CONNECTICUT, USA — Another summer has flown by, and it’s about time for college students to embark to campus for the newest school year.
To keep students safe this fall, the American Automobile Association has compiled safety tips to help both young adults and parents make the transition a smooth one.
First off, reviewing insurance coverage is recommended, as AAA said dorms can be a hot spot for thieves.
Thousands of dollars of equipment can sit unprotected in a college dorm room, from computers to televisions to iPads to smartphones. Knowing how to guard against theft and insuring items in case they are stolen are both highly encouraged.
“College campuses present different risks from living at home, so it’s important to speak with your insurance provider to be sure your student is properly protected and covered if their vehicle or personal items are stolen,” Dan Scroggins, vice president of Personal Lines, AAA Club Alliance, said in a release.
Citing statistics from the U.S. Department of Education, AAA reports that 38,309 crimes occurred on postsecondary education campuses in 2022; 27% were motor vehicle thefts, 22% were burglaries and 5% were robberies.
The most stolen items included electronics, cash credit/debit cards, bicycles, scooters, jewelry and clothing. AAA said that college students living away from home should be aware that they have limited coverage under their parents’ insurance policies and should make sure they have the coverage they need before going to school.
AAA also listed several homeowners and renters’ insurance tips for students.
As expensive items such as electronics may be subject to coverage limits under a standard homeowner’s policy, and some states require a special student endorsement, parents and students should review coverage with an agent before returning to campus.
Students living off-campus should purchase renters’ insurance to protect their belongings, which can also protect them if someone is accidentally injured on the property. Leaving valuable items at home is also a good idea. While laptops are needed on campus, maybe expensive jewelry isn’t.
AAA said creating a dorm inventory of all the items in your room can be helpful in the case that someone needs to file a claim. Safeguarding items from theft sounds obvious, but it takes diligence and repetition – don’t leave your dorm room unlocked or your belongings unattended on campus.
For insurance, coverage may depend on location. AAA said if a student brings their car to campus and remains on their parents’ policy, coverage likely still applies. If a student goes to school out of state, they should make sure their coverage follows them and meets the minimum requirements for that state. Students should check with an agent to see if they are still covered on their parents’ policy.
Contacting an insurer is a solid thought too, according to AAA, which said that parents or a student might be eligible for discounts if they leave their car at home when they go to school.
Keeping up on vehicle maintenance is also significant.
“At home, a young person’s vehicle is often maintained by the parents,” Tracy Noble, spokesperson for AAA Club Alliance, said in the release. “Now that they’re heading off to school, it’s important for them to fully understand what routine maintenance they need to stay on top of to keep their vehicle on the road.”
In the release, AAA provides several vehicle car care tips for parents and college-bound students, beginning with finding a trusted repair facility near college for routine or unexpected repairs. One can click here to access AAA’s list of approved auto repair facilities across the United States.
Performing regularly scheduled maintenance and making sure a vehicle is serviced before taking it to school are also key steps. Preparing for roadside emergencies can’t hurt; AAA coverage follows the member, not the vehicle, so even if a student doesn’t have a car on campus, the coverage is valuable to have if a situation develops in someone else’s ride.
All vehicles should also have an emergency kit, AAA says. Stock it with a flashlight, extra batteries, jumper cables, a first-aid kit, a basic tool kit and bottled water. In the winter, add a snow shovel, warm clothes, an ice scraper/snow brush, flares or reflective triangles and something for traction such as coarse kitty litter or sand.
All students should also protect against identity theft.
“Students can become targets for ID theft because they don’t have much of a transaction history, making it more difficult to identify unusual activity,” Noble said in the release. “Scammers use both low- and high-tech methods for stealing a student’s personal information, from looking over a victim’s shoulder to sending out bogus credit card offers to stealing financial information on shopping sites.”
AAA said ID theft is the most common type of reported fraud, consisting of about 24% of all fraud complaints.
To guard against fraud, students should monitor their credit. AAA offers ProtectMyID, an Experian Identity Theft Protection service, as a free benefit to all members. One can set up a credit card and financial alerts to track their credit score.
Guarding numbers is also vital. Personal information such as PINs or Social Security numbers should only be shared when absolutely necessary, AAA says. People should never carry their Social Security card and driver’s license together or lend their ATM or credit card to anyone.
Choosing strong passwords is recommended, as is using two-factor authentication. Use different passwords or codes for different sites.
AAA advises using caution with mailed documents because mailboxes for dormitories or college mailrooms aren’t always secure. For important transactions, people can use their parents’ address or a separate PO box.
Make sure online payments are secure; don’t use public Wi-Fi to make an online payment or purchase because it increases the risk of confidential information being stolen and could enable malware to enter the computer.
It also pays dividends to be careful on social media; never give away too much personal information because people never know who is watching or waiting to take advantage. Set profiles to private if possible and only accept friend requests from people who are known.
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Dalton Zbierski is a digital content producer and writer at FOX61 News. He can be reached at dzbierski@FOX61.com.
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