Kids off to college? It pays to take another look at your insurance policies.

Sending a child off to college is stressful and exciting, and between the chaos of move-in day and the hunt for dorm room furniture, certain things can fall through the cracks.

One of those things can be how college can affect insurance.

When students leave for college, insurance risk for automobile and personal item coverage may change, and it may be time to look into different policies like rental or student health insurance. Parents should be aware of what their policy covers now that it might not cover once their child is away from home.

Auto Coverage

If a student is going to school farther away from home and won’t be driving the family vehicle, parents might be able to change their child’s status to “occasional driver” and save money.

But if the child is taking a car to college, parents should be aware of how that might change their liability risk.

“It is in the parent’s interest to review the bodily injury limits on the auto policy and even consider an umbrella policy,” said AAA Georgia Field Vice President Sasha Marcinczyk in a news release.

Homeowners’ and Renter’s Insurance

It pays to make sure that homeowner’s insurance will cover your child’s personal belongings while at college.

It often does, Marcinczyk said, but if not, it may be time to consider renter’s insurance, which can often be bundled into auto-insurance payments and is usually less than $20 per month.

Insurance that covers theft can be especially important, as burglaries and thefts are the most heavily reported crimes on campus, according to a study by the U.S. Department of Education.

Health Insurance

Many colleges require students to be enrolled in a health insurance plan before enrolling.

If your child is covered under your family insurance plan, they should be good. If they aren’t, and especially if they are an athlete, you may need to help get them set up with a student health insurance plan. These are usually lower-cost, lump-sum plans that cover students either by semester or school year.

They are often offered directly through the school through a partnership with an outside health insurance company. Ask the school’s bursar’s office for help.

This story was originally published August 15, 2017 at 10:44 AM with the headline "Kids off to college? It pays to take another look at your insurance policies.."