MOUNT VERNON — Today’s college students packs a much larger trunk than did their parents or grandparents. It used to be just a few things — such as books and a portable typewriter — that would suffice to get the student through the year.

Today, a student’s baggage list is not only larger, but more expensive. Students will typically bring with them a computer, a cell phone, mp3/iPod device, and perhaps a television and a bicycle. Many will also have a wide array of fairly expensive clothes.

The usually informal atmosphere of a dormitory can put those possessions at risk. If a student lives in an off-campus apartment, the risk can be even greater, since many of the apartments are not in high security areas. Because of this, a smart student should add an insurance policy to his or her list.

Although most colleges and universities offer some level of health insurance to full-time students, coverage of personal property is not usually offered by colleges and universities.

“We don’t offer this kind of coverage at Kenyon,” said Dr. Tammy Gocial, dean of students. “But we do advise them of the importance of having it and that they may be covered by a parent’s homeowner coverage.”

“The parents’ homeowner policies would extend to the students,” said Mark Dumbaugh of Dumbugh Insurance. “That is the way it is usually handled, as long as they are a full-time student. All policies that I am aware of would offer that coverage.”

If the student’s parents do not have homeowner or renter insurance, the student can get coverage on his or her own.

“They could get a tenant owners policy,” Dumbaugh said. “That is what’s commonly called a renter’s policy.”

This applies to full-time students who live in a dormitory or in an off-campus apartment. Dumbaugh said insurance companies are generally not allowed to discriminate on the basis of the quality of the neighborhood.

The Mount Vernon Nazarene University has a policy similar to Kenyon’s regarding insuring personal property.

“As the type of things students bring to campus change, the coverage remains about the same as it was in my day,” said Alan Shaffer, director of auxiliary services at the MVNU. “We do not carry personal property coverage on the students. That’s not the kind of thing we can insure. So we try to verbally mention it at orientation. We do have a paragraph in the student handbook entitled ‘responsibility for personal property.’ Basically, it says the university is not responsible for the theft of personal property or any damage or destruction by fire, water, vandalism or other cause.”

The handbook also advises students to obtain personal property coverage because the university is unable to provide it for the students. It goes on to advise students to use coverage either through their parents’ policies, or to obtain it on their own.

“Different policies are different, too,” Shaffer said. “Some policies, as long as the student is full time and under the age of 23, will cover the student at college just as though they were a minor living at home. Other policies say once you are graduated from high school, we’re done with you. I think a lot of parents and students are not aware of that difference. Parents should check their policies.”

A dormitory can be a very informal setting and students may think they can trust everyone. But that is not always the case.

“There are always some bad apples or people who just have a lapse of conscience,” Shaffer said. “Our kids don’t lock their doors all the time like we recommend they do.”

Regardless of the nature of the coverage, the student needs to keep a record of his or her possessions.

“They should do that without question,” Dumbaugh said. “The best thing is to make an itemized list with serial numbers, and keep it in a safe and secure place. We also tell people to take videos or still pictures of their possessions. What happens in a lot of situations is people cannot remember what they had. Most of the time insurance companies do not require proof. But they will require you to put together a list of what you lost.”

But property protection is only part of the story.

“It’s commonly overlooked, but when a student has coverage based on a parent’s policy or has their own renter’s insurance, they also get personal liability coverage,” Dumbaugh explained. “It’s not unusual for students to have a dog these days. I’ve seen students have pets and dogs especially. If that dog bites someone, the student is covered. Or if they’ve been out drinking and accidentally injure someone, they are covered for that, too.

“College students are very active and have a lot of activities and it’s not uncommon that they injure people. With a renter’s policy, you have the liability coverage. That’s really the most important part of the product but nobody really seems to think about that.”