Student Travel Insurance Policy for Study Abroad: What, Why and How?

The trend of getting higher education from international universities is not new in Pakistan. Each year large number of Pakistani students travel abroad to get higher education and get specialized degrees in their respective field.

In such situations the most concerned people are the parents of students who are about to fly to study abroad. The level of concerns become higher if there is no relative or family living in that specific area. We can also witness events where the parents are not willing to send their kids to a completely new place where they can not have any assistance in case of any emergency. And due to this reason many brilliant students are held back to study abroad.

Also read: Travel Insurance: A Step by Step Buying Guide for Travelers from Pakistan

Not allowing your kid to go abroad for studies is not the solution. There are a number of ways you can protect your kid even when they are miles away from you. Student’s travel insurance policy is one of the sure and guaranteed way to do so. The moment your kid gets enrolled in any international college or university, you must see the best student travel insurance policy service provider and get a policy for you kid. Here are answers to some of the most common questions parents can have in their mind before getting a policy for their kids.

Why is the Insurance Plan Important?

Before we proceed to the discussion, the main concern of parents is that why one needs to have an insurance plan.

It is obvious that during the stay for 6 months or 3 years, your kid might need to see the doctor, have a prescription, get some medical care or deal with any kind of medical emergency. In all such circumstances an insurance plan is something that will help your child. However there are many different types of insurance plans. Thus you must remember that:

There are some plans that do not cover the injuries and illness occurred in some specific regions. This means that if your kid is going to study in UK, there might be some places that are excluded from the services your policy offers.

• There are some plans that offer a limited and specific amount of medical cover which means that in case of any problem except the one mentioned in the list, your kid may not get any help.
• Most of the plans do not cover the medical evacuations after a defined amount of expenses.

Accident, sickness and other medical benefits are something that are offered by the insurer which can help to protect your kid against any kinds of predictable cost. At the same time, some insurance companies also offer services like, round the clock customer support in case of an emergency. Here is a quick list of what most of the classic travel medical plans cover:

• Cover you for either single trip or all trips you will make in one year
• Designed for the business or leisure traveller
• Offers medical insurance for a duration of up to 6 months
• Offer cover for emergency evacuation, prescription of drugs, hour assistance or dental cover etc.

Also read: Want to Study Abroad? These are 5 Popular Countries for Pakistani Students

In simple words, a common student travel insurance in Pakistan offers a complete cover for the students who are going to study abroad. Most of the insurers offer protection services round the clock, 365 days of the year with ultimate student medical protection, emergency assistance, accidental expenditures, loss of passport or baggage, transportation and some value-added optional coverage for the tuition fee in case of any mishap.

Why Choose Student Travel Insurance?

Student travel insurance offer your kid a number of benefits while you have sent them to get their degree, out of Pakistan. Some of the most potential answers to why you must go for a student travel insurance policy can be listed as:

• Your child will be exposed to any unfamiliar environment during their studies
• Your kid will be exposed to risks related to travelling and can be more vulnerable if the matters are not addressed immediately.
• The emergencies or sickness can be costly and serious which the student can not manage these so they will need assistance and help
• They may need protection from any unexpected incident

What are the Most Common Features of Student Travel Policies?

The most common features of a student travel insurance policy may include the following:

• Personal accident including permanent disability or death
• Medical expenses for illness or accident/ hospital expenses etc.
• Tuition assurance
• Medical evacuation
• Death repatriation
• Passport and baggage delay or loss
• Round the clock assistance

When to Buy Travel Insurance Policy?

Even if your kid has a plan to travel abroad for a few weeks (let’s say for a small course) it is better to buy a travel insurance policy as soon as they finalize the plan to go for the trip. The demand for buying a policy becomes more crucial when the person has paid advance for any of the trip related activities.

What Your Policy Should Cover?

A simple Google search will leave you stuffed with a long list of insurance policy options, but to facilitate the customers with the best, Smartchoice.pk has some easy to deal with policy comparison tools that can help you find the best policies for your loved one who are planning to study abroad.

To make sure that you are getting the best of the money you are paying for your kids travel insurance, here are some basic things that you must check and make sure are a part of the policy that is offered.

Also read: How to Claim Travel Insurance While Abroad and When Needed

Cancellation or Limitations: In case of any mishap or unexpected event where the policyholder is not able to continue the trip or have to return home early than planned, they can claim for the prepaid amount like university fee or accommodation and travel etc. However, the policy holder have to make sure that the cancellation cover limit is same as the net cost of what they were going to pay for the person’s overseas placement.

Medical Emergency: If the student falls ill or encounters an accident while studying abroad, the student will need to have a travel insurance to deal with all the financial costs that are linked with all kind of medical attention including the cost to get you home, if the situation is serious. It is important to consider how expensive is the medical treatment in the overseas hospitals and you may need to pay hundreds of thousands of dollars to get the sufficient amount of treatment.

Emergency Assistance: There are several policies that offer access to emergency helpline, round the clock and that can be accessed from anywhere and anytime. No matter what happens to the person during the stay, there would always be someone to help them in case of emergency.

Personal Belongings: There are chances that the person may lose their belongings, and the chances are more when they are confused and lost in unusual places. If it happens, the travel insurance can help them get the cost to replace their lost things like laptop, mobile or tablet etc. while travelling.

What Will Student Travel Insurance Policy Not Cover?

To know what the policy does not cover is as important as to know what services or facilities will be offered to your kid. Here is a quick review of the things that the student travel insurance policy will not cover.

• Any situation resulted due to drug or alcohol abuse
• Any pre-existing medical issues that the kid was dealing with even before the policy and trip

We can never know what can happen to us in the coming days. It is always a good choice to stay prepared for any incident, if unexpected things ahead. This is the reason why most of the parents tend to get an insurance policy and think it as a right choice for their kid while they are studying abroad.

A student travel insurance policy is the best option to keep your child safe and protected with round the clock backup while they are away from homeland for their education.