Pursuing higher studies abroad is becoming increasingly popular among students. The choice of subjects, quality of education, global exposure, etc. are encouraging parents to send their children to the best colleges and universities in the world. Besides confirmed admission to the college, international travel involves several things such as readying your passport and visa, preparing for a long stay in a foreign country and buying travel insurance to safeguard your stay there. Travel insurance is mandatory for students studying abroad, particularly in the US and Schengen countries. Wherever you go, get covered by travel policy as it will protect you against financial losses in the face of uncertain events. Read on to learn about it in detail.
Travel insurance for students comes with several advantages. Some of them are:
- Travel insurance includes medical cover
In most countries, the cost of hospitalisation and medical treatment is very high. If an immigrant student gets injured due to an accident or suffers from an illness, the medical cover would take care of the treatment cost. A travel insurance policy covers the hospitalisation charges, cost of medicines and surgery in an emergency.
- Loss of checked-in baggage
A student’s baggage usually consists of important documents related to admission, passport, currency etc. If your baggage gets damaged or lost, your insurer will compensate for your losses. Get a comprehensive travel insurance policy covering several situations, including damaged or lost checked-in baggage.
- Flight cancellation or delay
Every educational institution has a deadline for completing certain processes, especially those related to admission. Therefore, sticking to timelines is very important. When travelling abroad, there could be many unforeseen circumstances such as flight cancellation or delay that can wreak havoc on your plans, forcing you to book another expensive flight on short notice. You may or may not get a refund for the cancelled/delayed flight. Your travel insurance, be it single or multi-trip travel insurance, will help you in such a situation by compensating at least a partial amount, if not the whole thing. if you need any guidance while submitting the claim for the flight delay compensation, AirAdvisor successfully helps in obtaining compensation from the airline. The entire process of communication, paperwork, and negotiations is done in a professional way. Visit website for more information.
- Legal support
If the student faces any legal issues abroad, the insurer will pay for costs related to the legal proceedings as per the policy terms. There would be a limit up to which you can get the expenses covered.
- Injury due to sports
The insurance policy covers injuries sustained by you while engaging in competitive sports with other colleges and universities. The coverage offered is similar to medical treatment cover. Check with the insurer regarding the range of injuries covered, the coverage, premium amount etc., before finalising the policy.
- Compassionate visit
If a student is hospitalised owing to severe illness and needs to stay in the hospital for more than a week and cannot travel to the home country due to the severity of the condition, travel insurance will help. The insurer would pay for the round trip of a close family member so that the student will have someone by their side and not be alone in a foreign land.
- Interruption in the course of study
It may happen that due to an illness or loss of life of a close family member, the student may have to discontinue their studies and come back home. Some colleges and universities refund some amount to the student in such situations. The insurer may reimburse the remaining amount, up to the sum insured, as per the policy terms.
- Sponsoring the tuition fees
It may happen that the student loses their financial sponsor to death before completing the course. To avoid any interruptions in their studies due to such an unfortunate event, the insurer will pitch in and pay for the remaining tuition fees up to the sum insured as per the policy terms.
Travel insurance is a must-have for students preparing to pursue higher studies in foreign universities. Being away from home, in a foreign land, can be stressful. The last thing you would want is to be unprotected in the face of a mishap. Therefore, start looking out for the best travel insurance that meets your needs as soon as you receive that admission confirmation letter from your dream college.
