Planning a trip as a student is fun – be it a study-abroad program, a gap year, or just a short holiday – but don’t forget to get student travel insurance. Travel can be unpredictable, and having the right insurance will help you avoid a whole lot of pain if things go wrong. So, what should you know about student travel insurance? Here’s a simple overview.
Why Do You Need Student Travel Insurance?
“Do I really need insurance for my travel?” you might ask. The short answer is: yes, you really do. You can never tell when you’ll have to cancel a trip, lose some luggage, or land yourself in the hospital with no way to pay the bills. You might find yourself in a country where your insurance policy won’t be accepted or facing a language barrier in the middle of nowhere. Student travel insurance covers you for all these scenarios and more, leaving you free to explore without a care in the world.
What Does Student Travel Insurance Cover?
Although every travel insurance policy is different, most provide coverage in at least a few of the essential areas most important for students.
1. Medical Emergencies
Having medical coverage is, without a doubt, one of the prime reasons to get travel insurance. If you fall ill or get injured while on holiday, insurance will help cover costs for medical treatment, hospital, and even emergency transport out of the country. Without it, you may face large medical bills that can be financially crippling.
2. Trip Cancellations and Interruptions
Things happen. You might fall ill, a family member gets sick or dies, or another emergency erupts. In these cases, travel insurance might reimburse you for trip costs that you can’t get back, such as a non-refundable airfare. Other policies might cover interruptions, meaning you can be reimbursed for cutting your trip short.
3. Lost or Delayed Baggage
There’s nothing more frustrating than arriving at your destination and finding out that your luggage didn’t make the journey with you. Travel insurance can help cover the cost of replacing essential items such as clothes and toiletries if your bags are delayed or misplaced.
What if your luggage gets delayed while you travel, and you won’t have access to your laptop? For a student, this can mean the inability to complete assignments. If this ever happened to you, you may have thought, “I need someone to do my coursework”. That’s when you need to have a phone number for a writing service. Try UKWritings, as their experts are always available and understanding.
4. Personal Liability
You never know when a misstep might lead to an unfortunate accident, and being thousands of miles away from home might not afford you the same legal protections you would normally enjoy. Personal liability coverage might help protect you from the costs of hiring a lawyer or covering a claim for bodily injury or property damage on someone else’s behalf.
5. Repatriation
The lowest level of repatriation coverage will ensure that you get home if you have a serious medical emergency or, sometimes, if you die abroad. Nobody wants to plan for these events, but getting this kind of protection in place is one of the most important things you can do.
How to Choose the Right Student Travel Insurance Policy
Whether you’re going abroad on a weekend vacation or to finish your education, there’s a travel insurance policy to suit your needs. Here’s what you need to consider if you’re looking for the right policy for your trip.
1. Trip Length and Destination
Are you traveling for a month on holiday or for a semester or year to study abroad? If it’s the latter, then a longer policy will be required. Ensure that the countries you visit are covered under your policy, and note any particular exclusions for certain destinations.
2. What Activities Are Covered?
Thinking of skiing, scuba diving, or doing any other adventure activity? Basic travel insurance is unlikely to cover them. If you plan to participate in extreme sports or activities while away, check that your insurance plan includes coverage. Otherwise, you could be left out of pocket in case of an accident.
3. Existing Medical Conditions
If you have a pre-existing medical condition, check that it’s covered. Some insurers don’t cover pre-existing conditions, while others might if you notify them in advance.
4. Coverage Limits
Check the ‘maximum coverage’ amounts (medical expenses, personal liability, etc.), as you don’t want to be caught short if you fall ill or need to make a claim, and it’s always a good idea to err on the side of too much, rather than too little.
When Should You Buy Travel Insurance?
You should purchase travel insurance as soon as you book a trip: it will cover you for cancellation or any other problems you encounter pre-departure, and some policies include benefits that apply only if you buy the insurance within a set time after you book your trip.
Get Covered, Travel Confidently
Travel is an unpredictable beast, and while most trips go without a hitch, sometimes things go awry, and you need to be covered. Student travel insurance isn’t just an extra fee – it is an investment in your well-being. From medical emergencies to lost luggage, the right insurance gives you that safety net that allows you to enjoy the fun part of your trip without obsessing over the bad things that could happen. So, before you jet off on your next holiday, make sure you pack your insurance. Safe travels!
