Petition: Make Health Insurance Affordable for All UChicago Students

To: University of Chicago Administration — Office of the Provost, Student Health and Benefits, and Student Wellness:

Based on conversations with hundreds of University of Chicago students during Fall Quarter, many struggle to afford the University’s required $5,000 annual USHIP premium. While students may waive USHIP if they have comparable coverage, many — particularly low-income, undocumented, international, or students without family plans — have no viable alternatives. Financial aid packages and tuition scholarships are typically not applied to health insurance, leaving students to cover this substantial cost themselves.

Health insurance is a basic necessity and a matter of public health and equity. Given UChicago’s stated commitment to wellness, access, and inclusion, students should not be forced into debt or financial crisis simply to comply with this health insurance requirement. A number of students have reported taking on loans, credit card debt, or delaying essential expenses to pay for USHIP.

Other leading universities have recognized the inequity of this burden and have implemented systems to protect students facing financial hardship:

· Brown University provides a Health Insurance Scholarship that covers the cost of its student plan for need-based scholarship recipients without comparable coverage.

· Vanderbilt University allows students who are Pell Grant–eligible or who document extenuating circumstances to receive additional financial assistance for the student health insurance premium.

· The University of California system offers a Health Insurance Grant (UCSC) or Medical Care Assistance Fund (UCI) for students who cannot afford their coverage.

UChicago can — and should — adopt similar measures.

Our Request

We, the undersigned, respectfully call on the University of Chicago to:

Establish a University-Wide Financial Hardship Waiver for USHIP, allowing eligible students with demonstrated need to reduce or waive the premium cost;
Offer a Sliding-Scale or Subsidized Option for students based on income; and/or
Expand Need-Based Financial Aid so that it fully covers the cost of USHIP for low-income, international students, and undocumented students.

These changes would ensure that all UChicago students — regardless of socioeconomic status — have equal access to healthcare coverage and can focus on their studies without financial distress. A more fair and compassionate health insurance policy reflects the University’s values of equity, dignity, and rigorous inquiry into how institutions can better serve all members of their community.