Travel insurance for students

Average customer rating: 4.3/5
Written by Tiana Lee-Collins
Reviewed by Adrian Taylor
Last updated March 26, 2024

Travel insurance tips for students

Catriona Rowntree’s top travel insurance tips for students.
Catriona Rowntree
Travel
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What is travel insurance for students?

There’s no specific product called ‘student travel insurance’, but that doesn’t mean students shouldn’t consider taking out a policy for their trip. Travel insurance for students can protect you against financial losses such as medical bills, theft, cancellations and more.

If you’re a student, chances are you’re travelling on a budget. At a minimum, you should consider purchasing a basic level of cover (known as a medical-only policy) that will cover your medical expenses and typically offers personal liability cover as well.

The decision to purchase travel insurance is entirely up to you and your circumstances, but we believe most travellers could benefit from travel insurance cover.

Expert tips on choosing the right travel insurance policy for students

When it comes to choosing a suitable policy for a trip, our Executive General Manager of General Insurance, Adrian Taylor, has some top tips for deciding on, and managing travel insurance policies for students.

Adrian Taylor
Executive General Manager – General Insurance

Consider policies that match your budget

Even on a budget, if you can’t afford travel insurance, you probably can’t afford the losses that may come with your trip. You might want to consider purchasing medical-only cover as the minimum protection for your overseas holiday.

Decide which travel insurance type has the best value

If you’re travelling in a group with other students, you’ll typically all need the same level of cover. Taking out a group travel insurance policy may offer better value than a singles policy for everyone.

Save on your premium with a higher excess

Your excess is the amount you pay towards a claim after suffering a loss. While it’s important to choose a manageable amount, choosing a higher excess can decrease the cost of your premium – and vice versa.

What does travel insurance for students include?

Emergency medical and hospital expenses

Cancellations, delays and amendments

Lost, stolen or damaged luggage and belongings

Activities on your itinerary

What is excluded from travel insurance for students?

Travel insurance can’t cover everything, so it’s important to read your policy’s PDS to understand its exclusions. Specific exclusions may vary between policies and insurers, but here are a few common ones to look out for:

  • Intoxication. If you were under the influence of drugs or alcohol when you were injured or suffered a loss, your insurer might not accept your claim, even if the incident wasn’t your fault.
  • Unattended luggage. Your travel insurance policy might not cover your luggage if it was left unsupervised in a public place when it was stolen.
  • Travelling against advice and warnings. The Australian Government issues travel warnings for countries through Smartraveller. Some insurers may not cover travel to countries with certain warnings, so it’s a good idea to regularly check your destination on Smartraveller for any change in warning level.
  • Failure to wear headgear. If you weren’t wearing the proper headgear (e.g. a helmet when riding a scooter or motorcycling) at the time of your injury, your insurer may not accept your claim.
  • Pre-existing medical conditions. Some pre-existing conditions may be excluded from cover in many policies, but some insurers offer insurance for various medical issues. Just make sure you inform your insurer of any pre-existing conditions when you take out cover so they can assess what coverage they can offer you.

Meet our travel insurance expert, Adrian Taylor

Adrian Taylor
Executive General Manager – General Insurance

As the Executive General Manager of General Insurance, Adrian Taylor believes in educating customers about the importance of travel insurance so that anyone can kick back and make the most of their time away from home. While no one wants a disrupted holiday, a suitable travel insurance policy can provide a financial safety net for yourself, your belongings and your trip in case things go wrong.