Adding a college student to your Wisconsin family car insurance coverage: what you should consider

Families often seek to ensure they get the best deal on their car insurance coverage. If you’re looking to add a college student to your Wisconsin family’s car insurance coverage, there are a number of steps you can take to get a good rate.

Good training

Having your college-aged child complete an approved driving instruction course can help you negotiate deeper discounts with your insurance company. Approved courses are often conducted by driving professionals licensed in Wisconsin at educational centers or private driving schools. Discounts for course completion can reduce rates or allow you to get more extensive coverage at the same or lower costs. Other benefits of such a course include:

• Hands-on driving experience
• The chance to learn from a seasoned driving instructor
• The accumulation of both classroom and practical driving knowledge
• Certification for specific endorsements on a student's license

Good grades

Students' grade-point averages can also have an impact on the cost of adding them to a family policy. Participation in extracurricular activities may also confer additional discounts or options. Many insurance companies offer discounts for students with:

• At least a 2.5 GPA at an accredited Wisconsin college
• A history of participation at key school functions
• Proof of their appearance on honor rolls
• Community recognition of their volunteer or service work

Completing a questionnaire available through the insurance company may provide additional discounts on Wisconsin car insurance. College students may show their knowledge of state driving laws and prove their understanding of road conditions through these questionnaires. Many insurance companies offer their own training courses, which may involve both text and video components, and provide a questionnaire upon completion. Enrollment and completion of such a course grants students:

• Access to discounts unavailable to those who have not completed such a course
• The chance to learn how to respond in the case of an accident or emergency
• The opportunity to gauge their own skills and knowledge
• Insight into what their insurance company considers important for student drivers

If you’re a Wisconsin family and your college-bound kids are headed for an out-of-state school where they may not be driving much (if at all), ask your insurance company about provisional or reduced-driving coverage that will only apply on those occasions when your child will be home driving a family car. If your college-bound kids own a car and plan to take it to college, there may be better rates in the state where the college is located. (There may also be differing state requirements for car insurance coverage that you should be aware of.)

Wisconsin families seeking to add a college student to their existing coverage should strive to understand all the many options and discounts available. Getting good advice from an expert in the field would be helpful and Reply ! can assist in that endeavor by connecting you to local insurance professionals, today.