Moving to university

Flying the nest

When your children go to University you can keep their possessions insured with Privilege home insurance.

Every year, hundreds of thousands of people take up places at universities around the country. According to the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS), more than 275,000 young people aged 20 and under were accepted for university placement in 2006.

Of course, for many people heading off to university, it means moving out of the family home for the first time. Not only can this be a daunting experience for the child but it can also be nerve-wracking for the parents too. Thankfully, many children will spend their first year in the halls of residence, but even if they are finding accommodation on their own, here are some practical pieces of advice:

• Have a day out in the town or city your kids are moving to, keeping an eye out for banks, supermarkets and even bookshops. It will help them feel more familiar with the place.
• Make sure they have some ID. This will allow them to register for their course, the local doctor or to open a bank account. This can include a birth certificate, National Insurance number or a copy of their Local Education Authority financial support form. Also a proof of age card will ensure they can go for a drink in ‘freshers’ week!
• Maybe buy them some basic utensils such as a saucepan, cutlery, plates, mugs and bowls. A kettle, corkscrew and tin opener, along with washing-up stuff and a tea towel will come in handy. Bed linen, hand and bath towels are also other essentials. Plus an alarm clock!
• Make sure they get some passport photos taken – they’ll need them for Student Union cards, library cards and any sports or other kind of clubs.

If you have home contents insurance with Privilege, the one thing you won’t have to worry about is if anything should happen to your children’s possessions, such as loss from theft or fire. That’s because contents temporarily removed to another home, as in going to university accommodation, are automatically covered up to £5,000 as standard (as long as they are in a locked building).

So why not find out what Privilege home insurance has to offer – you can even get an immediate quote and apply for cover online.