College Launch Checklist

What's Actually Happening

Your kid is leaving for college, and there are boring adult things that have to happen before they go. They don't want to deal with it. You don't want to deal with it. But if you don't handle it in June, you'll be panicking in August, and then you'll skip something important, and your kid will be the freshman with no health insurance or overdraft protection on their account.

The college will send a checklist in June. It will tell you to enroll your kid in their meal plan and submit health forms. But they won't tell you that your kid needs their own bank account, that their school email is their official communication channel (colleges have been known to send critical deadlines to that email with zero warning), or that they need to know their own SSN. You have to figure some of this out yourself.

This is actually not complicated. It's just a series of small decisions and paperwork. But it has to happen in a specific order: health insurance first (because vaccination records depend on it), then banking, then documents. Three of these can be done in an afternoon. One takes patience and multiple phone calls.

The goal is this: your kid needs to be able to handle a minor medical issue (urgent care visit, pharmacy pickup), access their money, and prove who they are if needed. They don't need to be financially independent yet. But they need to not panic if something happens that requires them to act.

What No One Told You

Health insurance is the first decision, everything else flows from it.

Your kid can stay on your health insurance until age 26. This is usually the cheapest option and keeps their doctor the same, which matters if they have ongoing stuff. Their college might offer their own health plan, usually $500–$1,500/year. Compare: add your kid to your plan cost vs. the school plan cost. Sometimes school plans are cheaper, sometimes not.

Whatever you choose, you need: a copy of the insurance card, your policy number, the deductible and copay amounts, how to find an in-network provider in their college town, and explicit permission to talk to the doctor about them (minor privacy stuff aside, you're not automatically able to call their doctor without written permission, even if you're paying the bill). If they need a vaccination update to attend, get it before they leave. Don't find out in September that they need boosters.

A bank account with no fees and overdraft protection is non-negotiable.

Open a student checking account at a bank. Look for: no monthly fees, no minimum balance, overdraft protection (they can't accidentally spend money they don't have), a debit card, free ATM network that includes their college town or campus. Banks like Ally, Charles Schwab, and many credit unions offer these. Avoid Wells Fargo or Bank of America for college kids — their overdraft fees are brutal ($35/transaction, sometimes). If your bank doesn't have a branch near campus, pick a different one. Your kid will need to deposit checks, and the nearest ATM matters.

Decide the mechanics: Will you transfer them money monthly? Weekly? Will they work part-time and deposit their own checks? Whatever you choose, they need the card before they leave, and they need to have used it at least once (even if just to withdraw $20) so they know how it works. You don't want their first ATM visit to be panicked in their dorm on day one.

Documents: birth certificate, SSN, vaccination records, insurance info.

Make a folder (physical or digital) with: original or certified copy of birth certificate, Social Security card (or a photo of it), vaccination records, health insurance cards, driver's license, and any critical medical information (allergies, prescriptions, conditions). This matters less day-to-day and a lot more in edge cases: they get sick and need to see an off-campus doctor, they need to prove citizenship for something, they want to open a credit card later (they'll need an SSN card to do it). You don't need to carry all this to campus, but you need to know where it is and your kid needs to know they can get it if needed.

Emergency contacts: Make them official.

Their school health center will ask for an emergency contact. It's usually a parent. But also: make sure the bank knows how to reach you if something weird happens, make sure their health insurance knows how to reach you for authorization if they're hospitalized, and make sure they have your contact info, a sibling's contact info, and maybe a family friend's contact info in case you're unreachable. Some students put emergency contacts in their phone under 'Mom,' which works, but what if their phone dies? They should know a phone number by memory. Yes, really.

Passwords and digital access: Document it so you can help if something breaks.

Your kid needs usernames and passwords for: student email (this is how their college communicates — this matters), school portal (grades, course registration, housing info), and banking. Write these down, or use a password manager. Don't put them on a sticky note under their keyboard. But do keep them somewhere accessible because inevitably they will forget their password to something on day three and panic. You should be able to help them reset it without them having to call IT tech support.

What to Do Right Now

Here is where to start, in priority order:

1. Decide on health insurance and get the cards before mid-July. — Call your insurance company and confirm your kid can stay on your plan, or enroll them in the school plan. Order physical copies of insurance cards. Screenshot them also. Get a list of in-network providers near campus.
2. Open a student bank account with your kid present. — Go to your bank or a bank near their college campus. Open a checking account with no monthly fees, no minimum balance, and overdraft protection. Order the debit card. Use it before they leave so they're comfortable with it.
3. Scan or photograph key documents and store them digitally. — Create a folder in Google Drive or similar with photos of: birth certificate, SSN card, vaccination records, insurance cards. Your kid and a trusted family member should both have access. Include a list of usernames for school email and banking.
4. Update emergency contact information on every account. — Verify your kid's emergency contact is listed on their school health form, bank account, and health insurance. Make sure they have a copy of the emergency contact info — yours, a sibling's, and maybe a trusted family friend.
5. Test the systems before they move. — Have your kid log into their school email and school portal. Have them make a debit card purchase or ATM withdrawal. Have them call you using a phone number they memorized. These feel silly, but they reveal problems before they're in crisis mode.

What Comes Next

Two weeks before move-in, confirm everything is ready. Call the college and confirm your kid's health forms are submitted. Confirm the insurance company has your kid's student status. Confirm the bank account is active and the debit card arrived. Make a list of what you've done and give your kid a copy.

After they move in, your job is mostly done. But be available for the first month if something breaks — they'll probably call confused about something small. (How do you use the campus health center? How do you file a claim on your health insurance?) You've set up the systems. Now they learn to use them.

Common Questions

Should my kid have their own credit card?

Not necessary before college. A debit card is safer because they can't overspend. Some parents add their kid as an authorized user on their credit card, which builds credit history without giving them their own card. Others wait until sophomore year when the kid has shown they can manage money. There's no rush. Credit cards can wait.

What if my kid loses their debit card at college?

They call the bank, cancel it, and the bank overnights a replacement. It's a pain but not a disaster. Make sure they know they can do this without you — they should know their bank's phone number and account number by heart or have it written down. For most banks, it's pretty quick to fix.

Do I need to set up life insurance for my college-age kid?

Generally no, unless they're working and supporting someone or have significant debt. Term life insurance for a 20-year-old is cheap, but it's not necessary yet. Revisit this when they graduate and get their first real job.

What about disability insurance or accident coverage?

Most colleges require or strongly recommend accident and disability insurance for students. Some include it in student fees. Review what's included in your kid's student package. If the college doesn't provide it, you can buy a plan, but it's usually built-in.

Should my kid have renters insurance for their dorm?

Your homeowner's insurance probably doesn't cover their belongings in the dorm. Renters insurance for students is cheap ($10–$20/month) and covers theft, damage, and loss. It's worth it if they're bringing anything expensive (laptop, camera, bike). Otherwise, not critical — most college kids own cheap stuff anyway.

What This Looks Like When It's Working

When this works, your kid is set up to handle basics. They have health insurance, they have money, they have a way to contact you and you have a way to contact them. If they get sick, they know how to see a doctor. If they're short on cash, they know how to ask. If something breaks, they can access the information they need to fix it.

Families who've built this system keep this information in a shared platform like Kinstone — the school portal login, health insurance info, bank info, emergency contacts, and any notes about their kid's health or needs so nobody's scrambling to find this info when something happens.