NYU Health Insurance Waiver Guide for International Students (2026–2027)
How to waive the NYU Student Health Insurance Plan (SHIP), meet every NYU waiver requirement, and get comprehensive, NYU-approved coverage from Kimber Health for far less.
The basics
What is an NYU health insurance waiver?
If you are an international student at New York University on an F-1 or J-1 visa, you have probably seen a large health insurance charge added to your NYU account. The good news: you do not have to keep it.
NYU automatically enrolls all degree-seeking students, both domestic and international, in the NYU-sponsored Student Health Insurance Plan (SHIP), administered through Wellfleet/Aetna, and bills it to your bursar account each term. A waiver is simply how you tell NYU: "I already have qualifying coverage, so please remove the SHIP charge."
If your alternate plan meets NYU's requirements and you submit before the deadline, NYU removes the insurance charge from your account, usually within about three business days of approval.
The motivation
Why do international students waive NYU SHIP?
The NYU SHIP is a strong, comprehensive plan. But it is priced as one-size-fits-all: the same premium for an 18-year-old first-year and a 29-year-old graduate student, and the same rate whether you are a domestic student or an international student arriving with a different health profile.
International students often look for an outside plan because they want:
- Coverage just as comprehensive as the school plan, with a low deductible and high co-insurance
- A plan that meets NYU's waiver requirements in full
- More affordable premiums tailored to their age and situation
- Help understanding the waiver process so the submission is done right the first time
A plan built specifically for international students can deliver all four.
Know your campus
Which NYU plan applies to you?
NYU's SHIP rates differ by campus, so the first step is knowing which group you belong to. Your school determines your plan and premium.
NYU Washington Square
NYU Tandon
Whichever campus you are on, a Kimber Health plan can be matched to meet your specific school's waiver requirements, and Kimber's team confirms the fit before you submit.
The checklist
NYU waiver requirements (2026–2027)
To waive the NYU-sponsored plan, your alternate coverage must meet NYU's minimum criteria. As published by NYU, a qualifying plan must:
- Provide an unlimited maximum benefit per accident or illness
- Cover inpatient and outpatient care, including mental health, substance abuse, and alcohol-related illness or injury, in the New York City area
- Include repatriation of remains coverage of at least $25,000
- Include medical evacuation to your home country of at least $50,000
- Carry a deductible of no more than $1,500
- Stay in effect for the full coverage period (Fall: August 21 to August 20 of the following year). Emergency-only coverage does not qualify.
- Be from an insurer headquartered and operating in the U.S., with a U.S. claims address and a U.S. customer-service phone number
Every Kimber Health plan is built to check every one of these boxes: unlimited maximum benefit, a U.S.-based insurer and support team, NYC-area in/outpatient and mental-health coverage, repatriation and medical evacuation, and a deductible well under NYU's $1,500 limit.
Don't wait
NYU waiver deadline
The fall waiver deadline is September 30. (The spring waiver deadline typically falls around mid-February.) If you miss your deadline, you may stay automatically enrolled in, and billed for, the NYU SHIP for the entire term.
Find your exact NYU waiver deadline as early as possible, choose a qualifying plan, and submit. Saving money takes a little lead time.
The how-to
How the NYU waiver process works
When you enroll with Kimber Health, we prepare a completed, NYU-ready waiver form and walk you through the rest, so the submission is far less stressful.
NYU's newest insurance policies are expected to launch on June 23, 2026. The waiver process, requirements, or deadlines described here may change at that time. We recommend checking NYU's Student Health Insurance portal after June 23 to confirm the current process before submitting your waiver.
The numbers
NYU SHIP vs. Kimber Health
Cheaper is only half the story. What matters just as much is how much you pay when you actually use your insurance, and that comes down to two things: your deductible and your co-insurance.
Deductible: the amount you pay yourself before your plan starts paying.
Co-insurance: the share your plan covers after the deductible. 100% co-insurance means the plan covers the full cost of eligible in-network care, so you pay nothing more.
Co-pay: a fixed amount you pay for a specific service, for example $50 for an urgent-care visit.
Here is how Kimber Health plans line up against NYU's most recently published SHIP rates, side by side. Premiums shown are for ages 17 to 27, the most common student ages. Coverage is also available for ages 28 to 45 at kimberhealth.com/nyu.
| Feature | NYU SHIP (Washington Sq.) | NYU SHIP (Tandon) | Kimber Elite Most comprehensive |
Kimber Premium Most popular |
Kimber Core | Kimber Violet Exclusive |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Annual premium (ages 17–24) | $4,586 Basic / $5,099 Comp. | $2,490 | $1,996.55 | $1,310.35 | $974.55 | $876 |
| Annual premium (ages 25–27) | $4,586 Basic / $5,099 Comp. | $2,490 | $2,774.00 | $1,627.90 | $1,365.10 | $1,113.25 |
| Deductible | $0 | $0 | $0 | $180 | $600 | $1,250 |
| Co-insurance | 80% Basic / 90% Comp. | 90% | 100% | 80% | 80% | 80% |
| Maximum benefit | Unlimited | Unlimited | Unlimited | Unlimited | Unlimited | Unlimited |
| Student health center | Covered in full | Covered in full | 100% | 100% | 100% | 100% |
| Urgent care | $35 then 80% / $30 then 90% | $20 copay | $50 copay/visit | $50 copay/visit | $50 copay/visit | $50 copay/visit |
| Emergency (waived if admitted) | $250 then 80% / $100 then 90% | $50 then 90% | $300 | $250 | $300 | $250 |
| Prescriptions (Tier 1/2/3) | $15/$40/$60 | $10/$25/N/A | $10/$20/$40 | $10/$20/$40 | $10/$20/$40 | $10/$20/$40 |
Kimber Elite is on par with, and in places better than, the NYU SHIP. It carries a $0 deductible and 100% co-insurance, which actually exceeds NYU SHIP Comprehensive's 90%, while costing roughly $3,100 less per year. Kimber Premium keeps your deductible to just $180. A $0 or $180 deductible, paired with high co-insurance, means little to nothing out of pocket for eligible in-network care. For a fully NYU-qualifying plan, that is significant.
What that means in savings
For an NYU Washington Square student (ages 17–24) compared with the $5,099 Comprehensive SHIP rate, here is the annual saving by plan:
| Saving vs. $5,099 Comprehensive SHIP | Kimber Elite Most comprehensive | Kimber Premium Most popular | Kimber Core | Kimber Violet Exclusive |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Annual premium | $1,996.55 | $1,310.35 | $974.55 | $876 |
| Deductible / co-insurance | $0 / 100% | $180 / 80% | $600 / 80% | $1,250 / 80% |
| You save | ~$3,102 | ~$3,789 | ~$4,124 | ~$4,223 |
So you can step all the way up to Kimber Elite, the most comprehensive plan with a $0 deductible and 100% co-insurance, and still save about $3,100 versus the NYU Comprehensive SHIP. Even against NYU's $4,586 Basic plan, savings run from roughly $2,589 to $3,710 for ages 17–24. That is rent, groceries, textbooks, and maybe even spring break.
The honest answer
Why can Kimber Health be so much cheaper?
Lower price, same NYU-qualifying coverage. Here is how:
Same boxes checked. Lower premium.
The bonus most students miss
Get money back after you graduate
Because Kimber plans run on an annual coverage period, if you graduate before your coverage period ends, you can request a refund for the unused months, typically up to about 3 months of premium (roughly 25% of your annual premium).
| Plan | Kimber Elite Most comprehensive | Kimber Premium Most popular | Kimber Core | Kimber Violet Exclusive |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Annual premium | $1,996.55 | $1,310.35 | $974.55 | $876 |
| About 3-month refund | ~$499 | ~$328 | ~$244 | ~$219 |
| Effective net cost | ~$1,497 | ~$983 | ~$731 | ~$657 |
So a graduating student on Kimber Elite, the most comprehensive plan, could pay an effective ~$1,497 for the year after the refund, versus $5,099 for NYU's Comprehensive SHIP.
Refund eligibility and the amount depend on your plan terms, your cancellation or graduation date, and whether you have used your plan yet.
Student wins
Why NYU students choose Kimber Health
- $100M+ saved by students across our membership, money back toward rent, groceries, and textbooks.
- Licensed, U.S.-based, and trusted, a real broker with a physical U.S. office, a U.S. claims address, and real human support (exactly what NYU's waiver rules require).
- Highly rated, 5.0 on Google and 4.9 on Trustpilot, because we explain insurance like actual humans.
- Coverage across all 50 states, new state, new campus, same coverage.
- Members from 115+ countries, built for students, from everywhere.
- Step-by-step waiver guidance, less portal panic, more "okay, I get it." We prepare a completed, NYU-ready waiver form for you.
Myth vs. fact
What if I land an on-campus job with insurance?
Here is one of the most common worries we hear from students, straight from the Kimber Health Instagram:
"If I get an on-campus job that offers free or discounted insurance, I've wasted money on alternative insurance."
If your job later provides free or discounted university insurance, you can cancel your Kimber Health plan and get a refund.*
*As long as you have not used your plan yet.
So choosing Kimber Health now does not lock you in. If your situation changes, you are not stuck paying for two plans. See the original post on Instagram, and follow @kimberhealth for more waiver tips and student stories.
Quick answers
NYU waiver FAQ
Do international students have to have health insurance at NYU?
Yes. NYU requires all degree-seeking students to maintain health insurance and automatically enrolls and bills you for the SHIP unless you waive with a qualifying plan.
Can I waive NYU health insurance with an outside plan?
Yes, as long as your plan meets NYU's waiver requirements (U.S.-based insurer, unlimited maximum benefit, in/outpatient and mental-health coverage in NYC, repatriation of at least $25,000, medical evacuation of at least $50,000, and a deductible of no more than $1,500) and stays in effect for the full coverage period.
Is an outside plan as comprehensive as the NYU SHIP?
It can be just as comprehensive, or more. Kimber Elite, for example, has a $0 deductible and 100% co-insurance, which exceeds NYU SHIP Comprehensive's 90% co-insurance, while still costing about $3,100 less per year. Always compare deductible, co-insurance, and benefits, not just premium.
What is the NYU waiver deadline for 2026–2027?
The fall waiver deadline is September 30; the spring deadline is typically around mid-February. Confirm the current dates on NYU's student insurance portal.
Can I waive for just one semester?
No. NYU requires coverage for the full academic term or year for a waiver to be approved.
Does the NYU plan differ between Washington Square and Tandon?
Yes. Washington Square schools (Courant, Stern, GSAS, CAS, SPS, Steinhardt, Silver, Tisch, Rory Meyers, LS, and Gallatin) and Tandon have different SHIP rates. A Kimber plan can be matched to your specific school's requirements.
Is Kimber Health a real, NYU-eligible option?
Yes. Kimber Health is a licensed U.S. broker, and our plans are built to meet NYU's waiver requirements. We prepare a completed waiver form and provide step-by-step guidance.
How much can I save by waiving NYU SHIP?
Depending on your age and plan, students commonly save more than $2,500 per year, and over $4,000 in some cases, versus the NYU Comprehensive SHIP rate, before any post-graduation refund.
Ready to waive and save?
Kimber Health provides step-by-step waiver guidance and helps international students explore affordable, NYU-qualifying coverage with confidence.
Get started at kimberhealth.com/nyu →
