Is Your Child’s ‘Stuff’ Covered in the Dorm?

Your child is leaving the nest. The car is packed to the hilt and pointed toward campus. Among your concerns about tuition, courses, and when you will see your child next, have you considered the contents of your car? Will your student’s belongings be insured in his or her dorm?

While the contents of a dorm room often include secondhand furniture and repurposed thrift store items, among these there will probably be a few pricey electronic devices, gadgets, and gear. Chances are you (and your departing student) have been too busy to consider the importance of insuring these possessions. Homeowners or renters insurance policies usually cover your student’s belongings in the dorm, but here are a few things you may not have thought of:

• Check your policy. Confirm your student’s possessions are covered as part of your homeowners policy.
• Check your limits. Policies sometimes limit dorm coverage to 10% of the total, meaning a policy providing $150,000 coverage for possessions at your residence may only provide dorm room coverage up to $15,000. That may seem like a lot, but consider the replacement cost.
• Take inventory. Before it’s all crammed into the dorm room, make a detailed list, including values. Create a file including receipts for electronics and other high-end items in case you have to make a claim.
• Consider options and alternatives. While your homeowners policy may cover your student’s laptop from theft, it won’t replace it if it’s shorted out by a spilled Frappuccino. For individual items, consider riders or special warranties that protect against such accidental damage. And, of course, items such as heirlooms and expensive jewelry are better left at home.

When your child leaves home for college, the experience can be wrenching, exciting, busy, and frustrating. Make sure it’s not a bad one by insuring your student’s personal possessions before you start packing the car.