<p>So…we are considering for our two d’s. One is an undergraduate (in university housing). The other a graduate student in a university-owned graduate student apartment.</p>
<p>Anyone with experience in these things? (We can’t make it a rider on our own insurance, as our agency isn’t licensed to sell insurance in the places where the kids are going.</p>
<p>I buy the CSI policy for my daughter - [CSI</a> College Student Insurance Home](<a href=“http://www.collegestudentinsurance.com/]CSI”>http://www.collegestudentinsurance.com/)</p>
<p>Thanks. ;)</p>
<p>[CSI</a> College Student Insurance Home](<a href=“http://www.collegestudentinsurance.com/]CSI”>http://www.collegestudentinsurance.com/)</p>
<p>We have used this. OTOH, the 2 times we might have had a claim: D lost cell phone - not a theft, not damage, not covered. Someone stepped on D’s glasses - would have been covered but they were so old I couldn’t find receipt to claim damage. I still think it’s worth it and have renewed for next year. If the thing stepped on had been laptop, we would have had the receipt and been good.
Plus they have theft tracking software for your computer. Don’t have any experience with how well that works (and knock wood that we won’t!).</p>
<p>Would you actually have to have a receipt for everything? Furniture? Violin? etc.? That would pretty much rule out its usefulness for everything but the computer.</p>
<p>Are you sure your daughters aren’t covered under your homeowner’s policy?</p>
<p>Our homeowner’s policy covers our kids as long as they’re in university housing. No rider necessary.</p>
<p>At only 10% of the value of the parents’ insurance. So if a computer is covered for $2k at home, it is $200 in university housing. (or so our agent told us)</p>
<p>I was thinking one of those student property things for the younger one, and renters insurance for the one in the apartment. Does that make any sense?</p>
<p>Ages ago under another URL we investigated this issue primarily because of the then expensive computer, music instrument, and camera. Three alternatives: student property insurance, renters insurance, and rider on parent’s insurance. Of course the fourth course is to not get the insurance and assume the risk. The first year we opted for the student property insurance with a medium value deductible. All other years we decided to assume the risks. The cost of replacement for clothes, computer and camera became less and these things can be easily replaced.</p>
<p>I opted to get a family legal membership. A young male sometimes do silly and stupid things that involve something more than losing things. ( Renters insurance will also cover personal liability. )</p>
<p>We have a $1000 deductible. Homeowner’s insurance in the hail belt is a killer.</p>
<p>We used CSI. And we didn’t have to have receipts for everything. D didn’t have a receipt for her camera; they still covered it. And for the computer (damage), she just needed a copy of the first page of the owner’s manual. They just want some proof that the student actually owned the item claimed.</p>
<p>For the other things such as furniture or violin, take digital pictures to send with any claim; that sufficed for d’s camera. Have as much information about it as possible. </p>
<p>And the nice thing about CSI is that it provides replacement cost coverage, not purchase price (which is another reason that the receipt isn’t that big a deal) or depreciated value.</p>
<p>Would CSI coverage extend to a foreign country if a student is studying abroad?</p>
<p>
You may want to verify with a phone call (everyone has been very helpful when I’ve called), but it seems so.
[url=<a href=“http://www.collegestudentinsurance.com/faq.php#hochildprop]FAQ[/url”>http://www.collegestudentinsurance.com/faq.php#hochildprop]FAQ[/url</a>]</p>
<p>Oh - one more thing on the FAQ page, about violins and such:
</p>
<p>Thanks, Chevda. I will give them a call.</p>
<p>One other caveat–it turned out my homeowner’s insurance doesn’t cover students once they are over a certain age–I think it’s 23–OR if they are not claimed as a dependent on the parent’s federal tax return. This may not be true of any other company; I don’t know. However, for your older student, I’d check the small print.</p>
<p>Student insurance may be a better choice long term anyway, no sense making a small claim and having your personal HO rates go up. Most student claims are likely to be rather small anyway, so even if they are covered, it may be wiser long term to go with the renter’s policy</p>
<p>Can anyone explain why student insurance as opposed to renter’s insurance (this is for the older one, in an university-owned apartment)?</p>
<p>Mini, just read the policies to see what is covered. I honestly chose the student dorm insurance plan because it was underwritten by a reputable company and could be purchased in about 5 minutes online. Renter’s insurance will include liability as well as property damage, but probably costs more – it probably comes with a higher deductible but also covers a higher property value, since renters tend to own more stuff than students in dorm rooms. Here’s a link at an insurance site that has a basic explanation - [Renters</a> Insurance State Farm](<a href=“Get a Renters Insurance Quote Online & Buy Today - State Farm®”>Get a Renters Insurance Quote Online & Buy Today - State Farm®)</p>
<p>I know that you want to help your kid, but I really think that a graduate student going for a Ph.D. at an Ivy ought to be able to figure out the insurance thing on her own – why don’t you simply let your daughter do the insurance shopping, and you can tell her you will reimburse the premium? then she can make the choices she wants based on her own needs. I know that I was living in my own apartment, with renter’s insurance that I shopped for and paid for on my own, when I was about 20.</p>
<p>Renter’s insurance may not cover all accidents - for example, will it cover someone spilling coffee on the computer? Student insurance does. You can also get a smaller deductible - d’s was $50.</p>
<p>Renter’s insurance also carries a liability portion - if someone is hurt in the apartment, insurance covers it. In university-owned housing, is this something she’ll need?</p>