Travel Insurance for Students: Study Abroad Coverage (2025)
Each year, more than 300,000 American students study abroad. If you’re going abroad for a semester, an internship, or an exchange program, travel insurance can provide peace of mind. For some students, it may also be required.
In this article, we’ll explain what travel insurance covers for students abroad, how much these policies cost, and what to look for when buying study abroad travel insurance.
Benefits of Travel Insurance for Students Studying Abroad
Travel insurance has a number of benefits for students studying abroad, like coverage for medical expenses and travel-related issues, such as cancelled flights. Here are some of the main benefits of a travel insurance policy for students studying internationally:
- Pays for emergency healthcare in a foreign country.
- Covers medical repatriation if you need to be transported back to the U.S.
- Reimburses prepaid travel costs if you have to leave due to a family emergency, natural disaster, or illness.
- Covers unexpected travel issues if you plan to visit multiple countries.
- Provides 24/7 assistance if you need help for emergencies while abroad.
Is Student Travel Insurance Necessary for Study Abroad?
Travel insurance is necessary for many students who are studying abroad. It can be mandatory for your host country’s student visa, study abroad program, or university.
Even if travel insurance isn’t required, it’s still a good thing to have. Your regular health insurance policy doesn’t usually cover you while you’re studying internationally. Without travel insurance, you would be financially responsible for any medical care you needed.
The cost of international medical care varies, but services can be incredibly expensive. For example, a medical evacuation can sometimes cost $100,000 or more, according to the CDC. Travel insurance could reimburse a portion or the entire cost, depending on your plan’s limit.
Whether you’re going abroad for a semester, year-long, exchange, or internship program, travel insurance can provide valuable financial protection if something unexpected happens.
What Does Student Travel Insurance Cover?
A comprehensive student travel insurance policy can cover many of the unexpected risks you could face while studying in another country, such as medical emergencies, cancellations, or travel disruptions. Here’s an in-depth breakdown of what most policies cover.
Emergency medical care
Travel insurance for students can pay for Emergency Medical care in another country where your U.S. health insurance policy isn’t accepted. The policy can pay for things like emergency hospitalization, surgeries, and prescriptions. For the best protection, choose a travel insurance plan with at least $100,000 in Emergency Medical coverage.
Medical evacuation and repatriation
A student travel insurance policy can provide Medical Evacuation coverage (even from remote locations) if you have a serious illness or injury that requires you to come home for treatment. It can also pay to have a family member travel abroad to be with you. Due to the high cost of medical evacuations, we recommend choosing a policy with at least $250,000 in coverage.
Trip cancellation and interruption
If your trip gets cancelled or interrupted due to a covered event, travel insurance can reimburse your nonrefundable costs. For example, if you have a family emergency before you leave for a semester abroad, your policy might cover your prepaid flights and lodging accommodations. Most policies can cover up to 100% of your nonrefundable costs for Trip Cancellations and Trip Interruptions.
Lost and delayed baggage
Travel insurance can cover baggage that gets lost or delayed. It can cover things like clothing, electronics, toiletries, and travel documents. Every travel insurance plan has different Lost Baggage coverage limits and exclusions, so it’s important to read the fine print to understand what items are covered and how much the plan will reimburse.
Travel delays
If you experience travel delays at any point during your trip, travel insurance can cover your necessary expenses. For instance, if your flight gets cancelled and you miss the start of your study abroad program, you could get reimbursed for airport meals or an overnight hotel stay. Most plans have a minimum delay requirement before your expenses are covered.
24/7 assistance
Travel insurance plans include 24/7 Emergency Assistance anywhere in the world. A representative can help you with things like finding a doctor, getting legal assistance, replacing lost travel documents, and rebooking cancelled flights. Plans provide multilingual support and can also provide translation services.
Adventures and sports
If you’re planning to participate in any sports or adventure activities during your time abroad, make sure to read the fine print of your plan. Some travel insurance policies exclude coverage for things like snorkeling, mountaineering, rock climbing, and driving a moped. You can use Squaremouth’s plan comparison tool to find policies that cover your planned activities.
Understanding What is Excluded from Travel Insurance
Standard travel insurance policies have certain exclusions. Before you purchase travel insurance for students, it’s important to understand what’s not covered.
Here are some examples of things that are typically excluded under most plans:
- Incidents that occur under the influence. Your travel insurance probably won’t cover any losses that occur while you’re under the influence of drugs or alcohol, like a fall or car accident.
- Illegal activities. Most policies exclude incidents related to illegal activities. For example, if you get arrested for theft, your travel insurance won’t cover your legal expenses.
- Some activities/sports. It’s common for travel insurance to exclude certain high-risk activities and sports, like skydiving or driving a moped, unless you specifically request coverage for these activities.
- Age requirements for buying insurance. Most travel insurance companies only sell coverage to students who are 18 or older. If you’re under 18, your parents will likely need to purchase the policy for you.
- Mental health and self harm. Travel insurance usually excludes coverage for mental health treatment and emergency medical expenses related to self-harm.
How Much Does Travel Insurance for Students Typically Cost?
The average cost of comprehensive travel insurance for students studying abroad is roughly 5% to 10% of your total trip costs, according to some sources. If you’re spending $5,000 to study abroad, you could pay anywhere from $250 to $500 for travel insurance.
If you want cheaper coverage, consider a travel medical insurance policy instead. Travel medical insurance is significantly less expensive than comprehensive travel insurance, especially if your main priority is having medical benefits while abroad.
The amount you’ll pay for travel insurance also depends on these factors:
- Trip cost
- Trip length (semester vs. one-year vs. short-term)
- Coverage type, including add-ons
- Policy limits
- Destination country
What to Look for When Choosing Student Travel Insurance
Every student traveling abroad has unique insurance needs. To choose the best student travel insurance plan for your situation, here are some things to consider:
- Read the policy terms. It’s important to read the fine print and check for exclusions, especially for Medical Evacuation, mental health, and Trip Interruption coverage.
- Ensure the plan meets the university or visa requirements. If travel insurance is required for your study abroad program, make sure to select a plan that meets the coverage requirements of the host university or country where you’re going.
- Primary vs. secondary coverage. Find out if the plan provides primary or secondary coverage. Travel insurance with primary coverage pays first, while plans with secondary coverage only cover what your other insurance plans (like health insurance) don’t pay.
- Check the coverage limits. Pick a travel insurance plan with sufficient policy limits for Emergency Medical coverage, Medical Evacuation coverage, mental health treatment, and Lost Baggage.
- Global assistance availability and multilingual support. Look for plans that provide 24/7 Emergency Assistance with multilingual support in case you need help while you’re abroad.
- Buy insurance early before the program starts. It’s a good idea to buy travel insurance at least a few weeks before your program starts, especially if you want to add optional coverages, like Cancel For Any Reason (CFAR) coverage or a pre-existing medical conditions waiver.
- Match the plan length to your study abroad term. Make sure that the travel insurance plan you choose will provide coverage for the entire duration of your planned study abroad term. That way, you have continuous coverage.
FAQs: Travel Insurance for Students
Do I need insurance if my school offers a plan?
You should consider getting third-party travel insurance even if your university offers a plan. Third-party travel insurance is often more comprehensive, and may provide coverage for things that your university’s plan excludes, like Trip Cancellation or Lost Baggage.
Can I extend my coverage if I travel after the program ends?
Maybe. It’s best to purchase a travel insurance plan that matches the amount of time you’ll be traveling. Some travel insurance plans allow you to extend your coverage, but only if it’s due to a covered reason, like a medical emergency or natural disaster.
Will it cover me if I travel outside the country I’m studying in?
Yes, Squaremouth sells global travel insurance plans that cover you in multiple countries.
What happens if I get sick before the trip?
If you get sick before your study abroad trip and your policy has cancellation coverage, you might be able to file a claim to get reimbursed for your prepaid and nonrefundable expenses. But if you only have travel medical insurance without Trip Cancellation coverage, you won’t be able to recoup any of the money you already spent.
Written by Elizabeth Rivelli