Student Car Insurance

Flexibility for budget-conscious student drivers

Student car insurance is specifically designed to provide short-term cover for budget-conscious students who don’t need to drive all year round. If you’re home for the holidays or just about to start university, it could give you the flexibility you’re looking for.

No risk to parent’s or friend’s no claims bonus

Student car insurance is fully comprehensive, so in the event of any damage to your parent’s or friend’s car, the claim is made through your policy, not theirs—protecting their no claims bonus. Peace of mind when they hand the keys over! Are your circumstances a little different? If you’re taking your own car to uni and need an annual policy, there are also 12-month student car insurance options that may suit your needs.

Compare student car insurance

The best student driver insurance for you will depend on your budget, how much flexibility or freedom you want, or if you even have your own car yet.

Should You Take Your Car to Uni?

There are a few things you might want to think about before deciding whether to take the car with you to university or leave it at home.

Can you afford to run it?

There are more costs associated with a car than just insurance; consider fuel, repair bills, parking costs and tax - all of which will make a sizeable dent in your student loan.

Do you really need a car?

If you’re going to university in the middle of a city, you have to ask yourself whether you’re really going to need a car. Public transport is usually pretty good in bigger towns and most cities. Can you see yourself making many journeys anyway?

Where will you park? Is it safe?

Many universities have a student car park, but they’re often oversubscribed. Will you be guaranteed a parking space? If not, where’s the closest parking outside the campus? Public car parks can be unsafe due to drunken behaviour, theft, and vandalism. In particular, first-year students are often required to live in university halls of residence, where allocated parking is even more restricted. If you live out from year two, your parking options may be easier.

A note about car insurance for university students

When you live away at uni, it’s considered your main residence for insurance purposes. You’ll need to let your insurance company know if you take your car to uni, as they’ll want to assess the risk at that location. Unfortunately, this may not work in your favour—big towns and cities (where universities are often located) can have higher crime rates than suburban or rural areas, which could increase your premium.

Freedom

Putting aside practical considerations, having your car with you at university allows you to really enjoy your independence. If you’ve only recently passed your driving test, the novelty of that freedom probably hasn’t worn off—and it’ll be tough to go back to relying on public transport or friends to get around. At the end of the day, taking a car to university can be very handy and will make it much easier to come home at weekends. But you need to make sure you can afford to run it. It’s inevitable that a big bill will arrive just as your money runs out - and believe us, you don’t need the hassle!