GradGuard's

You can read a sample GradGuard College Renters Insurance Policy by clicking here.

We are able to pause your current renters insurance policy for up to 6 months and have it resume at a later date! You do need to be on the monthly billing cycle to take advantage of this option.

Step 1: Log into your online account at account.gradguard.com

Step 2: Select the renters insurance policy you are wanting to Pause

Step 3: Scroll to the bottom of the policy page and select "Pause Policy"

Step 4: Select the date you wish for your policy to pause, and then select the date that you wish your policy to resume and click "Confirm"

Step 5: Be sure the information on the final pop-up is correct, then select "Confirm Pause." You will then receive an email the summarizes the pausing of your policy.

Step 6: You're done!

An agent is also able to help you pause your policy if you need assistance! You can reach one through:

• Chat
• Email (customerservice@gradguard.com)
• Phone (866-985-7598)

Here is a step by step guide to cancel your renters insurance policy online:

Step 1. Log in to your GradGuard account at account.gradguard.com.

Step 2. From the home page, select the renters insurance policy that you wish to cancel.

Step 3. Scroll down to the bottom of your policy information page and click "Cancel Policy."

Step 4. Select the date that you wish the coverage to cancel. Remember, you can only cancel a policy for today's date or a date in the future. GradGuard does not honor backdated refunds and cancellations*.

Step 5. Select the reason you are canceling your policy from the drop-down menu and click "Confirm."

Step 6: Review the summary of cancellation information. Once you are sure everything is correct and you want to set your coverage to terminate, you MUST click "Confirm Cancel" to finalize the cancellation of your policy.

Step 7. Once your policy has been cancelled, you will receive an email confirmation summarizing the cancellation of your policy. If you do not receive this email, please contact us so we can be sure you receive it!

*Note that partial month refunds are not available. Because our policy covers worldwide personal property coverage, we do not honor backdated cancellations or refunds. Upon purchasing a policy, it is required that the purchaser agrees to terms and conditions and an understanding of the payment schedule. As GradGuard is a separate entity than the university, we are not notified when a student moves out of a residence or withdraws from the university. It is the responsibility of the insured or account holder to cancel a policy when coverage is no longer needed. Cancellation must be requested by the account holder or the insured. 

Having trouble canceling online? Click here to submit a contact us form with the name of the student, date of birth, and university and an agent will assist you.

You can update your billing information at any time within your online account at account.gradguard.com

Just select your name in the top right and click "Account Settings."

Once you do so, select "billing" then choose if you need to edit the card information for your renters policy or your tuition plan and click "Edit."

That's it! Make sure to save your updated card and details. Note that you can only edit the billing information if you are the account holder of the policy that has been purchased.

Insured address: Yes

You may update your insured address. To make that change, log in to your online account at account.gradguard.com and select the renters policy that you wish to change. Then select the "edit" button at the top next to the insured name. You can then make edits to your address. Once you calculate the coverage at the bottom, it will let you know if there is a rate change, and then confirm your change.

Make sure you select at the top the date that you wish your new coverage to begin.

Note that if your address changes to a new state, a rewrite will happen to your policy and you will be issued a new policy and policy number.

If you have trouble making this change, please give us a call (866-985-7598), chat, or email us. 

 *Note: If you are currently living in on-campus housing and are moving to a different dorm/apartment that is also on-campus housing, your address does not need to be updated. 

Add a roommate: Yes

You may add a roommate after you purchase a policy. We don't encourage students to share policies unless you have a minimum of $5,000 personal property and $25,000 liability per person. Note that when you add a roommate to your policy, the coverage limits are split between everyone listed.

To add a roommate, log in to your online account at account.gradguard.com and select the policy you wish to add a roommate to, then select the "Edit" button at the top next to your name.

You can then scroll down to the roommate's section and add up to 4 roommates to your renters policy for a total of 5 insureds including yourself as the named insured on the policy. You will need their first and last name along with their contact email address.

Once you have added them, make sure you calculate and save the changes at the bottom!

If you have trouble, please give us a call (866-985-7598), chat, or email us. 

Add an interested party: Yes 

You may add an interested party after you purchase a policy. We are able to add a landlord, parent, or property management company as one of these three things at any time!

You can do so by logging into your online account at account.gradguard.com and selecting the policy you wish to add an interested party to. You can then select the "Edit" function at the top next to the insured name. Scroll down to the bottom. add your interested party and calculate and save the changes.

Tip: If you need to add an address as an interested party, just enter it into the Last Name field and the name of the complex/landlord in the first name field. Make sure you also add a contact email address for them.

If you have trouble, just send us an inquiry, give us a call, chat with us, or send us an email so we can get them added for you.

Adding an interested party, party of interest, or additional interest means that the person or company you add is able to request details about your policy from GradGuard as well as be notified if you cancel your policy.

Changing Coverage Limits: Yes

You can change the amount of coverage you purchased at any time within your online account at account.gradguard.com

Once you get there, just select the policy you need to change the coverage limits for and select "Edit" at the top next to the insured name. You can then edit your property coverage, liability coverage, or deductible! Once you have selected your new coverages, calculate the changes down at the bottom of the page. This will then show you the change of the premium for the new coverage selected. Once you agree at the bottom to the new premium price, the policy will be edited to reflect that change. Make sure before you submit the change, that you select the date you want this change to take place. 

You will receive an email following the change notifying you that an edit has been made to your policy.

When you make any kind of edit to your policy, you need to know that the soonest a change can take place is the next day and the furthest out is 90 days. We cannot backdate the start of coverage of any kind whether that be at a new address or updating your coverage limits.

Upon your initial enrollment, we take a payment the date that you purchase the policy, however, the coverage for the insurance will not begin until your selected start date.

If you have chosen the annual payment plan, then this is the only charge that GradGuard will take from you. Once again, it is taken on the date that you purchase the policy, not the date that the coverage begins. If you have selected to auto-renew the policy, we will remind you at least 30 days in advance that your policy is set to renew. 

If you've selected the monthly payment option, then we take a monthly payment on the date you purchase the insurance, then your next payment will come out 15 days after the start date of your policy; that date will now be your recurring payment date when the monthly premium is automatically taken out of your account.

*For example, if you purchase a policy on June 2nd, but do not want the coverage to start until July 1st, then you will be charged your first months premium on June 2nd; this payment is for your first full month of coverage going from July 1st to August 1st. Your second payment that comes out 15 days after the start date of your policy which would be July 16th is for the next months worth of coverage going from August 1st to September 1st; so on and so forth. 

Your policy documents are conveniently located in your online account. The two documents that you will find are: 

GradGuard College Renters Certificate:  This document serves as proof of insurance for an active or pending policy for the listed dates. If your landlord or property management company is looking for a copy of your policy or the declarations page, 9 times out of 10 this is still the best document to give them. 

GradGuard Policy: Markel, the underwriting company for GradGuard, uploads the complete policy within 3-4 business days after your first payment. For a sample copy, please click here: 

Where is the certificate or policy located within my online account? 

On the top menu bar, please click on "policies". Once prompted, choose the policy you wish to get a certificate of. This will take you to the policy information. At the bottom of the page, you may click on the document. 

How do I save this? 

Once you've opened the policy or certificate in a new screen, you may right-click, choose "print,"  and then change the printer option to "save as PDF". 

GradGuard is a separate entity than the university that the student who is covered attends so we are not notified when the student moves out of the residence. Thus, you need to notify us that you want the policy to be cancelled. You agree to this within the terms and conditions when you purchase the policy. You can cancel or pause your policy anytime within your online account at account.gradguard.com

Our Renters Insurance policy will provide coverage for on and off-campus housing. Personal property coverage protects the student's belongings worldwide from theft, burglary, and malicious damage. The policies include liability coverage which would provide protection of the insured location due to fire, water damage, etc. 

You can read a sample policy by clicking here.

You can take a look at our plans at GradGuard.com and go through the quote process to see what makes sense for you. If you would like to speak to an agent, give us a call at 866-985-7598.

Note: GradGuard does not cover accidental damage or the normal wear and tear of items.

Bike: Yes

Items such as bicycles, skateboards, and roller blades are all covered under this policy.

However, any motorized or electric vehicles are not covered. Any bike, scooter, or other modes of transportation powered by a motor or battery are not covered, nor are any modes of transportation that are designed for street use. 

Be sure that you have documentation and proof that you owned the item before you submit a claim.

Laptop: Yes

Yes, items such as laptops, phones, head phones, speakers, and other electronics are covered under your renter's insurance policy. 

Cellphone: Yes

Yes, your phone is covered in the case of an event such as theft or another covered peril. Please note that we do not cover accidental damage such as a cracked screen.

Since GradGuard comes with worldwide personal property coverage, your personal belongings such as clothes, laptop, smartphone, tablet, etc. are covered while you are studying abroad! However, since we are only able to attach a US-based address to a policy, the liability coverage does not extend outside of your U.S. based address. 

If you purchase a GradGuard College Renters Insurance policy, your personal items are covered when in storage. However, any unintentional damage to the structure of the storage unit will not be covered. Please refer to the policy for specific details, limits, and exclusions.

Purchasing Renters Insurance is quick and easy. Please click here to enroll. Or you can take a look at our plans at GradGuard.com and go through the quote process to see what makes sense for you. If you would like to speak to an agent, give us a call, 866-985-7598.

Need more specifics: 

School already started, is it too late to purchase Renters Insurance?

GradGuard College Renters Insurance is available for purchase at any point during the school year.

I am a parent, can I purchase a renters policy for my student?
Yes, you can! When you're enrolling, you can make yourself the account holder by selecting "someone else". The form will then ask you to tell us about yourself and your student. This will allow GradGuard to e-mail you important information regarding your student's policy. 

I am not a student, am I eligible for GradGuard's Renters Insurance? 

Anyone is welcome to purchase GradGuard College Renters Insurance. We have specific endorsements tailored to college students, such as low deductibles and worldwide personal property coverage.

However, in order to enroll at this time, you must select a university name. If you are not a student, we recommend selecting the university that is closest. Then, just be sure to select that you are living off-campus while going through the enrollment process.

How much is the stuff in your room worth? You may have more in your dorm or apartment than you think. Use our calculator to help estimate the total value of everything you have with you to help determine whether you can afford to replace your belongings or should consider a renters insurance policy. Click here to use a calculator to help determine your amount. 

For your personal property coverage, this can include a laptop, smartphone, gaming system, television set, clothes, bicycle, etc. 

For liability coverage, you will want to check with your residence to see if they have a specific required coverage limit. 

Yes, you can! GradGuard offers renters insurance to students living both on-campus and off-campus! You will be able to select "off-campus" when you are going through the quote process at www.gradguard.com/renters. Then you will just proceed as normal and enter in your off-campus address as the insured address.

Your rental company or landlord does not need to be associated with the university for you to purchase a policy.

What is Liability Insurance? 

Liability coverage protects you financially for unintentional damage to your residence or bodily injury when you are found legally liable, within your residence premises. This helps cover the cost of related damages and required legal defense. 

Here are just a few examples when personal liability may help protect you:

• Your friend accidentally trips over your longboard that you left in the middle of your room and breaks an arm.
• You set off the sprinkler system in your residence hall, causing the floor beneath you to flood.
• You have a grease fire in the kitchen that causes damages to both your apartment and the adjoining neighbor(s). 

As with all insurance, the coverage is subject to limits and exclusions. 

Do I Need Liability Insurance? 

In order to purchase GradGuard College Renters Insurance, liability coverage must be selected. We do not currently sell property-only policies. You may choose from the following amounts: 

• $25,000
• $50,000
• $100,000
• $300,000

For specific rates, please click here to get a quote.  

How Much Liability Coverage Do I Need? 

If you are on campus, the suggested amount automatically appears. On www.gradguard.com you may increase or decrease this by toggling the button right or left. We encourage you to evaluate how much you could afford to pay in the event that one of the unforeseen circumstances listed above occurred. Consider any assets you may have as well. 

If you are off-campus, many landlords and property management companies require a specific amount of liability in order to move in. Please check with your property manager to confirm the amount necessary to move in. 

A deductible is the amount of money withheld from your claim reimbursement after a loss. For example, your two-year-old laptop is stolen and the actual cash value of that laptop is $500, but the cost to replace it is $800. GradGuard’s program will reimburse for the replacement cost of your laptop, less the deductible. 

$800 (laptop) - $100 (deductible) = $700 claim payment

Deductibles keep the cost of insurance lower and are put in place to mitigate the financial exposure of the insurer in the event there are multiple claims on a given policy. Most renters insurance policies have a minimum deductible of either $250 or $500. The GradGuard College Renters Insurance policy has a deductible as low as $100*, which provides significant savings to our policyholders in the event of a claim.

You choose your set deductible at the time of purchase. A deductible is on a per claim basis rather than per item basis. 

*Florida policies require a minimum deductible of $250.

To file a renters insurance claim, you will want to contact the underwriter on your policy, Markel, at 800-236-3113. This will be considered your "First Notice of Loss" and you will be contacted by a claims adjuster within 2-3 business days to review your claim.

Here are some things you will need:

• Be sure to have your policy number handy! This begins with RTH80-- and can be found in your online account.
• You need some kind of proof that you owned the item. This can be done by receipts, bank statements, photographs, or serial numbers!
• If this was a theft, you will need to obtain a police report by either local or campus police.

In the end, the typical turnaround is 1-2 weeks from the time you give your First Notice of Loss until a replacement has made its way into your hands.

You can also file your First Notice of Loss documentation within your online account at account.gradguard.com.

GradGuard College Renters Insurance is underwritten by Markel American Insurance Company, Waukesha, WI. (MKL NYSE), a member of the 2.3 billion dollar Markel Corporation. Rated "A+" (Excellent) by A.M. Best, Markel has been in business for over 80 years.
N14 W23800 Stone Ridge Drive,
Waukesha, WI 53188.
*If you live in AK, CT, or RI, your policy may be underwritten by Assurant Specialty.