Carnegie Mellon University
Student Affairs  ›  University Health Services  ›  Student Insurance  ›  International, Exchange, & Study Abroad Students

International, Exchange, & Study Abroad Students

All full-time, and most part-time students, are required to either enroll in the medical SHIP or apply to waive it each academic year. However, there are some differences in the insurance requirement between international, exchange, and study abroad students:

  • Must have a U.S. address to enroll in the SHIP. Enrollments submitted with a non-U.S. address or an incomplete address will not be processed. We recommend that you wait until you have an address in the U.S. where you will be able to receive mail, before submitting your SHIP enrollment.
  • Cannot cancel the SHIP when returning home for the summer, or after graduating in May. You can, however, cancel if you graduate in December.
  • If waiving, you must have insurance that meets CMU's requirements. 
  • Must have a U.S. address to enroll in the SHIP. We recommend that you wait until you have an address in the U.S. before submitting your SHIP enrollment.
  • If waiving, you must have insurance that meets CMU's requirements.
  • If coming for the fall term, students can cancel their SHIP when they return home at the end of the fall term.
  • If coming for the spring term, students cannot cancel the SHIP when they return home. They must remain enrolled until the end of the coverage period (July 31).
  • Students can enroll in the SHIP during Fall Open Enrollment and have medical coverage while overseas.You can find information in the Global Core Plan and AXA Emergency Plan documents.
  • Students who wish to waive SHIP only need to provide proof of active insurance. The insurance plan does not need to meet university requirements for a waiver.
  • If returning for the spring term, students must either apply for a waiver again (at which time they must have insurance that does meet university requirements) or enroll in the SHIP. 
  • Students going abroad for the spring term will have already met the insurance requirement during the fall open enrollment period and either have a SHIP enrollment or an approved waiver. There is no action required. 
    • Students cannot cancel their SHIP when going abroad for the spring.

SHIP Benefits

CMU offers a medical insurance plan, as well as optional dental and vision plans. You can find details about the plans, and their benefits, on the SHIP Benefits page.

Helpful Documents & Links

Immunizations & Health Forms

Information on immunization requirements and health forms can be found on the UHS website. For any questions about immunizations and health forms, please email Student Health Services. 

Enrolling or Waiving the CMU SHIP

When deciding whether to enroll in the medical SHIP or apply to waive it, students should be aware of the SHIP benefits and consider the following:

SHIP Cancellation Guidelines

All outside insurance plans must meet university requirements for a waiver. It is important that you carefully review these requirements against your current plan, as most insurance plans from outside the U.S. will not meet our waiver requirements. 

The only exception to this rule is for students leaving on a study abroad program starting in the Fall term.

When coming to the U.S., travel insurance plans do not meet university requirements for a SHIP waiver. Most travel plans only provide medical coverage in the case of an emergency. They do not provide medical coverage for routine exams (such as a check-up), pre-existing conditions, mental health or substance abuse treatment. 

If your plan will not meet our requirements, take a close look at the SHIP and decide whether it will meet both your financial and medical needs. If you decide you want to enroll in an alternate plan and waive the SHIP, you must make sure that plan will meet university requirements.

To ensure a plan meets CMUs requirements, students can request an outside plan review through the Student Health Insurance Office. Be sure to make the request prior to purchasing the plan.

If you plan to waive the SHIP, all outside plans must be effective the first of the month you arrive on campus, until the end of your academic term(s). Please do not wait until you arrive in the U.S. to secure your insurance plan, or the effective date could be too late, and your waiver will be denied. Start looking into plans as soon as possible to ensure the plan will start when needed:

  • Fall students - if arriving in August, you must have insurance effective 8/1.
  • Spring students - if arriving in January, you must have insurance effective 1/1.
  • Summer students - if arriving in May, you must have insurance effective 5/1.

If you arrive either before or after these dates, please notify the CMU Student Health Insurance Office for assistance. 

International students must have a U.S. address to enroll in the SHIP. This address is where you will receive your member ID card and other insurance documentation, so it is important that you be there to receive your mail. If you do not have a U.S. address prior to your arrival, please wait until you have arrived to enroll:

  • The SHIP is effective starting August 1 (for students enrolled for the fall term) and January 1 (for students enrolled in the spring term).
  • Students not yet enrolled by August 1 will still be covered for any medical services after August 1.
  • If you need medical treatment prior to your enrollment, you can either request to be billed or pay for the service and submit for a reimbursement.

For any questions about SHIP enrollments and reimbursements, please contact the Student Health Insurance Office. 

SHIP Cancellation Guidelines

Students can only terminate their SHIP under certain circumstances. Joining a new plan and leaving on a study abroad program for the spring term do not make a student eligible to cancel their current SHIP enrollment. Cancellations are by request only, even if leaving the U.S. If you want to cancel your enrollment, you must email the Student Health Insurance office with your request.