One in two students uninsured

Nearly half of all university students do not bother to get their possessions insured, according to a new survey by Direct Line.

08:18 14 September 2004

Nearly half of all university students do not bother to get their possessions insured, according to a new survey by Direct Line.

The insurer estimates that this represents around one million students in higher education.

While many might prefer to save the money to spend it on simply getting cover, the problem is that burglary is often high is specifically student-centred areas, so the risk they are taking could prove disastrous in the long run.

With expensive items such as computers, stereos, iPods and CD collections, almost 50 per cent of students estimate they have possessions worth between 2,000 and 5,000.

Despite the fact that standard student policies cost as little as 15 to 20 a month, many are still not buying cover for their possessions.

The insurer, Hiscox, has advised that students check the small print on their parents' home insurance policies, as they may already be covered for items away from the parental home.

Additional cover can often be arranged under the parental policies for as little as 5 a month.