipad when he went out of town with the intention of getting it back to him upon his return to NYC. Lo and behold, it was mom who got the Ipad stolen at a McDonald’s while being distracted with picking up a straw from a holder away from the cashier’s counter. (Bad mommy. ) Ipad was picked up by a worker there and she claimed she gave it to a guy when he came in asking for it half an hour later without requiring him to show ID of any form. It was a higher end Ipad worth $1000 (with accessories).

S’s insurance company took care of it, no problem whatsoever (as long as you have receipts and a police report for stolen items).

Also, a cautionary tale: S’s friends rented a cheaper apt. in Brooklyn, but unfortunately brought “acquaintances” back to the apt from the neighborhood who proceeded to clear out all valuables from the apt, including a TV, laptops and other stuff in the apt. The students, unfortunately, did not carry insurance and they lost a chunk of money, making the cheaper apt not so cheap after all.

We use CSI, which is a reputable company with fast service and replacement value for item(s) lost. You pay a deductible amount that you choose. The premium for the insurance depends on the location of the school and the dept. you are studying in. For instance, it costs a little more to buy insurance for NYU Tisch photography students since they have valuable equipment to be insured.

We bought a plan covering up to $6000/ year (average recommended for college student is $5000 or less, depending on what the student brings to school). The premium we paid for S’s freshman year was $105? or thereabouts. The deductible was $25 for our plan. It really brought ease of mind for me when S went off to college with musical instruments, laptop, and other electronics. We obviously got our money’s worth because we were reimbursed for practically the entire replacement cost of the Ipad minus $25 deductible.

Also, for students studying abroad, the insurance can be purchased to cover items brought with the student overseas. This insurance is a great product and service to consider. I really highly recommend this whether you go with CSI or another reputable company!

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