Before you leave to take your kid to college, there are a few items you will want to take care of that are extremely important. Most college students are 18, although a few are younger, which means they are considered to be legal adults. With that comes a whole lot of independence from their parents, regardless of who is footing the bill for their education.

Unless they give you permission or their login information, you will be unable to have access to their health records, grades, pretty much anything that has HPPA laws behind it. Talk to your student about signing over permission for the college to speak with you, before they leave for school. Make certain they understand that without that signed permission, everything, and we mean everything, pertaining to the college, from medical records to financial aid, cannot be discussed with any other person but themselves. While you may be footing the bill for your college student, remember, the vast majority of them are over the age of 18, thereby affording them certain protections, including the sharing of any information.

HaveUHeard that when a child turns legal age (18), if something catastrophic were to happen, which we all hope and pray does not unless you have specific legal documents, your hands will be tied? The last position you want to be in is making decisions, or not being able to make decisions, in a crisis situation. You can often find these documents free online or you may be able to get them from an attorney, but we are sharing them with you now, take a look before you buy the first books!

Designation of Health Care Surrogate – this legal document allows for your child to designate a surrogate to provide informed consent for medical treatment, surgical or diagnostic procedures should they become incapacitated. There are many other aspects of this document, but without having a family member or some other person your child knows and trusts, you may lose valuable time as a court-appointed guardian may be named. Laws differ by state so it is best to research each state’s individual laws as it applies to who would make these decisions for you should this form not be executed.

Authorization for Release of Protected Health Information. Under the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), you will want to have all health information available so proper treatment may be made. You should name the same person you name as your surrogate so that there is continuity especially when time is of the essence in a medical crisis.

Declaration of Living Will – Most of us operate under the premise that a will is not drawn up until you are older or have children. In fact, there are many who still do not have wills. If your child is incapacitated or has an end-stage terminal condition, as a legal adult, you should want them to make their desires known and be able to direct that process while they are of sound mind and body. The mere mention of a will to an eighteen-year-old may seem ridiculous but by having an open and honest discussion, you are taking their wishes into consideration. Perhaps they may not want a feeding tube or other artificially provided method for nourishment and fluids. They may or may not want to donate their organs. You may have had this discussion when they went for their driver’s license as that is an item listed on the
license. This discussion is one of the mature discussions you will have with your child and as such, should be approached with knowledge and compassion. The document also allows for one or two persons to be named as agents regarding the Living Will allowing them to act inconsistently with their intentions should it be in their best interest and they are incapacitated.

Durable Power of Attorney. This allows your student to appoint one or two persons that represent and act for them in all matters in order to expedite handling all of their business, property, and affairs.

Additionally, the university ensures the confidentiality of student records in accordance with the provisions of various federal, state, and university regulations, including the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 (FERPA), as amended, also known as the Buckley Amendment. The statutes and regulations also provide certain rights to students concerning their education records. Your student can provide a signed FERPA Release of Information.

Under FERPA, when a student reaches 18 years of age or enroll at a postsecondary institution such as Florida Atlantic University, the rights afforded to the parents of a student automatically transfer to the student. However, a parent still may have access to the education record if:

The information requested is directory information and there is no privacy hold on the student’s record.
The student provides a signed release to the university. The student may specify what information should be released, including the timeframe for the authorization to remain in effect. Additional authentication of the student’s signature may be required.
The parents can demonstrate that the student is a dependent, as defined by the IRS.
The information is released in response to a lawful subpoena.

Insurance – Your homeowners’ insurance policy may or may not cover them while they are living on or off-campus. (Many policies do include coverage if they are living in an on-campus residence at no extra cost.)  Check the terms of your home insurance policy. Most of the large insurance companies offer separate renters policies at a reasonable rate. You may also want to look at two of the more reputable college student insurance companies College Student Insurance and National Student Services, Inc.

Sorry for today’s daunting read. We truly hope you never need the precautions you are so responsibly for enacting.

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It’s bound to happen.  At some point, the phone will ring and your mature, independent college student will cry “Mom, I’m sick!” Hopefully, their illness will be a result of their new-found independence that includes lack of sleep, exercise, stress, an unhealthy diet, and hygiene habits that don’t embrace enough hand-washing and can be cured quickly and easily.

I sent my daughters to school with a “things you may need that Mom thought of just in case” box. Inside was a thermometer; vitamins, the medicines that they used at home for symptoms of a cold; sinus infection; stomach ache, or other common ‘sick’ ailments. In my experience, my kids and I have had great results taking Source Naturals Wellness Formula. It has been a strong herbal defense supplement in fighting an illness that was recommended to me by a local natural health food store. Two a day for prevention but when you feel yourself coming down with something, you take 6 in the morning and 6 in the evening for two days. It has worked amazingly well for most everyone I have recommended it to.

Sometimes they need care beyond your box. Student Health Services is comprehensive providing both primary and some specialty care, including dentistry. If it is not a medical emergency or life-threatening circumstance, it is recommended that they go online to request an appointment. If it is a medical concern that needs attention that day, students can walk into the clinic anytime between 8 am and 6 pm. FAU also offers free flu shots to all students. If Student Health Services gives your student a prescription, they can fill it at the FAU Pharmacy, located in the Student Union. The Pharmacy also has a selection of over-the-counter products.

FAU has a hospital about five minutes away, Boca Raton Regional Hospital. There is also another hospital and 4 urgent care centers in the vicinity. Have your students fill out and drop off an Authorization to Release form when they begin college. It is up to them as to how much access they want to allow you. There is nothing worse than calling to find out how your sick or injured student is and being told the doctor is not authorized to talk with you.

If the health center on campus is inconvenient due to the hours or long wait times, there are alternatives. FAU recommends several off-campus walk-in clinics and emergency service locations. CVS has three Minute Clinics for minor illnesses. Have a discussion before dropping them off at college with an emergency plan. This should include having your student’s roommate or friend’s phone number, especially if they are accompanying them to the ER. I had my daughter add a phone contact titled ICE (In Case of Emergency) in the event she was unable to communicate. You can add that info whether you have an iPhone or Android. Have them enter their Medical ID information. This information allows medical personnel to access even on a locked phone and includes allergies, emergency contact information, and other crucial information.

Also, we recommend having your student get a flu shot. This past year, my daughter got really sick twice; once with the bad flu and once for a bad virus. It was difficult to get an appointment during flu season (it seems that most students and teachers all got hit with the flu). I would recommend your student getting the flu shot this year. Here are locations to get a flu shot.

Consider asking your family doctor for a recommendation of a general practitioner doctor in Boca. Yes, your fees pay for the student health center but her now having a Boca doctor will make getting an appointment a little easier. They are going to be at college for four years so establishing a relationship early may be worth it when the time comes that your student needs to be seen (although all bets are off when the flu season hits its peak). Be sure your student has a copy of their insurance card.

If you want to send something to make your student feel better, there are many options from chicken soup your student can pick up or have delivered. Check out our Care Package blog for local and national recommendations.

Remind your students to notify their professor if they will be legitimately missing class and unable to complete coursework. Including a doctor’s note is encouraged. FAU students who are seen by a doctor at the Student Health Services and who will not be able to attend class or take an exam, will not be able to get an excuse note. If a doctor’s note is required to have an absence excused, your student will have to go to an outside clinic. And finally, please make sure your student has filled out the legal forms should an emergency arise and you need to know what is going on.

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Florida Atlantic University does not require students to have Health Insurance (unless they are international students); however, it does help to keep costs down during visits to Student Health Services. Deciding on which health insurance plan your student should be on may require a degree in economics. There are so many variables to consider when choosing:

• Is the monthly premium you pay for your child pre-tax or after-tax?
• Is it marketplace insurance or subsidized and again, does it meet the university’s minimum requirements?
• Does your current insurance cover your student at an out of state college?

If your student is coming to FAU from out of state, you will need to check with your current health insurance coverage to see if it covers their costs while attending school and living out of state. At Florida Atlantic University, Student Health Insurance Plans are available for students to enroll in. The FAU student insurance plans are underwritten by Aetna.

The Florida Atlantic University plan’s rates for a single student are approximately $388 per month (average) for the calendar year. There are also plans that cover students for only two semesters or just the summer semester. Your Student can enroll in quarterly or annual payment plans. If your student is already covered by your own plan, you should consider what your cost is to keep them on your plan. Suffice to say, if this is a Cafeteria Plan using pre-tax dollars, it may be more reasonable to keep them on your insurance plan.  In addition, if you are going to be studying abroad, you may want to consider your options on which plan to go with. The Deadline to submit waivers for the Fall 2020 semester is August 17, 2020. More information on pricing and coverage options with FAU’s student insurance plans.

To be eligible for this coverage, students must be considered Full-time, or enrolled in at least 12 credit hours and attend the first 31 days of courses. For more information, a Representative from Insurance for students is available to speak with on Thursdays from 1-4 pm in the Student Health Services Clinic. Students can also call (561) 297-1135.

Student Health Services accepts Aetna, Florida Blue, Cigna, and United Healthcare. Be sure to pack an insurance card for your students to hold onto while at college for on-campus visits or emergencies. Students without health insurance can also visit Student Health Services and pay out of pocket. If you are unsure of which plan makes the most sense for your family and you have a financial planner or a certified public accountant, they can run the numbers for you. For information about FAU’s Aetna Student Health Insurance options, or information in regards to coverage and costs at Student Health Services.

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You worry about your student being safe, then one more thing to worry about is their stuff. Right up there with the call from my college daughter that she lost her phone, keys, student ID, (fill in the blank), is the call you get when they tell you someone took their cell phone, watch, or whatever valuable item your child has had taken.

It has been through their tears and yelling about an item of theirs being taken, that I find myself, once again, asking if they had locked their door. You see, my daughters have lived in dorms, apartments, sorority houses, and off-campus houses and consistently, I have personally witnessed them forgetting to lock their room doors (not the front door, although they have done that on occasion). Usually, when I make a mere mention of that fact, I get a sassy response along the lines of “I’m just running down the hall to the bathroom,” or, even better, “Mom, no one would ever take my stuff.” It is exactly this naiveté that has taught them a painful lesson; not everyone is kind and good and honest.

In my daughter’s particular situation, it was not taken by their roommate, but a visitor to their living space. It is why I have always purchased renter’s insurance for them and most recently purchased a dorm vault. They did not have a dorm vault when my older daughter went to school. Oh, how I am sure she wished they did.

Put It In The Vault

My other daughter is going into her junior year so I am a little late to the party learning about Dorm Vault. It takes up very little space and can be attached either with a security cable or a bolt. It is designed specifically to comply with residence hall and apartment lease regulations which do not allow it to be mounted to the wall or bedposts. I was so impressed with the Dorm Vault that I reached out to the Founder/Owner to learn more about his company. He agreed to offer readers of our blog an exclusive 10% discount. Just use code HUH10OFF to receive this exclusive offer.

Equally as important is having renters insurance. If you read your student’s undergraduate housing agreement, Page 3, Section 16, the University is not liable for loss of or damage to Student’s personal property kept in Student’s assigned Space or on or about any of Department’s facilities. For dorms, your homeowner’s policy will most likely cover 10% of the total personal property coverage or up to $1,000, which means an item costing over $1,000 will not be fully covered.

For off-campus apartments, renters insurance may even be required, especially in the newer luxury apartments. What I like about having renter’s insurance is that it covers personal property and not just the liability insurance that may be required. You can check with your homeowner’s insurance policy to see if it covers your student or if they offer it but I did shop around, as well as check with some of my friends, and the renter’s insurance companies that many students are using were the following:

• National Student Services, Inc.
• Gallagher (aka College Student Insurance)
• Security First which is a Florida Renter’s Insurance company
• Nationwide 
• Allstate
• Progressive
• State Farm
• Geico
• GradGuard
• Stillwater Insurance

HaveUHeard offers real information like this to help you have the best college experience possible. We glean great tips from our own experience and the experience of real parents and students from the schools we present. Pass on these great tips, tell your friends and like us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and Pinterest. Find out more about how to use HaveUHeard as a great resource. Sign up for other great tips at haveuheard.com.

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