Many student drivers are also new drivers or young drivers by auto insurance company standards. Rates can be very high for students who are driving, but there are a number of different ways that monthly premiums can be lowered. One method, if the student is attending school in Pennsylvania where their parent or guardian lives, is to attach the student to an existing policy. This will increase the premiums on the policy and could potentially harm the long term costs of the policy if an accident actually occurs, but it is far cheaper for the student than managing a new individual car insurance policy in Pennsylvania. Insurance companies make many decisions about the cost of a policy based on assessments of risk that are sometimes based on studies and other data. Education has been determined as one of the factors that can reduce the risk of an auto accident. For this reason, many companies allow student drivers in Pennsylvania to submit their school records for discounts on their insurance. This is mainly because high grades have equated to a lower risk of accidents. Similarly, taking targeted driving classes that teach students the correct way to drive and prevent accidents usually reduce the rates as well. The amount of driving that is expected to be performed can be a factor that some insurance companies will consider when determining premiums. Students that live on campus or within a certain range of their school, as well as students who regularly take public transportation instead of driving, can find lower rates because they are on the road less. Temporary insurance policies can also be a way to save money when students will only be driving during breaks from school, so insurance only has to be purchased for a few months out of each year. In Pennsylvania, students can expect lower car insurance rates if they decide to drive a car that will cause less damage in a collision, that is inexpensive to repair, or that has a somewhat low value in instances where it might be totaled. The least expensive types of vehicles to insure are basic sedans that are not new and minivans that have a variety of safety features. Additionally, the cost of car insurance will slowly decline if the student does not get into accidents, does not receive traffic tickets, and maintains a clean driving record.