A few days ago, I posted a blog about camera insurance. It was inspired by what happened to some of my friends covering the Olympics in London.

A few days later, I realized that there is a group out there that is the most vulnerable. These are college students.

First

Before you head off to college, it’s essential to have a conversation with your parents about their homeowners’ insurance. Do not assume that your friends’ insurance covers the same things as yours. Instead, listen to what their insurance covers and consider whether it aligns with your needs. Every insurance company operates differently, and even the same company has numerous variables to consider when writing various policies.

You want to know about the fine print in your policy, so talk to the agent about some possible scenarios to be sure you are covered.

Possible Scenarios

• The amount of gear you have is it covered, or do you need more coverage
• If you work for the college newspaper, will this affect your being considered a student or a professional?
  • Some colleges pay their staff, and this could affect your insurance
• Renting of equipment. Can y u rent something and still be covered?
• You live in a dorm versus at home.
• You live in an apartment off campus.

Since these are all possibilities, don’t hold back. Ask them to identify areas where you are not covered. Your idea is to know now before anything happens. You would hate to have all your belongings destroyed by fire, stolen, or damaged during a football game, only to find out they aren’t covered. 

Renters’ insurance

It may be the best option for your family to have a separate policy. The odds of you being robbed on campus may be higher than for others. Once you file a claim, it may make it more difficult for your parents to find an insurance carrier.

Renters’ insurance is similar to a homeowners’ policy, but it only covers the contents of the apartment, not the structure itself. Some insurance companies may allow you to have this policy while you are a student and add your camera gear to it.

Professional Organizations

As I mentioned in the first article on camera insurance, you may be better off buying camera insurance. As a student, you can join the professional organizations at a lower rate than pros and still get access to some of the benefits, like insurance.

What to insure

It is recommended that you take pictures of all your gear, keep copies of all the receipts to show the purchase price, and record the serial numbers. I would recommend making a spreadsheet to show:

• The name of the gear 
• The price of the gear (either paid or replacement cost)
• The serial number
• date purchased

Most policies that specialize in photography will also include your computer gear. For your computer gear list, things like:

• Computer
• External hard drives
• Software
  • Adobe Lightroom
  • PhotoMechanic
  • Microsoft Office
  • ftp software
  • Adobe PhotoShop
  • Final Cut Pro
• Monitor Calibrator
• Card Readers

Think of your computer as a digital workstation and list everything you bought to work on it. If it is stolen, you need to replace all that software and hardware.

Worst Situation

The worst situation to be in is having all your gear stolen and not knowing what is covered. Call today to find out what is covered; you may need to purchase a separate policy.