Student Health Insurance Plan (SHIP)

Why do I need health insurance as an international student?

Health care in America can be expensive, so it is important to have health insurance. 

International Students enrolled at Oregon State University must secure and maintain health insurance that provides coverage during their entire stay in the United States, and meets certain minimum benefit requirements as determined by Student Health Services. Student Health Services may establish varying benefit requirements for international students based on factors such as a student’s length of stay in the United States, student status, or other criteria directly related to the benefit requirement.

Unlike many international students’ countries of origin, the United States does not have a national health care system available to noninsured international students, and any medical care costs are the responsibility of the student. This need for insurance exists for the protection of international students from financial hardship resulting from the need for medical attention.

In order to assist the university in complying with federal regulations which require health insurance, and to promote a quality educational and cultural experience of international students at the university, such students must demonstrate their ability to meet their financial responsibilities in full.

Mandatory insurance for international and INTO OSU students.

The OSU Student Health Insurance Plan ensures that you receive affordable coverage and access to a wide network of healthcare providers across the nation.

This plan is provided by PacificSource and comes with a variety of online tools to manage your coverage easily.

For your convenience, we provide the option to waive coverage if you have comparable coverage through a different company.

Eligibility

All international and INTO OSU students who are registered for a minimum of one (1) on-campus credit are required to enroll in the OSU Student Health Insurance plan.

If you are an eligible international or INTO OSU student, you will be automatically enrolled and charged for this plan.

Dependents

If you have any dependents in your household who are eligible for coverage under the plan, they have the option to enroll.  To add a dependent, they must fill out an enrollment form and submit it to the Student Health Insurance Plan office by email. The enrollment form can be found here.

Health Insurance Gap Coverage

If you are an international student moving from the Student Health Insurance Plan to the Graduate Plan or an international student moving from the Graduate Plan to the Student Health Insurance Plan you may experience a gap in health insurance coverage. For information about purchasing health insurance to cover this gap, please contact the Student Health Insurance Plan Office. Please note that eligibility requirements must be met.

Waivers

You may waive the requirement to be covered under the OSU Student Insurance Plan if you have comparable insurance under a different company.

In order to waive the requirement, you must complete the waiver process established by the school. 

If you do not complete the waiver process, or your insurance does not meet the waiver requirements, you will be automatically enrolled into the OSU Student Insurance Plan and a premium will be charged to your student account.

Refer to the dates below to ensure you complete the waiver process in time.

Waiver dates:

• Fall Term: 9/08/25 (open) - 10/15/25 (close)
• Winter Term: 12/19/25 (open) - 1/26/26 (close)
• Spring: 3/19/26 (open) - 4/20/26 (close)
• Summer Term: 6/11/26 (open) - 7/13/26 (close)

Insurance Procedure

For a detailed look at the insurance requirements for international students, please download our International Student and Exchange Student Health Insurance Procedure document.

For additional information, download the INTO International highlight sheet (PDF)