Car insurance for college students
When going away to college, there may be options to help lower your auto insurance premiums depending on your situation.
You have plenty of big things to worry about when heading off to college — room and board, textbook purchases and the frequency of late-night pizza orders — so you probably haven't given much thought to your auto insurance. However, learning how your auto insurance works when attending a university or college away from home is important to consider. If you've worked on being a safe driver as a teen, then you might be ready for a car, and of course car insurance, at college.
How car insurance for college students away from home works
Depending on the situation, college students commonly stay on the parent’s car insurance. However, there are many factors to consider.
Attending college out of state
A majority of U.S. states allow students to remain on the parents’ car insurance while away at college. As you prepare, let your insurer know where you are attending school and they will help you update your auto insurance to help meet the requirements of your college’s state.
Studying internationally
If you are an international student studying in the U.S., you will need your own driver’s license and auto insurance to drive. Check your state’s requirements for new drivers and consider the car insurance coverage that works for you.
Coming home for weekends and breaks
College, university and trade school students may be covered under the parents' car insurance, if you live at the same address as your parents when not at school and do not own your own car or have your own policy. Review your specific policy to help ensure you are covered.
Leaving your car at home
In most cases, you need to notify your auto insurance company about leaving for school, even if you are leaving your car at home since it may not be in use. A conversation with your agent about this may be beneficial.
Car insurance discounts for students
With many changes happening in your household, this may be a perfect time to implement auto insurance discounts if you haven’t already.
Student discounts
Students with solid grades may qualify for a good student discount. Specifically for high school or college drivers, this discount rewards students who study hard and get good grades.
If you are a student who leaves their car behind when going away to school, you may be able to save with a student-away insurance discount. This discount commonly helps people who are under 25 and only use their car during vacations and holidays.
Utilizing telematics
You can explore how telematics (technology that uses cellular, GPS and onboard diagnostics) can help you match price to risk when looking for car insurance. Check out Drive Safe & Save® from State Farm.
Bundling discounts
If you are purchasing more than one policy, consider bundling discounts. Multi-policy discounts are a simple and effective way to save by bundling your auto and homeowners or renters policy.footnote 1
You can get an auto insurance quote now, or give us a few details and a State Farm® agent will reach out to you.
return to reference 1Customers may always choose to purchase only one policy but the discount for two or more purchases of different lines of insurance will not then apply. Savings, discount names, percentages, availability and eligibility may vary by state.
The information in this article was obtained from various sources not associated with State Farm® (including State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Company and its subsidiaries and affiliates). While we believe it to be reliable and accurate, we do not warrant the accuracy or reliability of the information. State Farm is not responsible for, and does not endorse or approve, either implicitly or explicitly, the content of any third-party sites that might be hyperlinked from this page. The information is not intended to replace manuals, instructions or information provided by a manufacturer or the advice of a qualified professional, or to affect coverage under any applicable insurance policy. These suggestions are not a complete list of every loss control measure. State Farm makes no guarantees of results from use of this information.
Neither State Farm nor its agents provide tax or legal advice.
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