How Educational Institutions Can Mitigate Student Travel Risks and Improve Trip Safety

After a sharp decline caused by the pandemic, student travel programs are once again thriving, with global participant levels up 16% over 2019.¹ From high school field trips to university study abroad programs to athletic competitions, these programs create unique opportunities, but they also come with unique liability, financial and safety exposures. Medical emergencies, security incidents and insurance coverage gaps can have devastating consequences for both students and schools, with risks extending far beyond what many administrators realize.

Understanding these exposures is critical. Institutions need a comprehensive approach to student travel risk management that addresses both duty-of-care obligations and financial protection. Standard tour-operator policies and off-the-shelf coverage are not designed with student-specific needs in mind, and the gap between what they cover and what schools actually need is widening.

Instead, educational institutions need consistent and mandatory travel insurance combined with proactive student travel risk management strategies to ensure everyone is protected.

What strong student travel insurance programs look like

The foundation of managing school trip safety begins with proper insurance. Educational institutions should ensure their student travel insurance policies include:

• Travel health insurance (often called “out-of-country/province medical”). Coverage limits must reflect current medical costs, particularly in high-cost regions, and provide reasonable medical stability requirements.
• Emergency medical evacuation and additional benefits. If your group is not in a location with a medical centre or a participant is afflicted with a severe illness or injury, a medical evacuation may be needed. This can be a very costly and complex situation to manage. Ancillary benefits, like paying for a family member to come to the participant, may also be needed.
• Trip cancellation and interruption insurance. Schools need coverage that addresses student-specific circumstances, including if a school cancels a trip for any reason (e.g., safety concerns), parent job loss or family financial hardship. Standard tour operator policies typically don’t account for these situations, leaving families financially exposed when trips must be cancelled.
• Universal accidental death and dismemberment (AD&D) coverage. Young people are at risk of serious injuries or death from accidents while travelling. An AD&D benefit can help cover unexpected costs and provide financial support.
• Security and natural disaster evacuation. This benefit is critical, regardless of where you are travelling. Sometimes this coverage is included with other benefits or purchased as a separate policy. It’s important to ensure coverage triggers meet school needs, recognizing that the risk tolerance is generally lower for student travellers.
• Coverage for staff and chaperones. Schools have a legal duty of care to ensure employees travelling on behalf of the school have proper business travel insurance for both business travel health and trip cancellation/interruption. Business travel health should waive or minimize medical stability requirements. Volunteer chaperones also need comprehensive coverage, so the entire group is covered under the same plan with the same benefits.

Schools should also evaluate whether additional coverage endorsements or riders are necessary. For example, war risk coverage protects students even when conflict in one country affects neighbouring nations where students are visiting. Kidnap and ransom insurance provides specialized response teams and financial protection, though coverage needs vary based on the school’s overall travel profile. Finally, you’ll want to consider any activity exclusions (e.g., high-risk sports, skiing, scuba diving, etc.) and whether a rider is needed to cover them.

Utilize the expertise of student travel assistance providers

Partnerships with assistance providers who offer medical and security expertise are another critical consideration of student trip safety. These specialized organizations maintain current intelligence on global risks and can assess the risk of a destination based on individual traveller profiles, accounting for factors like pre-existing health conditions, race, sexual orientation and gender identity that can affect safety in specific destinations.

In the event of a crisis, assistance providers can coordinate evacuations, locate appropriate medical care worldwide and provide real-time support. They also offer mental health resources, which are increasingly critical as standard travel policies often include lower coverage limits for psychological support compared to physical health needs.

Key strategies for reducing student travel risks

In addition to the right coverage, there are several actions educational institutions can take to minimize student travel risk:

• Research destinations thoroughly. Work with assistance providers to evaluate political stability, security concerns and health risks.
• Conduct comprehensive pre-trip preparation. Provide security and safety briefings that address destination-specific risks, including how to protect valuables, recognize scams and navigate border crossings. Verify that students can legally bring prescribed medications and meet medical stability requirements. Deliver all pre-trip information in writing to document that the school fulfilled its duty of care.
• Screen and train chaperones. Thoroughly vet volunteers through background checks and ensure adequate supervision ratios. Provide training on incident response and document completion of all required certifications.
• Establish incident response protocols. Develop detailed plans that specify who contacts the insurance carrier, who communicates with parents, who manages media inquiries and who coordinates with legal counsel. Practice these protocols before crises occur.
• Mandate travel insurance. Require that all students participate in school-purchased coverage designed specifically for student travel. This ensures consistent protection and eliminates the administrative burden of managing multiple policies from different carriers.
• Verify coverage adequacy. Review existing policies to confirm limits reflect today’s costs or possible scenarios based on current events — not outdated assumptions.

Comprehensive student travel risk management requires ongoing attention, but schools don’t need to build programs alone. Working with specialized brokers and risk advisors who understand educational travel helps institutions avoid common pitfalls while adapting proven strategies to their unique needs.

Ready to build a student travel program your institution can stand behind? Contact a HUB International education specialist to get started.

¹Student & Youth Travel Association (SYTA), "Student Travel Business Barometer Annual Report 2023," accessed March 12, 2026.