Grades on a Policy: What Carriers Ask For

A young driver on a policy is the single biggest change most households see in their premium. Where a carrier offers a good student discount, it is one of the few levers pointed the other way — and it is one of the most commonly missed, because it requires you to hand something in.

What is usually being asked

Carriers that offer it generally look for a full-time student under a stated age with a grade average above a threshold, or a place on an honour roll or dean's list. The threshold, the age band, and whether it applies to high school, college, or both are all defined by the individual carrier — there is no state rule setting them. Two carriers can look at the same transcript and reach different answers.

The proof, and when to send it

• An official transcript or report card showing the grading period and the average.
• A letter from the school on letterhead, where the transcript does not state the average plainly.
• Proof of full-time enrolment, sometimes separately from grades.

Send it when the term closes, not when the renewal arrives. In our office the most common version of this conversation is a parent finding out at renewal that the discount came off two months ago because nothing was submitted. Set a recurring reminder for the week after each term ends.

It expires quietly

This is the discount most likely to fall off without anyone saying anything. Grades slip below the threshold, a student drops to part-time for a semester, or the age band runs out. None of those events generate a phone call. They generate a renewal that is higher than the last one for no visible reason. Check the declarations page each renewal and confirm the line is still there.

Stacking it with the rest

A student on a policy often qualifies for more than one thing at once: the good student line, a driver training certificate, and in some cases a distant-student arrangement if they are away at school without the car. These are separate items with separate proofs. Ask for each by name rather than asking whether "any student discounts" apply, because a general question tends to get a general answer.

Bring the transcript and the license dates and we will check every student-related item a carrier will consider.