Students can get car insurance discounts — here's how to qualify and save

If you're a high school or college student with a car, you're probably paying more for car insurance than your parents.

That's because younger drivers usually have to pay more in premiums for insurance coverage. For example, the average U.S. driver spends about $2,014 on car insurance per year, (according to Bankrate), but the typical 20-year-old young adult on their own policy pays more than $4,300 per year for full coverage.

However, students can also take advantage of discounts that insurance companies have for those enrolled in college and high school. Just make sure to pay attention to age limits when shopping these deals, as most discounts are only available to those under a certain age which varies by company.  

Here are several ways to get a student discount on your car insurance.

• Get good grades (and have proof)
• Consider leaving your car at home
• Bundle your renters and car insurance
• Bottom line  

You're probably motivated to do well in your studies for more than your car insurance. But, having a good grade point average can help you access helpful student discounts.  

Most of the companies we reviewed required a B or better average to qualify for good student discounts. That's the case with Progressive, which offers an average discount of about 10% depending on your state. Geico, one of our top car insurance picks for students, also offers good student discounts of up to 15%.  

Generally, you'll need to submit proof of your grades to qualify for the discount. Make sure to hold on to documentation, including:  

• Your current grades or report card  
• A dean's list letter 
• Other documentation depending on your insurance company 

If you're going far away to school and feel you can get around well enough without a car, consider leaving it at home to lower the cost of your insurance.

Some insurance companies offer a student-away-at-school discount for those leaving their car at home and attending a school far away, generally of a distance of 100 miles or more. With this insurance discount, you'll still be able to use your car during school breaks or holidays and it's an easy way to make sure your car is covered while you're away.  

Progressive was one of our top picks for their student-away-at-school discount. However, they're not the only company offering this type of discount: Travelers and Liberty Mutual auto insurance also offer this discount.  

If you decide to live off-campus as a college student, there's a good chance you'll need to get renters insurance to sign a lease on a house or apartment. And while renters insurance provides you with plenty of benefits by itself (such as protecting your belongings in the event of a fire, theft or other covered situations), it can also help you save on car insurance by getting the two policies from the same company and bundling them together for a possible discount.

Progressive estimates that customers save about 4% by bundling their policies, and Nationwide also has a discount available for renters and auto insurance bundles. Both companies were top picks in our roundup of the best renters insurance policies for their affordable cost, history of customer support and discounts, among other factors.  

The most common ways for students to save on car insurance include a good student discount and a discount for students who leave their cars at home for the school year. College students living off campus can also save by bundling any renters insurance they may need with their car insurance.

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