Tuition Insurance for Fall: IHE article

[polly_mer]

It's like travel insurance, but for tuition: https://insidehighered.com/news/2020/07/01/pandemic-related-uncertainty-leads-some-students-consider-tuition-insurance

[Parasaurolophus]

"We only provide a refund in the case where the student completes a withdrawal from school," Fees said. "In the case of campuses changing their instruction methods, there's no insurance that provides coverage for that. Our insurance doesn't provide it, and I'm not aware of anybody that does. That's just a change in form, not a financial loss."

Typically, GradGuard insurance doesn't cover pandemics at all, though the company recently amended its policies in some COVID-19-specific cases.

"Fear of attending school because of the pandemic is not covered but Allianz is currently accommodating claims for when an insured student completely withdraws from school for the covered term due to becoming ill with COVID-19," Fees wrote in an email. "The accommodation above is strictly applicable to COVID-19."

Looks like the insurers are banking on most schools starting the semester IRL and then having to shift back online when it becomes clear that it's untenable, in which case they won't have to reimburse anything. Or starting completely online, in which case nothing needs reimbursing either, except for the usual kinds of claims which get made.

Sounds like a waste of money to me.

[polly_mer]

The mass media now knows about tuition insurance: https://www.huffpost.com/entry/does-college-tuition-insurance-cover-covid-19_l_5f527dddc5b6578026cd9764