Coming of Age: Essential Tips for Parents with College-Bound Teens

Moving from home to college is a rite of passage which requires teenagers to assume more responsibility for their actions and parents to respect their child’s budding independence.

Before college-bound teens fly the coop and during their time away, there are important decisions families need to fully consider regarding personal safety, health, liability, and financial risks. These crucial steps can reduce the financial impact and emotional toll associated with many of the challenging experiences teenagers encounter during their college years.

Below, in the first of a two-part series on Teens Coming of Age, USI’s personal risk experts share essential tips parents can take before the child leaves for college, including the following:

• Preparing for various on-and-off-campus liability risks
• Securing personal property such as cars and valuable assets
• Improving access to healthcare and protecting against health risks

Liability in a Hyper Risk Environment

In 2015, there were 27,500 criminal incidents against persons and property on campus at postsecondary institutions that were reported to police and security agencies, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. This figure represents a 2% increase from 2014, when 26,900 criminal incidents were reported.

The hyperactive nature of college campuses often results in teenagers landing in legal trouble that can also extend to their parents. This vicarious liability exposure, which creates significant financial risk for parents, stems from the fact that many college students are legal dependents of their parents. Common events on college campuses that can create liability issues include bullying or hazing, alcohol or drug related offenses, sexual misconduct, slander and violent protests that leads to physical injury. Keep in mind that historically courts have declined to hold colleges responsible for foreseeable risks that cause physical injury.

Given the freedoms students enjoy on campuses today, it is important for parents to emphasize safety to their children. Particularly, parents should advise students on ways to avoid being in the wrong place at the wrong time, what to do in an emergency, how to contact security and any other safety rules. Risk experts can provide guidance in these areas.

Parents with college-bound teens should seriously consider increasing their liability limits to mitigate vicarious liability exposure. With help from a risk advisor, parents can secure broad coverages and high liability limits.

On and Off Campus Property Risks

Theft and property damage are unfortunately common on college campuses. According to the Insurance Information Institute, burglaries constitute approximately 50% of all on-campus crimes. Oftentimes these incidents occur because students do not appropriately protect their personal properties, leaving them unattended or unlocked.

Before teens head for college, it is recommended that parents take an inventory of all items, listed by cost, in case there is a need to file an insurance claim.

For students living on campus, parents can secure insurance coverage through their homeowners or renters insurance policies for damage to or loss of personal items resulting from theft, fire, water damage or vandalism. Some valuable items can be insured as part of an endorsement to the policy or by a personal property floater – which covers property regardless of location. Also, some specialty insurers offer college students standalone property policies, with low deductibles, to cover expensive items like laptops and flat screen televisions.

Students who are planning to stay in off-campus apartments may need to secure their own renter’s insurance. It is important to speak to a risk advisor about options. Parents who act as co-signers can be held liable for injuries sustained by visitors to the apartment. As such it is critical to add the off-campus apartment to the parents’ primary home and personal excess liability policies.

Vehicles can also be insured through the parent’s auto insurance policy. Depending on the location of the school and driving history, the college teen’s auto insurance premiums may be readjusted. Parents should advise their insurer if the state in which the vehicle is located changes.

It is important to note the following:

• Generally teen drivers are considered a higher risk and pay more in premiums than experienced drivers. Students away at school are still considered residents of your home.
• Lawsuits arising from operating borrowed or temporary vehicles are typically covered by the personal automobile policy of the parents. 
• Children away at a college should not be removed from the parents’ automobile policy.

Managing Health and Privacy Concerns

Before a teenager leaves home, parents are advised to discuss health matters and what to do in the event of a medical emergency.

As a parent it may be useful to have a Power of Attorney (POA) that directs medical providers to grant access to the child’s medical records and allow medical decisions to be made on their behalf. In the absence of a POA, most healthcare providers will not share medical records with parents if the teen is over the age of 18. A Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) release also allows medical providers to share medical information with designated individuals or a proxy. 

“We have seen situations where parents were unable to access medical information for a child away at school,” said Attorney Michael Maransky, partner at the law firm of Fox Rothschild. “In many cases, the problem is easily resolved by the child providing the authorization at the time it is needed. However, if the medical problem is so severe that the child is physically unable to provide this consent, an emergency court proceeding appointing the parent as the child’s guardian may be the only solution.”

Parents should also talk openly about prescription drug use and its dangerous effects, as well as provide guidance on the use of over-the-counter medications to treat headaches, fevers and allergies. They should also emphasize the dangers of using marijuana, street drugs, and other non-prescription herbal remedies.

Be sure to explain that certain lifestyle choices can have serious health effects – like bacterial infections associated with piercings and tattoos.

College is all about learning and experience. For many teens it is the first adult experience outside of the home. Parents can make this experience safe and enjoyable for their teens by taking many different precautions and providing proper advice.

For help with individual recommendations and customized insurance solutions as you prepare for your child’s transition to college, contact your local USI personal risk advisor.