Montana State Lessens Staff Stress and Educates Students with Renters Insurance

Each winter, steam pipes at Montana State University Bozeman crack, damaging student property. For years, MSU had no consistent solution, until partnering with GradGuard in 2018.

"We would get calls in our office from people that would just ask about renters insurance," said James Tobin, Associate Director for University Housing. "We didn't really have a solution that worked."

After vetting options, MSU chose GradGuard for its affordability and student-first approach. Renters insurance is now offered during the housing application process. It’s optional, but students must acknowledge their financial responsibility for personal belongings and room damage.

“We wanted our students and families to work with a vendor we had vetted,” Tobin said. “It allows them to stop and ask, ‘What are we going to do if something does happen?’”

Renters insurance serves as a real-world lesson for students, and the partnership has eased the burden on staff. 

"We're spending less time worrying about it and more time having those conversations with students," Tobin said. "More time building community and less time focused on billing, work orders, and facility damage."

BOTTOM LINE

• GradGuard helps MSU reduce stress, protect students, and avoid tough financial conversations—while teaching students the value of being prepared.

  "It's relatively inexpensive when you look at the overall cost of college and when you look at living on campus," Tobin said. "It's pennies compared to room and board. It's a nice safeguard."

GradGuard's Renters Insurance Program promotes financial literacy by helping schools disclose resident liability for damages they may cause & providing an active choice for residents to protect themselves.