How to Purchase Student Travel Insurance

The educational experience at the high school and college level has increasingly been tied to travel. Students are encouraged by their professors and universities to head overseas to learn about new cultures in preparation for work in a global world. Whether you are traveling for study or fun, you should consider purchasing student travel insurance.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Things You’ll Need:

• Inventory of travel items
• Travel itinerary

1. Examine your health care policy to determine if medical coverage by travel insurance policies is a better option during your trip. If you get coverage through your parents, you will likely have sufficient coverage outside of travel insurance. You should add on coverage if you get short term insurance or coverage through your university.
2. Request quotes from student travel insurance providers based on the length of your travels. Providers have different programs for spring break vacations and semesters abroad, with a wide range of insurance premiums.
3. Buy your student travel insurance at least four weeks ahead of your trip to ensure sufficient coverage. Aspects of your insurance policy including business default or travel disruption require adequate lead time to arrange for new accommodations.
4. Make sure that you purchase a travel insurance policy with flight and travel disruption coverage. The constant threat of canceled and postponed flights as well as the uneven quality level of international carriers make this coverage a necessity.
5. Document each item that you will bring with you in your travels to purchase sufficient insurance. Insurance providers provide different tiers of coverage based on the value of your luggage to provide you with reimbursement or replacement at a fair rate.
6. Shop around for student travel companies that provide several avenues for customer service, no matter where you are in the world. The travel insurance you purchase should entitle you to 24-hour coverage with directory assistance and other travel planning tools available online or over the phone.
7. Organize fellow student travelers to purchase insurance policies at a group rate. Universities and individual travel groups are able to get reduced rates for each traveler if they provide a regular source of business for the insurance provider.

Tips & Warnings

• Investigate student insurance offerings through your university to find low rates. Universities often work with travel insurance providers if they have a high number of students going overseas on a regular basis. You can find lower rates and favored status by an insurance company unavailable through private travel insurance plans.