If your University says you are required to have some form of health insurance plan, your options are below:
• You may be covered through your parents health insurance plan*
• You may choose your school’s student health plan
• You may enroll in cost-friendly coverage through Healthcare.gov *
• You may enroll in Medicaid Health Insurance. Eligibility for Medicaid varies by state and is not guaranteed. *
*Please make sure your school has approved your health insurance plan by the waiver deadline
To enroll or waive your student health insurance, check your student portal and check pending items. If you can’t find it, I recommend you google your school’s name and student health insurance (Example: Rice University Student Health Insurance). You should find information on how to enroll or waive in the first couple of results
Student health plan • Cost varies from $1,000 to $4,500 per year • To help cover the cost, you can ask financial aid for additional funds, you can try to secure a small loan through your college, or pay out-of-pocket. Typically colleges want the insurance cost paid during the first semester. See above for a sample email that shows how to request a health insurance grant from your financial aid office.
Private Health Insurance Plans – Obamacare/ Affordable Care Act Insurance/ Marketplace are all the same thing. • You can explore health care coverage options based on income by visiting healthcare.gov • What info should you include in the insurance application? • Use your college campus personal mailing address! Don't have it yet? Email your housing department and explain that you need your new mailing address to complete health insurance enrollment before the university waiver's deadline. • List your individual income since your family does not live with you at your college campus. • Report your household size as 1, unless you have a child.
Medicaid Health Insurance • If you already have Medicaid coverage and are attending college outside of Texas and you won’t turn 18 until after August of 2026, you will need to unenroll from Medicaid coverage in Texas first. Then you will be able to apply and enroll in Medicaid coverage for a different state. • Eligibility varies by state. Visit this https://www.medicaid.gov/state-overviews/state-profiles for more information. Scroll down until you see the U.S. map. Click on the state that you are moving to. Then click on the "eligibility" button. You will be redirected to the state's Medicaid website. On this website search for terms that indicate "adults with low-income" qualify for Medicaid coverage.
What info should you include in the insurance application? • Use your college campus personal mailing address! Don't have it yet? Email your housing department and explain that you need your new mailing address to complete health insurance enrollment before the university waiver's deadline. • List your individual income since your family does not live with you at your college campus. • Report your household size as 1, unless you have a child.