For most college students the very last thing on their mind is health insurance as is shown in some recently released figures that show that in the region of one-third of all college students have no form of health insurance. Starting college is a costly undertaking and merely finding the money you have to have and arranging your college loans is hard enough, but you must also consider including suitable health insurance along with everything else which you will need to have.

You should of course start by investigating your parents' health plan if this is applicable because it is quite possible that this will cover you during your time at college. You do however have to read the small print very carefully as some plans will provide cover for while you are studying at college while other plans will not. Two items to look for especially are conditions concerning location and age.

Most plans will cover children up to the age of 18 or 21 as long as you are at home and a few plans will also extend this age limit as long as you remain in full-time education. Many plans are however limited to providing cover within a defined geographic area and so, although you might meet the age requirements of the plan, you might find that you will not be covered when you are away from home.

When your parents' plan will not provide you with the cover you want then you will need to organize your own student health insurance and will have to find some appropriate providers. Fortunately, this is not too difficult and there are many insurers who provide plans that are specially designed for college students. So, where do you start looking?

Initially you ought to look at your own college because universities will generally make arrangements for their own students to get cover at a discounted rate. This does not automatically mean that this will be the best plan for your own circumstances and you should study the details to ensure that it meets your needs. Nevertheless your own college is an excellent place to start your search and will usually give you the best deal. Another thing to consider when looking at your own college is exactly what medical facilities are provided on campus. A lot of the larger universities will provide first class medical facilities that are open around the clock, while the majority of the smaller universities will have much more limited facilities.

Away from the college itself you can also look to the insurance companies as well as several publicly funded organizations for cover. As well, do not overlook the fact that there are several different forms of plan that are aimed at different groups of students. Short-term health cover for instance could suit many graduate students and can usually be extended after graduation to cover the period until you find employment and become covered by an employer's plan. There are also supplemental plans that will provide cover for you for such things as pre-existing medical conditions that are usually excluded from standard student cover.

Nowadays health insurance is a complex subject and you will have to shop around to get a plan that meets your needs and also fits your budget. This is however something that you should certainly not overlook because attending college is an expensive enough undertaking in the first place and you do not want to risk your money or your future because you are unable to meet the cost of illness or injury.