Student in a blue sweater studying at a library table with a laptop and stacked books

For college, community college & grad students · Licensed in 20 U.S. states

Student health
insurance.

Your school may sell a plan, your parents may be able to keep you on theirs, and the Marketplace is open to you as well. Here is how to tell which one fits where you live and study.

Private & Secure
Fast Response
No Spam Calls

Photo: Pexels photo 8199557 by Yan Krukau, used under the Pexels License. Cropped, resized, and converted to WebP. Modified from the original.

Covered while you study

Three ways to be covered
during school.

HealthCare.gov lays out the same main paths for most students. Which one wins depends on where your school is and who claims you on a tax return:

Your school's student health plan.

HealthCare.gov calls a student plan an easy way to get basic coverage, and federal rules treat student health insurance as a kind of individual coverage. Compare its price, dates, and network with your other choices.

Staying on a parent's plan.

If you are under 26, you can usually stay on a parent's plan if it covers dependents. If your campus is in another state, check that the plan's network includes doctors near school, not only near home.

A Marketplace plan of your own.

You can apply through the Marketplace even if your school offers a plan. If a parent claims you as a dependent, their income goes on the application. If no one claims you, you apply on your own.

Three students with backpacks talking on a sunny lawn — Photo: Pexels photo 7683617 by RDNE Stock project, used under the Pexels License. Cropped, resized, and converted to WebP. Modified from the original.

Who claims you

Dependent status decides whose income counts.

The Marketplace bases tax credits on your household income for the year you are covered.

If a parent claims you as a tax dependent, your parent's income counts on the application, even when you live in another state for school.
If no one claims you, you apply on your own, whatever your age. Applicants under 21 may still be asked about a parent and their income.
Grad students who file their own taxes use their own expected income for the year. Ask a tax pro whether a stipend or fellowship counts as taxable income.
Campus jobs and summer work count too. Update the application if your pay changes.

Students in numbers

Millions of students
enroll each fall.

19.4 million+

U.S. postsecondary enrollments in fall 2025, according to the Clearinghouse.

16.2 million

Of those were undergraduate enrollments, up 1.2% from fall 2024.

3.2 million

Were graduate enrollments, about the same as the fall before.

Source: National Student Clearinghouse Research Center, Final Fall Enrollment Trends, Fall 2025, released January 2026. Counts are enrollments at colleges that report to the Clearinghouse. U.S. figures only.

Paul DanielsLicensed health advisor · NPN 20986580

Working with Paul

A broker who knows
the school-year calendar.

Daniels Health Advisors is the independent brokerage Paul Daniels founded, licensed in 20 U.S. states. We help students and parents line up a campus plan against a parent's plan and a Marketplace plan, and we help grad students who now file their own taxes. When a Marketplace tax credit is unlikely, we can also go over private PPO options. Some private plans ask health questions, and approval is not guaranteed. Some may not cover care for health problems you had before you enrolled.

Parents are welcome on the call. Their tax return can decide which option works for you.

Calls that work around class schedules
Licensed in 20 U.S. states · Paul Daniels, NPN 20986580 · FL license G065122
You do not pay us for our help. We are paid by the insurance companies when you enroll. Your price for a plan is the same whether you use us or sign up on your own. Commissions can differ by company.

Your first call

Student coverage in three steps.

Share your school and home address

Plus who claims you as a dependent, and the price of your school's plan if it offers one.

We line up the options

School plan, a parent's plan, and Marketplace or private plans, side by side.

Check care near campus

We look up doctors, clinics, and pharmacies in the city where you study.

Book a 15-minute call

Recommended on Facebook

What people say
about working with us.

“I’ve know Paul for years and definitely trust him in the health advisor dept! Working with small business owners he has been a great partner with explain options and provide solutions!”

Sandra D.
Facebook recommendation

“Paul was very helpful in my search for business group insurance. He was able to explain my options and answer all the questions I had before signing up. Highly recommend working with him!”

Adil J.
Facebook recommendation

Before the semester

Skip the school plan
only with a plan in hand.

Before you drop or turn down a school plan, make sure your other coverage includes care near campus. Dropping a student plan on purpose does not open a special enrollment period, but losing it can. If you take advance tax credits and income ends up higher than you estimated, you may owe some back when you file. Under current law, starting with 2026 taxes, there is no cap on that payback. You will leave our call with:

A side-by-side of the school plan and your other options
Network results near campus and near home
Whose income goes on the application, and why
Dates to watch around move-in and move-out

A checklist for

Students comparing plans before the semester.

Find your school plan's price, coverage dates, and any deadline to opt out.
Confirm with your parents whether they will claim you as a dependent this year.
Look up an in-network doctor or clinic near campus.
Studying in another state? Read does your health insurance work out of state.

Student questions

Student health insurance FAQ.

Do I have to take my school's health plan?

HealthCare.gov describes a student plan as one option, not the only one. You can still apply for a Marketplace plan or stay on a parent's plan. If your school has its own rules for opting out of its plan, check them early.

Does a student health plan count as health coverage?

Yes. HealthCare.gov says enrolling in a student health plan can meet the requirement for having coverage, and federal rules treat student health insurance as a kind of individual coverage. Benefits, networks, and dates vary by school, so read the plan details.

Can I get a special enrollment period when I move for school?

HealthCare.gov says moving to or from the place where you live and go to school may qualify you. Losing your student coverage outside open enrollment may qualify you too. Choosing to drop a student plan does not.

My school is in another state. Can I stay on my parent's plan?

Usually, yes, if you are under 26. Check whether the plan has in-network doctors where you study. You can also apply for a Marketplace plan in the state where you go to school, and if a parent claims you, include their income.

I'm a grad student. Can I buy my own plan?

Yes. If no one claims you as a dependent, you apply on your own, and your expected income for the year sets any tax credit. Your school may offer a student plan to grad students too, so compare it with the Marketplace.

Do I have to wait for open enrollment?

Not for every plan. A private plan (not from the Marketplace) can often be bought any time of year. Some private plans ask health questions, and approval is not guaranteed. Some may not cover care for health problems you had before you enrolled. Marketplace plans, and other plans that follow ACA rules, work differently. As of October 23, 2026, under current law, open enrollment for 2027 plans on HealthCare.gov runs from November 1, 2026, to January 15, 2027. To start coverage January 1, pick a plan by December 15. States that run their own Marketplace may set different dates, so check with your state's Marketplace. A federal appeal about these rules is pending (City of Columbus v. Kennedy, 4th Cir. No. 26-1938), with oral argument set for October 30, 2026, so confirm the dates before you enroll. Outside open enrollment, you need a special enrollment period, such as one after losing job-based coverage.

Covered on campus
and at home.

Book a free 15-minute call, or start a quote online.

Book a 15-minute call Get a quote online

By Paul Daniels, licensed insurance agent (NPN 20986580).

Disclaimer

Daniels Health Advisors LLC is an independent brokerage, not a carrier, HealthCare.gov, or CMS. Agent: Paul Daniels, NPN 20986580, Florida license G065122. This page is about personal health insurance for students. Each school sets the rules for its own plan. It is not tax or legal advice. Enrollment figures are from public data and describe groups, not you. Tax credits, plans, networks, and prices depend on your state, zip code, income, and household. We never guarantee approval, a doctor, or a price. Not medical, legal, or tax advice.

Student healthinsurance.

Three ways to be coveredduring school.