Student Travel Insurance

Going abroad for pursuing higher education is a dream of many students. In fact, those who dream possess the ability able to make them come true. Aspirations are said to give individuals wings to fly from one point in life to another by giving them fresh opportunities and scope to secure a better future. If you are going outside India for higher education, you must buy student travel insurance to eliminate the odds of the financial risks arising out of any unpredictable and unfortunate instances.

Undoubtedly, studying abroad involves various risks for students. Any unfortunate event can cause emergency hospitalization, and medical expense abroad may burn a hole in your pocket. Students living outside India may also have visitors from their families, which requires financial backup. Student Travel insurance covers all such eventualities and ensures that you don't have to bear the out-of-pocket expense. The policy also covers:

• Expenses arising out of emergency hospitalization due to an accident or existing medical condition,
• Unfortunate events like loss of checked baggage, etc.
• Bail bonds and tuition fee
• Delay in take-off or cancellation of flight
• Loss of passport

To those going abroad for studies, a student travel insurance policy is highly recommended to ensure that any eventuality, such as a medical emergency leading to hospitalization does not lead to a financial catastrophe.

Why Do I Need Student Travel Insurance?

If you are studying out of India and living alone, there might be possibilities for things to go wrong and you would also require a support or a back-up to tackle the situation. This insurance policy would cover you for all such contingencies for just a snatch of the cost you would otherwise need to incur.

Read in Detail: Why Student Travel Insurance Is Necessary

What Does Your Student Travel Insurance Policy Cover?

Student travel insurance policies offer the much-needed coverage that helps neutralize travel-related risks during a student's stay abroad while pursuing his higher education. The exact coverage varies from insurance provider per insurance provider.

Here are the basic elements of insurance coverage offered:

• Emergency Medical Charges - It offers reimbursement to the insured person, for the incurred medical charges, in case of an unexpected illness or accident.
• Dental Treatment Expenses - It provides dental treatment expense reimbursement, for acute pain or injury.
• Permanent Disability - In case the insured is permanently disabled due to the accident, it pays pre-decided compensation to the insured's family.
• Accidental Death Benefit - In the event of an accidental death, it pays pre-decided compensation to the insured's family.
• Medical Evacuation - It pays for the actual expenses or the pre-decided amount insured, whichever is lesser when repatriating the insured back to his/her country.
• Body Repatriation - It pays for the actual expenses or the pre-decided amount insured, whichever is lesser in case of repatriating the mortal remains of the insured person back to his/her country.
• Loss of Checked-in Luggage - In case the insured's luggage, personal documents are checked into a common carrier, reimbursement is provided to him/her for the replacement of any lost or damaged articles.
• Delay of Checked Luggage - It offers an amount, for buying toiletries and fresh clothes, to the insured because of delay in luggage.
• Missed Departure or Missed Connection - The insured person is provided reimbursement for the incurred expenses because of missed departure, or missed connections by the airline.
• Trip Delay - The insured person is provided reimbursement for the incurred expenses due to trip delay if it is delayed for more than 12 hours.
• Loss of Passport - In case the insured person's passport is lost, your policy will reimburse the actual incurred expenses for making arrangements for a fresh or duplicate passport is provided.
• Personal Liability - It pays for damage(s) that an insured is legally bound to pay because of a lawsuit for property damage(s) caused by him/her. Also, it offers benefits for medical expenditures that an insured is legally bound to pay, against a lawsuit for causing an accident that resulted in causing bodily injury to someone.
• Study Interruption - In case there is any interruption in the study of the insured person, it pays compensation.
• Sponsor Protection - In case of accidental death of the sponsor of an insured person, it pays insured's tuition fees.
• Daily Cash Allowance Benefit - Daily cash allowance is provided in case an insured person is hospitalized for more than a specific number of days as mentioned in the policy document.
• Bail Bond - While traveling, it covers the bail amount for an insured person in case of arrest/detention by local police for a bailable offense.
• Compassionate Visit - In case there is a need for a compassionate visit by an immediate family member of the insured, it covers that compassionate visit.
• Psychological Coverage - It covers treatment for mental disorders and nervous disorders, drug dependency and alcoholism.
• Screening and Examinations - It covers expenses for cancer screening as well as mammographic examinations as recommended by the physician.
• Treatment for Expectant Mothers - After completion of the waiting period of 10 months, it covers pregnancy-related in-patient medical expenses.
• Childcare Benefit - It provides hospital cash allowance for childcare.
• Hijack Cash Benefit - It offers a distress allowance to the insured person as mentioned in the policy. This is in case your flight has been disrupted because of a hijack.
• Fraudulent Charges for Payment Card Security - In the event of the insured's payment card being stolen or lost, reimbursement is provided for the unauthorized expenses that an insured person is responsible for. 
• Emergency Accommodation Benefit - In case of a natural catastrophe, when an insured person is unable to stay at his/her original accommodation, the compensation is provided for additional expenses of emergency accommodation.

What Does All A Student Travel Insurance Policy Not Cover?

Every student travel insurance policy has certain situations that are out-of-cover.

• Your policy will not cover expenses incurred due to a pre-existing medical ailment unless the insured is in a serious condition.
• Expenses incurred due to any of the following situation:
  • Suicide; injuries or illnesses due to self-infliction
  • Any kind of mental disorder
  • Depression, stress, or anxiety
  • Any Venereal disease
  • Alcohol or drug abuse
  • HIV/AIDS
• Expenses incurred in a situation when you are
  • Travelling and your doctor advised you not to do so.
  • Taking or registered for a specified medical treatment.
  • Travelling abroad to get treatment for a medical problem.
  • Suffering from a terminal disease.
• Theft, damage or loss of passport due to carelessness and negligence, or not reported to the local police authorities
• Partial damage or loss of checked-in baggage (only complete loss or damage is covered)
• Any situation arising due to war or nuclear threat in the country you are travelling to

Facts You Should Know About Student Travel Insurance

Negligence towards matters and fact related to insurance can lead you to an inadequate insurance plan. Listed below are a few facts that you should know:

1. Eligibility

You are eligible to enter a student travel insurance plan at the age of 16. However, a person above 35 years of age cannot buy such a policy.

2. Compulsory Clause

In most of the foreign universities it is mandatory for students to buy a health insurance cover. Some universities may also decline the admission application in case the student is not insured.

3. Cheaper Premiums

Premiums for these travel insurance plans are cheaper in case of policies bought from domestic insurance providers. The premiums are lesser by as much as nearly 1/3rd of the premiums payable for the policies offered by insurers in universities abroad.

4. Substitutes

Student medical travel insurance is provided at very cheap rates and much low premium by the insurance companies in India. It is advisable to choose a plan that can substitute the health covers provided by the university but can offer a better coverage. This can save you a lot.

5. Mandatory Risk Covers

Due to the urban lifestyle in the western countries, many universities have made it compulsory for students to have coverage against specific risks like drug dependency, mental and nervous disorders, alcoholism, and other expenses related to inter-collegiate sports injuries, pregnancy, mammography, cancer screening, and childcare benefits.

6. Waiver of Premiums

If you, as a student, have availed a health insurance plan from an insurer in India, then you can claim a refund from the foreign university as the premium is already included in the fees paid to the university.

7. Easy Extensions

You can continuously stay covered for the entire term of your academic course by opting for an auto-renewal of policy. You can also simplify the same with the help of online renewal and advance the extension of policy.

8. Pregnancy Clause

Any expense related to pregnancy and childbirth is not covered. However, the expenses incurred due to any unforeseen emergency, save the insured person's/child's life in case of acute complications are covered. Coverage would be provided only if the insured person has not completed 38 years of age and 30 weeks of pregnancy.

9. Study Interruption Cover

If you have opted for study interruption cover and you are hospitalized for a consecutive month or more due to illness, injury, or medical repatriation, then you will get a reimbursement of the tuition fee that has been paid for that period. Also the same implies, if your sponsor or an immediate family member expires, leading to discontinuation of your studies. 

Click Here to Read About Myths and Facts of Student Travel Insurance 

Student Travel Insurance Cancellation Procedure

Before embarking on your journey, you can cancel your trip anytime, but you have to justify the reason. Here is the cancellation process for a student travel insurance plan in India.

• Give a written notice to your insurance provider 15 days in advance, mentioning your policy number, attaching the scanned copy of your passport and stating the reason for the cancellation. You can also cancel the plan within 7 days after the date when you were supposed to travel or the expiry date of your plan in case you haven't undertaken that trip.
• The insurance provider will verify the original passport to make sure that you didn't undertake that journey. Wait for tour insurance provider to approve your cancellation.

Premium Refund upon Early Return

There are some insurance providers, who offer a premium refund upon early return. If you end your trip before the expiry of your insurance plan and you haven't filed any claims, you can get in touch with your insurance company to get a premium refund. In case you get a refund, it will come with a few deductions.

Saving-Up on Travel Insurance Premiums

If you are looking forward to saving some money on your insurance premium, here are a few things that can be of great help when it comes to lowering down Student Overseas Travel Insurance premiums.

• Buy Your Travel Plan Online - Purchasing a student travel insurance plan online is super easy and convenient as compared to offline modes. It helps you to save your money and fetch amazing discounts and offers.

• Analyze the Involved Risks - It is very important to assess the safety and health risks associated with the destination you'll travel to. If it's less risky, then there is no need for you to buy a higher health cover. You can go for the basic coverage based on your duration in the foreign country.

• Buy an Insurance Plan Soon After You Book Your Trip - The closer you are to the trip, higher the insurance premium you'll be offered. When you've already secured your seat in a college, don't delay purchasing travel insurance for students. This way, you will get the lowest premiums and the maximum insurance coverage,

• Opt For The Right Deductible - The deductible is a pre-decided amount that an insured person has to pay at the time of filing a claim and the remaining is covered by the insurance provider. The deductible affects an insurance premium; ensure that you opt for the deductible basis on what fulfills your travel insurance expectations.

Claim Process of Student Travel Insurance

During your stay in the foreign land, you never know when you need to file a claim. Here is the claim process for student travel insurance.

• Immediately get in touch with your insurance provider's helpline and provide them the claim details. In case you need any assistance, feel free to raise your doubts.
• In case of an abrupt mishap or sudden sickness; where it's not possible to notify your insurance provider well in advance before seeking medical intervention, get in touch with your insurance provider as soon as possible.

If required by your insurance provider, you need to undergo a medical examination. Don't worry about the costs since it will be covered by your insurance provider.

What Does PolicyBazaar Do For You?

Buying student travel insurance from PolicyBazaar can offer following benefits:

• Make an ideal choice by comparing various insurance quotes
• Choose the plan according to your specific requirement
• Complete transparency of information
• Compare and analyze the features and USPs of various plans simultaneously
• Buy the most efficient product in the least amount of time
• Quick and convenient insurance shopping
• Safety, mental peace, guarantee, end-to-end assistance

Focused on providing students with a cover against financial losses arising due to medical issues and illness-related eventualities, travel insurance for students give financial security to students in a foreign country.

You can also opt for other benefits with your travel insurance policy to fortify the cover and make your policy a comprehensive one. These riders include provision for a bail bond, reimbursement of tuition fee under sponsor protection, compensation on loss of passport and a lot more.