All across the nation students have packed up their trunks, tape decks and textbooks and have moved into college dormitories. For parents looking to save some insurance dollars, making a quick check of their insurance coverage could pay off.

Higher education doesn't necessarily mean higher premiums. All too often parents end up paying more than they need to for their kids' insurance.

Although many colleges include an application for property insurance for dorm rooms, most students will already have all the coverage they need.

If your son or daughter's legal residence is still your house, then the property in their dorm rooms will be covered under your homeowners policy. The same coverages and deductibles apply. All you need to do is notify your agent that your child is at school.

Students who establish a permanent residence away from home would NOT be covered, and should apply for their own insurance.

There are other ways parents and students may be able to save on their insurance. If the student takes the family car to school he or she may have higher auto premiums because they would want to be considered the principle operator of the car. But many other factors are taken into account such as the type of vehicle and the location of the school. Grades also make a difference--many insurance companies offer discounts for those with good grades which can reduce a student's premiums.

If your child hasn't taken a car to school, you might be tempted to drop him or her from your coverage. A better idea is to ask your agent about a Distant Student Discount, which may lower your rates but will still provide coverage when your child uses the car on a visit home or needs to rent a car at school.

Parents should also look carefully before automatically buying the health coverage offered by a college. The group insurance plan a parent has through work may cover dependent children until age 23 if they remain students.

Many people don't take the time to examine their insurance needs and end up paying more than they should. A good first step is to meet with your agent and check into the insurance you already have--you could end up saving yourself some money!

For more information on homeowners insurance, please call us or contact us using our contact form.