Sending a student to college is a major investment, but what happens financially when something unexpected interrupts their semester? In this episode, Shellee Howard talks with John Fees, co-founder of GradGuard, about the financial risks many families don’t consider before college begins. From medical and mental health withdrawals to tuition refund policies, stolen property, dorm damage, and insurance gaps, John shares practical ways parents can better protect both their student and their college investment. You’ll walk away with important questions to ask before move-in day and a clearer understanding of how to prepare for the things no family expects.
College planning usually focuses on admissions, scholarships, housing, and tuition. But there’s another question families should be asking:
What happens to the money we’ve invested if something unexpected prevents our student from finishing the semester?
In this episode of Parents: Is Your Teen College Ready?, Shellee Howard sits down with John Fees, co-founder of GradGuard, to discuss some of the financial risks families may overlook when sending a student to college.
John explains why he helped create GradGuard and how tuition insurance can provide protection when a student has to withdraw for a covered reason. He and Shellee also discuss the realities students can face once they’re living independently—from illness and mental health challenges to stolen belongings, dorm damage, accidents, and other unexpected disruptions.
In this episode, you’ll learn:
Shellee and John also share an important reminder: preparing for unexpected situations isn’t about creating more fear around sending a student to college. It’s about understanding the risks, asking better questions, and knowing what protections are available before you need them.
The takeaway: College is too significant an investment to understand the financial risks only after something goes wrong.
Before your student starts the semester, learn the school’s refund policies, review your family’s existing insurance coverage, understand what you would be responsible for financially, and determine whether additional protection makes sense for your family.