From financing a course to buying books, from sorting out a student bank account to choosing electives - life at University is not all about beer, going out and living the student life. On the contrary, young people will probably work every bit as hard over the first year of their course as they will when the exams roll around - and that's just getting their lives organised.

Amid the turmoil of moving away from home for the first time, one factor that is constantly overlooked is home insurance. Many students assume that they are covered on their parents' home insurance policies, but when it comes time to make a claim they are left disappointed as one in four home contents policies do not cover students living away from home.

Break-ins at student homes are rife with one in three students expected to be victims of theft during a year. With laptops, iPods, stereos, televisions and DVD players among the technologies to be found in the average student's room, it's easy to see why they are widely targeted. Few students have the cash to invest in security systems at their temporary homes and are stung as a consequence.

So what is the solution?

While there are many student possession insurance policies available, for the most part young people are cash-strapped and it makes more sense to save on the cost of insurance by using an existing home insurance policy. Therefore it becomes vital to check the level of cover you have and to ensure that there are no exclusions in the fine print - many insurers only pay out for forced entries.

Using a price comparator, such as the home insurance comparison tool at moneysupermarket.com will allow you to find a policy specifically tailored for your needs at the cheapest possible price. The moneysupermarket.com finder will search more than 60 insurers to find cheap home insurance quotes.

Ensuring that parents have the right cover at the right price is the key to keeping student accommodation as safe as houses.

For more information on saving cash on your home insurance premiums, read the home insurance guide at moneysupermarket.com.

About the author:
Title: Ensure students have the right degree of coverage
Author: Paul Lucas
Paul Lucas is a UK-based journalist who has reported for/edited more than 30 local and national newspapers. He has also written for a number of US-based publications.

Articles from November 2006
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