Hudson - Litchfield News August 13, 2010 - 13


Parents seek ways to protect their investment in a college education Soon, millions of parents will send


their children off to college for the first time. As the car pulls out of the drive- way, they will reflect with nostalgia as their children embark on the next adventure in their lives—while they are acutely aware of how much of an investment they are making in their education. But what if, mid-semester, your son or daughter becomes ill and has to leave school? While the student will lose ground in working toward a di- ploma, parents may lose their financial investment in that semester. Parents may mistakenly believe that colleges refund tuition in the case of unexpected illness, injury or even


death. In fact, a 2010 study by College Parents of America indicates that many colleges do not refund tuition or fees after the fifth week of classes. Although it is unclear exactly how


many college students withdraw from courses, Eric Weil of Student Monitor reports that in a 2009 study “nearly one-third of students either themselves experienced or had a close friend who experienced a mid-semester with- drawal from college due to a medical condition or a death in their immediate family.”


One insurance product, GradGuard, offered by Next Generation Insurance Group, LLC, offers refund of tuition should a student need to leave school


College-bound? Do your homework on insurance


If you or your child is college-bound this fall, don’t for- get to review your insurance. Doing your homework now could save you money and headaches in the future.


Personal property coverage Make sure the student’s possessions are protected in case of theft, fire and other damage while they’re at school.


“While most items will be covered under the parents’


homeowners policy, you can’t assume Mom and Dad’s policy will completely cover a college-bound son or daughter—especially if they own expensive, high-tech electronics,” says Charles Valinotti, senior vice president of QBE Regional Insurance. Because insurance companies vary in their definitions


of who and what is covered, Valinotti recommends talking with your insurance agent to determine the best solution for your family. Here are three questions to ask: 1. Is your daughter considered a “resident of the house- hold” under your policy, even though she’s moving out of your house? Typically the answer is “yes” if she’s residing in a dorm or other student housing and you can claim her on your taxes. 2. Is your son’s dorm an “insured location” under your


policy? Most standard policies cover 10 percent of your contents value for items located at another insured resi- dence. For example, if your home is insured for $200,000, your contents coverage may be $150,000; thus, you’d have $15,000 of coverage for the pos- sessions in your son’s dorm. If that’s not enough to replace his things in case of a total loss, you may want to increase the contents coverage on your homeowners policy. 3. If your daughter gets married


or your son drops to part-time student status and continues to reside away from your home, how does it affect their insurance coverage? Chances are, they’ll


4 LESSONS INTRO $


no longer be covered under their parents’ policy and will require renter’s insurance to protect their possessions.


Vehicle coverage There’s potential to save money on your auto insurance


if your student is taking her car to school with her—or even if she’s not.


* Make sure policies are up to date with the student’s current school address. You may benefit if she takes her car to an area with lower rates. * Look into discounts if the student leaves his car at home. If his dorm is more than 100 miles from your driveway, where the car is kept, you may be eligible for discounts. * If your student leaves his car at home and won’t be us-


ing it while he’s in school, consider reducing coverage or changing his driving status from primary use to occasional use. This will cut your rates. * Remember, your insurance company’s good student discount may apply for college students, too. For example, General Casualty and Unigard offer a Good Student Dis- count to full-time students who are less than 25 years old. “When a member of your family goes off to college,


that’s a significant change to your household, and it’s im- portant to notify your insurance agent,” Valinotti says.


- Courtesy of ARAcontent FALL MUSIC PROGRAM FALL MUSIC PROGRAM


ACCORDION • GUITAR • DRUMS PIANO • KEYBOARD • VOICE


8 THIN & TALL filler (self promo) 65


OPENING DOORS FOR ADULTS AND CHILDREN Adventure Club Affordable, quality care thumbs@


areanewsgroup .com


4 Lake St. Nashua, NH. 03060


(603) 882-9080 ext. 212 www.adultlearningcenter.org


- Safe Environment - Homework Help - Sports and Games - Arts and Crafts


Did you know our


- Qualified Staff


Classifieds are


License+PLUS by the State of New Hampshire online? Before and After School Care |Nashua| Merrimack| Hudson| Litchfield| in your public school


Ad 880-1516


Place an


To call thumbs@


areanewsgroup .com


Instrument Rentals & Sales


ROSITA LEE MUSIC CENTER 136 Lowell Road - Hudson


www.rositalee.com 882-8940


Send Us


Your “Thumbs”


Classes for ages 24 Months and up in Ballet - Tap - Jazz - Modern Lyrical - Pointe - Hip Hop


Acro - Musical Theatre - ZUMBA Creative Movement - Combo Classes Competiton and Performance Teams


For more information call: Crystal Perella(Director)


603-880-4403 www.allthatdanceacademy.com


“Where dance is always fun!” 77 Lowell Road,, Hudson, NH


Conveniently located in T-Bones Plaza behind Postal Center USA


Open House and Registration Dates: August 24th & August 29th 1pm-3pm & 5pm -8pm


due to illness, disability or death. “Col- lege tuition, academic fees and room and board costs average more than $15,000 annually at a public college or university and more than $35,000 at a private institution,” says John Fees, co- founder and CEO of Next Generation Insurance Group, LLC. “For most fami- lies, that is a staggering investment, and until now, it was at risk if an injury, illness or death of a parent caused the student to leave school mid-semester. Tuition insurance protects against the loss of that investment.” With rising costs of college and tightening family budgets, James A. Boyle, president of College Parents of America, believes there is great need for tuition refund insurance. “Not only has tuition risen dramatically in the past 10 years, but the risks facing college students that threaten their ability to complete a semester or an academic year have increased as well,” says Boyle. “College tuition refund policies have grown stricter, so typically, parents are not able to recover their money if their student is forced to with- draw more than five weeks into the semester for medical reasons including sickness, mental health or disability.”


In the past, only a portion of the nation’s college students, at- tending mostly expensive private colleges, could insure this risk. GradGuard’s tuition refund


insurance program provides up to $50,000 of annual tuition insurance and is available to students attending any accredited college. It covers more than just the loss of tuition payment, with coverage for academic fees, room and board, books and travel to/from the academic program. According to Boyle, “Not all families need $50,000 of annual coverage, but virtually every student would likely benefit from having at least $5,000 of annual coverage. Even if your col- lege has a generous refund policy, it is unlikely that you will ever be re- funded the cost of books or room and


board.” As a result, College Parents of America’s standard annual membership includes this base amount of tuition refund insurance. Tuition insurance also includes ben- efits like emergency medical evacua- tion insurance, identity theft protection and resolution services and insurance for personal computers. Keep in mind that if a student withdraws because of academic failure or if they simply want to “drop out,” parents cannot expect any refund. To learn more, go to www. gradguard.com/tuition or call (877) 556-3984.


- Courtesy of ARAcontent


LITCHFIELD LITTLE SCHOOL Three and Four Year Pre-School


Conveniently located off Derry Road (Route 102), 1/4 mile from Hudson town line and less than 1 mile from Alvirne High School.


Affordable Tuition! 2 & 3 Day Morning Pre-School Programs


Mon/Wed/Fri -4 Year olds Class Tue/Thurs - 3 Year olds Class Hours: 8:30 AM - 11:15 AM


5 x 2.5-$148.75/week For Further information:


Phone: Dellann Frost at (603) 881-5888 or www.litchfieldlittleschool.com


Lessons $22.00 per month & up


3 & 5 Day Afternoon Pre-School Program 11:45-2:45 PM


5 Day - 4 Year Olds Class 11:45-2:45 PM


Litchfield Little School 8 Cutler Road, Litchfield, NH 2010 Annual


$89.25/week


Ballet Tap Jazz


Lyrical Pointe Hip Hop


Creative Movement Musical Theater


& Registration


2010 Dance Classes Begin Tuesday September 7th


WEDNESDAY AUGUST 25 10am to Noon & 4 to 7pm


TUESDAY AUGUST 25


WEDNESDAY AUGUST 26 4pm to 7pm


SATURDAY AUGUST 28 10Am to 1pm


SATURDAY AUGUST 29 10am to Noon


TUESDAY AUGUST 31 4Pm to 7PM


THURSDAY SEPTEMBER 3 4pm to 7pm


Y SEPTEMBER 2 Open House


Classes for Girls & Boys Ages 2 1/2 and Up


Dancewear shop for all your dancing needs!


883-0055 www.rositalee.com ROSITA LEE DANCE CENTER


222 Central St., Plaza Hudson, NH (Rte. 111 next to Burger King)


? ?


Classes Start September 7th and are filling up fast!


Low Tuition sibling discounts multiple class discounts


Dance


Lessons


per Month and up


$22


?


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19