Cornell University Registrar

All new students must complete Cornell's New Student Health Requirements process, which involves submitting health history information and documentation of required immunizations.

Students who are not compliant with their requirements by the published deadline(s) are subject to progressive penalties, culminating in disenrollment from the university. Details can be found on Cornell Health’s website.

Student Health Insurance Requirement

Cornell’s student health insurance requirement applies based on a student’s enrollment status and academic program.

Students who need to meet this requirement do so in one of two ways:

A. Being automatically enrolled in Cornell’s Student Health Plan (SHP), or
B. Receiving an approved SHP insurance waiver based on other health insurance that meets Cornell’s criteria.

By default, to comply with the health insurance requirement, all students who are subject to this requirement are automatically enrolled in Cornell’s Student Health Plan, and the charge for this insurance is posted to their bursar account. This charge is reversed and enrollment in SHP is rescinded when a student receives an approved SHP insurance waiver confirming that their personal health insurance meets Cornell’s student health insurance criteria.

To stay compliant, students with an approved waiver may be required to provide updated insurance information to maintain their active waiver. If a student does not provide the required insurance information by the given deadline, they will be automatically enrolled in SHP insurance and charged for the plan. Students returning from a leave of absence may be required to submit a new waiver request. 

Students in an executive, part-time, or low-residency program are not required to meet the insurance requirement.

See the Student Health Benefits website to:

• Find out which students need to meet Cornell’s student health insurance requirement.
• Find SHP insurance waiver deadlines and costs.
• Learn how to submit and/or maintain a SHP insurance waiver. 
• Find out about eligibility to waive SHP insurance.
• Review Cornell’s criteria for other student health insurance.
• Find a health care provider near a campus or study location. 
• Learn more about the excellent coverage provided by Cornell’s Student Health Plan (SHP) insurance.
• Learn about optional dental and vision coverage (deadlines apply).
• Explore insurance options for eligible dependents (deadlines apply).