The average Scottish student will take £831 worth of belongings to university, including mobile phone, camera, TV, MP3 player and games console, and up to a fifth could be victims of theft � so says esure.
FRANCIS SHENNAN and SIMON BAIN
The average Scottish student will take £831 worth of belongings to university, including mobile phone, camera, TV, MP3 player and games console, and up to a fifth could be victims of theft - so says esure. However, a quarter of parents have not thought of insuring these and one in 10 wrongly assume they are covered under their own home contents policy.
"It is important parents make sure they have sufficient contents cover either by checking their current policy or taking out separate insurance," said esure's Mike Pickard.
David Rochester at Halifax Home Insurance said: "Halifax extends personal belongings cover to items taken away with students, such as laptops, so these may be covered while out and about.
"However, these items would not be covered while in the student accommodation itself, unless the students have taken out their own contents policy."
Meanwhile, long-established student insurer Endsleigh is this month closing its campus outlets, 18 months after the National Union of Students sold its stake in Endsleigh.
Brian Wright, managing director of Karmainsurance.com says: "What's really concerning is the timing of the 119 branch closures - just before new students arrive on campus and are looking for insurance.
"Whilst they may not have purchased Endsleigh's cover, it would have got them thinking about insurance and the need to shop around. Now it may slip off their radar completely."
He said Karma could offer quotes of £160 and £63 for gap year and student possessions cover respectively, against comparable prices from Endsleigh of £444 and £205.
Lisel Porch, who goes into her fourth year at Aberdeen University next month training to be a primary teacher, bought insurance from her Endsleigh campus branch until a year ago when she switched to Karma. She said: "It was something I had never had to deal with myself, and Endsleigh had a place on campus and were on the notice-boards. But it seemed to be getting more expensive."
