Santa Clara University Teaches Students Financial Responsibility Through Renters Insurance
College is a key time for students to learn life skills, including how to manage risks while living independently. At Santa Clara University, that includes educating students on the importance of renters insurance.
“Adulting is understanding what your risks are out on your own,” said Gayle Bandy, Assistant Administrator at SCU. “Renters insurance is a big part of that.”
To help students understand the risks, the university partnered with GradGuard to offer renters insurance to students. The program was integrated within StarRez, housing technology that the campus was already using. While students and families make key housing decisions in the portal, the offer to protect themselves with renters insurance pops up.
"You do all the work for us. You make sure that our students are getting all the information they need,” Bandy said.
The integration also simplifies the student experience. Renters insurance can be accepted or declined within the housing application, without adding extra administrative burden.
“Implementing this is not additional work,” Bandy emphasized. “It’s no hassle.”
Santa Clara's approach highlights how a simple addition to the housing process can teach students a critical life skill: the importance of protecting their belongings and understanding responsibility as renters.
“Now they know, going into the real world, this is something they really need to do,” Bandy said.
BOTTOM LINE
GradGuard’s reputation with other institutions and partnership with StarRez is what drew Santa Clara to become a partner, according to Bandy.
“We want third-party partnerships to be easy and not something we have to think about a lot. GradGuard fits perfectly into our process.”.
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.
