Insurance Companies generally give high quotes to college students, because they are seen as high risks. Students tend to get in more accidents. However, many college students are responsible people with good driving records. You cannot afford unreasonably expensive auto insurance and you shouldn’t have to. The best ways to get a better quote await your eyes below.

Know what you want on your policy

Every policy in the United States must include liability insurance. This is the coverage that pays for the damage to the other vehicle or person that you cause when you are responsible for a collision.

Many people end up paying big bills because they are getting a bunch of unnecessary coverage. Students can save money by only paying for the things they use.

• Theft Insurance – You might want to pay for this. Whether you’re at an urban campus or not, universities actually have a higher rate of auto theft than the rest of the country as a whole.
• Collision Insurance – With this, the provider will pay the damages on your vehicle, even when you are responsible for the collision. More often than not, students are responsible for collisions they are in. Think about it: you’re exhausted from classes, studying, your part-time job, and letting loose at a social event. Then, you have to drive home! If you’re worried about your car, it might be best to pay for this. However, if you drive an old clunker, you might be better off getting a different car anyhow. If that’s the case, don’t worry about getting collision insurance.

Make sure you know every bit of coverage on your insurance policy, then make sure you need it.

Your record

Your background has a lot to do with the quote you’ll get. If you’ve had lots of tickets and accidents while in high school, you’re going to have to pay a lot of money. However, if you have a clean record—traffic and criminal—you can save money. And if you have a clean credit history, you can save money. There are lots of tips here that can save you some cash.

• Pay all the outstanding debt that you can. You will build better credit and pay less for your auto insurance.
• Drive safely and smartly. The fewer tickets you have to pay, the less your insurance will cost.
• The Dean’s List Discount! If you get great grades, many providers will trust you more and charge you less. Worry more about studying and less about paying lots of money for car insurance.
• Be a woman! Okay, you don’t have much control over this, but women often pay less for insurance because they make fewer claims. Sexist? Maybe. But it could save you money.

Group and parent policies

• Find out if your student association has a group policy plan. Many students can find cheap insurance this way.
• Get on your parents’ insurance policy if you can. Your rate will be a lot cheaper, even if they won’t pay for it completely.

The best proven method for finding cheap auto insurance?

Shop online. You can compare hundreds of policies with a few clicks and find out who is charging the least. After you have found one, talk to a representative and see if you can take a defensive driving class to pay less or get a low mileage discount.