Nearly every college-age student travels during their time in school. In fact, nearly 850,000 students participate in travel programs annually, using them to see the country or hit that spot across the globe they’ve always wanted to see.
About 10% of college students study abroad at some point during their degree program, resulting in nearly 300,000 students participating in credit bearing programs each year. Add in non-credit programs and domestic trips and that number increases substantially.
While these programs can be invaluable learning experiences for the students, they can also create liability exposure for the participating institutions. From medical emergencies to security incidents, gaps in insurance coverage can create an excessive amount of stress— and financial impact—on participating schools, students and their families.
By understanding the exposures and preparing for them, it’s possible to take a comprehensive approach that mitigates risk.
Step 1: Reducing student travel risk
Begin developing your risk management program by adopting critical strategies. In this context, this means:
- Research the destination. Find out about the area’s political stability, security climate and health issues, among other risks. Use vetted information, such as from the U.S. Department of State, Overseas Security Advisory Council, and/or your assistance provider.
- Build an incident response program. Create detailed plans to respond to major incidents. Be sure to identify specific people to perform tasks, such as contacting parents or insurance carrier.
- Ensure you have appropriate in-country support. This is especially important for programs that your institution is organizing. In-country support could be through a host university or a third-party provider—someone on the ground that knows the local environment and can help you organize a program that mitigates risks, as well as assist in responding to incidents that occur doing the program.
- Prepare for the trip. Gather students and staff together to share destination-specific risks and how to mitigate them. This should include health, security, environmental, and legal risks. Examples include ways to protect your valuables, insect-borne diseases, and how to navigate border crossings. Share all information in writing to demonstrate that the school fulfilled its duty of care.
Step 2: Securing insurance protections
While risk mitigation is important, no risk program is complete without insurance protections. In the case of student travel, educational institutions will need to secure appropriate travel insurance for all students.
A school-purchased policy designed specifically for student travel will ensure consistent protection and make responding to incidents easier for administrators.
Yet not all policies are created equal. Students have different sensitivities than other travelers and standard travel-related policies may not offer adequate protection.
Proper insurance coverage for students includes the following benefits:
- Travel health insurance, often called “out-of-country medical.” Be sure to secure appropriate coverage limits that reflect current medical costs where you plan to travel. Consider whether students can cover out of pocket expenses or whether you need a program that pays expenses up front for travelers.
- Emergency medical evacuation and additional benefits. Depending on where you are going, a medical evacuation to a place with a center of medical excellence may be needed. In addition, after the traveler has recovered enough to fly, they may need a medical repatriation back home. Keep in mind that you may want to include an extra benefit such as paying for a family member to meet the participant.
- Universal accidental death and dismemberment coverage. This benefit can help cover unexpected costs.
- Security and natural disaster evacuation. This coverage may be purchased separately or included with other benefits but be sure the coverage trigger meets school needs. (Risk tolerance for students is often lower than other travelers.)
- Coverage for staff and volunteers. Anyone traveling with students also needs coverage, preferably under the same policy, whether they are employees of the institution or volunteer leaders.
- Other coverages, such as war risk coverage, kidnap and ransom insurance, and sports/activities may also be worth considering.
- Exclusions can be a challenge. Be sure to note any sub-limits or exclusions related to mental health, alcohol, and/or common study abroad activities.
- Trip cancellation, delay and interruption insurance. Some institutions choose to include these travel benefits, which can aid students significantly with covering financial expenses of unexpected circumstances.
In all cases, be sure you verify adequate coverage, as costs can increase quickly and limits may be too low in more expensive regions.
Step 3: Work with expert advisors
Finally, no one can be an expert in everything, and student travel is no exception. When it comes to travel, especially international travel, educational leaders shouldn’t expect to have all the answers.
However, they should know when it’s important to enlist the help of the experts, including:
- Assistance providers, who offer medical and security expertise around the globe. These experts are on top of global risks and can help guide you to make good decisions on all aspects of student travel, including locales that may be especially challenging for certain students. They can also provide emergency services, including mental health resources and evacuation support.
- Insurance brokers, who offer support for all types of insurance coverage. A broker with expertise in the student travel space will understand all the risks that may pop up unexpectedly—and the appropriate insurance policy that can protect you. They will also understand the policy limits and can help you secure an appropriate policy.
