Landing in a new country for your further studies means a lot of things: a new campus, new friends, and a whole new start. But beneath all this lies uncertainty. What if you lose your baggage? What if you fall sick while staying in a foreign land? This is where having student travel insurance matters. From covering medical bills to reimbursing lost baggage expenses, it provides financial and mental support when students need it most.
What is Student Travel Insurance?
Simply put, student travel insurance is a specialised insurance product for students planning to study abroad. The best part? It covers both health and travel-related risks while students are in a foreign land.
A student trip insurance differs from regular travel insurance in terms of duration. For instance, the regular travel insurance is for shorter trips, whereas travel insurance for students generally covers months or even years.
In fact, for many universities in the US, UK, Australia, and Canada, students are required to have travel insurance.
Did you know?
To travel to any of the Schengen regions, you must have travel insurance for a Schengen visa application. Also, it needs to be valid throughout your stay and should comply with Schengen requirements.
Click here to read more about travel insurance for a Schengen visa.
What is Covered in Student Travel Insurance: The Top Benefits
At Generali Central, we offer a variety of benefits in our travel insurance policy for students. Take a look.
1. Medical Coverage
Given the rising medical inflation, which makes medical treatments increasingly expensive, a medical emergency in a foreign land can challenge a student without insurance protection. Plus, in situations like medical emergency evacuation, it comes in handy.
One of the key benefits of travel insurance for students is that it covers the cost of various medical treatments in a foreign country. It typically covers hospitalisation expenses, medication, emergency medical evacuation, doctor consultations, and even emergency outpatient treatments.
Buy travel insurance as per your destination. For instance, for countries where healthcare is mostly privatised, choose a high medical limit to offer adequate coverage when needed.
2. Baggage & Personal Items
Say you're travelling and end up losing your baggage, or say it gets stolen. This can easily turn into a moment of panic. But with reliable travel insurance, you've got this covered. Typically, it covers your laptops, camera, phone, or other belongings to a certain limit.
Also, store your important serial numbers and receipts in cloud storage. It helps prove ownership, ultimately helping with quick claim settlement. Also, have your important assignments stored digitally as a precaution, so you don't end up losing your entire semester's work.
3. Passport or Document Loss
Losing a passport while studying abroad means you need to replace it. Now, this is where the hassle can begin. Passport making charges, emergency travel or courier charges might need to be paid out of your pocket. However, with student travel insurance, you get reimbursed for these costs. And, you get a constant guide to guide you throughout the process.
4. Study Interruption Cover
For students studying abroad, life can be exciting, but it also comes with its share of pressure, assignments, deadlines, and constant stress. Result? You might fall ill and get hospitalised for a few days or even months. This not only takes a toll on your health but also on your studies. In such times, a student travel insurance has got you covered. It covers or reimburses for your unused tuition fees.
Student travel insurance for international travel may cover your tuition fees in case of an illness, injury, or family emergency. This way, you do not end up losing a semester’s worth of money for free.
5. Sponsor Protection
If your sponsor is unable to pay your college fee for any reason, student travel insurance can help cover your tuition fees. This way, you prioritise your studies and financial worries.
Having a sponsor protection with student travel insurance provides a safety net for students pursuing multi-year degrees.
6. Personal Liability Coverage
In case you accidentally cause damage or injury to someone while studying abroad, student travel insurance will also help cover the cost of such third-party liabilities.
7. Compassionate Visits
In case an insured student is hospitalised in a foreign land and cannot be repatriated to India, then the insurance covers the compassionate visit of a family member of the insured.
With a valid student travel insurance covering compassionate visits, parents don't have to think and worry about the financial issues of flying during a crisis.
Is Student Travel Insurance Worth it?
Student travel insurance offers a variety of benefits for students studying abroad. Here is how they are more than just an optional choice.
1. Several universities and visa requirements have made it mandatory to have travel insurance.
2. Living abroad doesn't have to be a solo experience with student travel insurance. These cover medical emergencies, hospitalisation, and much more when you need it the most.
3. With medical inflation and rising healthcare costs, a simple hospital visit can be much more expensive than your travel insurance premiums.
How to Choose the Right Travel Plan?
Here are some tips and ideas on how you may choose the best student travel insurance for yourself.
1. Match your medical coverage to your destination.
2. Check for the cashless network hospitals. See if they are near your campus.
3. Consult your insurer on pre-existing conditions and disclose them honestly without hiding.
4. Look for mental health coverage, which can be quite crucial while studying abroad.
5. Check sub-limits on baggage, dental, and other coverage.
6. Add suitable riders to your travel insurance policy to make it more comprehensive.
7. Check for the claim settlement ratio of your insurer. Both claim settlement and settlement speed matter.
Conclusion
Travel insurance is much more than a mandatory requirement. It can be understood as a way of caring for yourself and for people investing in your education abroad. The best part? Now you may buy travel insurance online in just a few minutes from the comfort of your home. Remember to check the limits and coverage to get the best value for yourself.
