College Countdown: What to Know Before They Go

JULY 1, 2025

June and July begin the orientation sessions for teens starting their college careers. For students, parents and guardians, this “next phase of development” brings both opportunities and challenges. The stress of a child leaving home can be substantially reduced with pre-planning for safety, health and financial exposures. To facilitate a smooth transition for your family, USI Insurance Services has compiled a list of essential steps to take before your child leaves for college.

Safety Concerns on Campus

Violence, including incidents with guns, often occurs in and around institutions of learning. From 2013-2025, there were 418 documents instances of gunfire on U.S. college campuses.¹ Parents and students should look beyond basic safety measures to examine the administrative response to incidents on campus. If a school fails to meet your family’s safety expectations, evaluate other options.

Help students identify danger before crisis strikes. Create a plan for avoiding precarious situations, what to do in an emergency, and how to contact security.

Students should be aware that according to the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network (RAINN), more than half of sexual assaults on college campuses occur from August through November. Women ages 18 to 24 who are college students are three times more likely to experience sexual violence than women in general.² Students should be educated on reporting sexual abuse and how to seek help when needed.

USI experts recommend providing your child with emergency alert devices, such as whistles that send extremely loud sounds to notify others nearby and deter attackers.

See the RAINN website for information on staying safe on campus.

Driving and Rideshare Safety

Consider having your child leave their vehicle at home. Many colleges offer transportation options to and from campus. If your child is attending college more than 100 miles away and leaves the vehicle home, you may save premium and simultaneously reduce liability exposure.

If your child takes the vehicle to school, establish rules before departure. First, no one is permitted to drive the vehicle except your child. If your child permits another person to drive the vehicle and an accident happens, the owner of the vehicle has liability exposure, not the driver. Consider increasing liability coverage on the auto policy and umbrella policy to offset this risk.

Stress to young drivers the dangers of texting or taking their eyes off the road to glance at phones. Teenagers are more likely to read, send texts, eat and listen to loud music while driving. Invest in Bluetooth technology to facilitate hands-free calling.

Students without cars or who choose not to drive often use rideshare apps, such as Uber and Lyft. Ensure your child takes basic precautions to ensure their safety while in these vehicles, such as:³

• Ride confirmation — Confirm car make/model, license plate number, driver name and photo match the requested ride
• PIN verification — Rider must provide PIN to driver to begin the trip
• Share the trip — Have your child share their trip with you through the app

Drug and Alcohol Use

Social media platforms and encrypted apps make drugs easier to access than ever before. Guardians should be aware that young people express interest in purchasing drugs via online social media platforms like Snapchat, Instagram, TikTok and YouTube, posting a series of specific emojis to signal their interest in a sale.⁴

Experts are concerned that middle school, high school and college students are being targeted by drug dealers. Fentanyl pills disguised as oxycodone, Adderall and Xanax are sold to students who do not realize the pill contains fentanyl. It is impossible to tell by sight, smell or taste that the drugs are spiked.

Nationwide, fentanyl and other synthetic drugs, including methamphetamine, are the primary cause of overdose deaths. Though the overdose rate in the U.S. has decreased approximately 25% over a 12-month period, the heightened risk remains, including with other illicit drugs such as cocaine, heroin, and other prescription opioids.⁵

Additionally, using alcohol and tobacco (including vaping with e-cigarettes) poses short- and long-term health threats to students, regardless of legal age. Discuss drug and alcohol use with children before they start school.

Mental Health

Students are affected by a range of stressors and challenges. A recent survey of college students found that more than half (56%) of students have experienced chronic stress (a consistent sense of feeling pressured and overwhelmed over a long period of time) in college. Chronic stress is linked to various mental and physical health issues.

According to the survey, nearly nine in 10 students consider their mental health poor, and 49% of students who rate their mental health as poor also fail to access mental health services.

Mental health issues do not come with a one-size-fits-all solution. Keep communication open between you and your child so you can be a resource to their recovery.

Financial Wellness

Money can be an additional stressor for students. Eight percent of college students report feeling stressed about finances, and 50% worry about their job prospects after college.⁶

Help your child start managing their finances early, regardless of the financial support you provide or financial aid. Setting a budget and understanding how credit cards work are basics that should not be overlooked. The National Endowment for Financial Education publishes a guide to help you get started: 40 Money Management Tips Every College Student Should Know.

Cyber Risks

Discuss internet safety with your student. Educate them about hackers and how to protect their private information. Discuss and implement the best practices detailed in USI’s cyber checklist.

Remind your student that inappropriate comments, photos, and material online can expose your family to liability. Risks may include legal responsibility for libel or slander, as well as difficulty obtaining gainful employment in the future.