VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. - During her first semester in college last fall, Eden Schiano had to make the tough decision to withdraw from school.
The Virginia Beach resident had just started recovery for an eating disorder, and trying to keep up with the workload and her treatment plan became too much.
The decision could have cost her a lot of money.
Instead, her tuition was refunded thanks to insurance she had purchased at the recommendation of her doctor.
"It took so much stress off of me to feel like I'm not making this huge decision to leave," said Schiano, "taking care of myself doesn't come with this huge burden."
She was covered through a company called GradGuard, which refunds students if they're forced to leave school.
"The vast majority of colleges don't provide refunds past the first few weeks, and it's prorated," said Natalie Tarangioli, Marketing Director for GradGuard.
Along with tuition, the insurance can also cover the cost of room and board if students have to withdraw for a covered reason such as injury, illness and even mental health conditions.
Mental health issues are a growing concern for college students and were made worse by the pandemic.
"They make up a good portion of the claims that we pay out," said Tarangioli.
According to a BestColleges.com survey, more than half of college students believe COVID-19 has impacted their mental health.
The cost for the insurance depends on a variety of factors but can start at $106 for $10,000 worth of coverage.
You can learn more here.
