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When a student leaves for college, a lot changes at home, and your car insurance can too. Many parents assume nothing needs to be done. Others take the student off the policy to save money and regret it later. The right move depends mostly on one question: does the car go to campus or not?
Here is a simple way to think it through, plus the discounts worth asking about.
Consumer guides generally say that most college students can stay on a parent’s policy, as long as they have not moved out permanently, and that this is usually cheaper than a separate policy. Students who drive a parent’s car at home on weekends and holidays should usually stay listed. Progressive, for example, says it requires students who occasionally drive the family cars to stay on the parents’ policy.
A student who owns a car in their own name or has moved out for good may need their own policy.
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Your privacy and security are important.Often called a distant student discount. Ask how your insurer defines it.
Many insurers ask for a B average or better, along with a proof of grades.
If it does, tell your insurer so the address and use are right.
Check before you drop a driver. Gaps in cover can cause problems.
Rates vary from one insurer to another. Compare several offers side by side and choose the coverage that fits your budget.
Compare Quotes NowSeveral insurance sources describe the same pattern. The discount usually applies when a full-time student attends school roughly 100 miles or more from home and does not take a car. Some insurers also set an age limit, often in the low twenties. It is not applied automatically, so you have to ask, and even customer service reps do not always know about it.
Then the discount generally does not apply, and you should tell your insurer. Advice from insurance agents is to update the garaging address if the car will be kept at the college. Otherwise, the policy may be written with the wrong information, which could cause trouble with a claim.
There is usually no need to change the garaging address. Many families keep the student on the policy so they are covered when they come home, and use the away-at-school discount where available.
Coverage rules vary. Ask your insurer how your policy treats borrowed cars so you know where you stand.
Before the semester starts. That way any discount or change starts on time.
If your student is also buying a first car, see our first car insurance guide, and for savings ideas read about auto insurance discounts.
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