Most car owners know how to find the cheapest car insurance for students, but many of them may not realize that the cheapest car insurance rates may not be available for every student applying for insurance. There are factors that car insurance underwriters take into consideration when rating a policy, and some of these factors may work against a student driver.

A student’s age, gender, driving record and length of time he has been driving are a few of the things insurance underwriters look at when rating his policy. If the driver is under 25, that’s one strike against him in terms of a low insurance rates. If he hasn’t been driving more than three years, that’s another strike. If his driving record contains some traffic violations or DUIs, he won’t be seeing low insurance rates for a while. A female student does have the advantage of enjoying lower premiums than a male driver in the same age group, but her premiums will still be higher than those of older drivers.

When shopping around for the cheapest car insurance, students may have a chance at reducing their premiums through discounts that many insurance company offer. Students who get good grades may qualify for a good student discount. Depending on when an insurance company begins calculating driving history, some students with clean driving records might qualify for a good driver discount. Taking a defensive driving or driver safety course would also be of benefit to a student driver who is new to driving–and he could get a discount for completing the course.

Older students who are attending college may qualify for good driver discounts depending on when they started driving. If they have been driving for a few years and have good driving records, finding the cheapest car insurance rates will be much easier for them than for younger students with less driving experience.

Other ways a student can cut down on insurance costs is pay a higher deductible if he chooses or has to purchase comprehensive/collision coverage. A student can also drop this type of coverage if he has an older vehicle. The most significant step any driver can take to almost guarantee lower premiums is to practice safe driving habits and observe the rules of the road.

Knowing how to find the cheapest car insurance for students isn’t really all that hard once you know how your own car insurance portfolio shapes up against what car insurance underwriters like to see.