Summer Health Insurance for Early Matriculants

Health and Wellness Support Fee

Students matriculating in the Summer are charged a prorated amount of the Health and Wellness Support Fee. This is a required fee with no discount for partial summer terms. This fee allows the new student to access services offered by Student Health Services and the Wellbeing and Counseling Center.

Health Insurance Options

Proof of health insurance is required for all students at Rice University. The Rice medical insurance subsidy is only available to full-time doctoral students enrolled in the Rice Aetna plan upon official (fall/spring) matriculation. If you have determined that your health insurance has expired, you could:

Check with your current school or job to see if a continuation plan or COBRA may be purchased. This may be preferred over purchasing a new plan for a short period of time. If your current insurance does not expire until August 15 or later, you would be fully covered until the Rice Plan starts in August and would not need to purchase a new policy.

Early matriculating international students can visit the OISS website for interim health insurance options for new students.

For U.S. Citizens, U.S. Permanent residents, and international students, short-term policies are available. Early matriculant international students must enroll in the university health insurance plan or SAS starting in the Fall. One such short-term policy is ehealthinsurance.com, which is not endorsed by Rice University but may offer appropriate coverage for a particular student.

Not feeling well?

The Rice Student Health Services Office provides preventive and outpatient clinical care for all Rice students, regardless of their insurance. Student Health is located on-campus and is dedicated to meeting undergraduate and graduate students' unique needs, emphasizing prevention. Appointments are included in student fees. Additional charges for labs, vaccines, etc., may be paid via cash or credit card, and the office can help students file appropriate insurance claims.

Reviewed December 2023