SHIP Enrollment & Waiver Process

Health Insurance Requirement for all Full Time Registered Students 

Definition of Full-Time: Designation of full-time status for graduate students is based on units (not credits).  Full-time students are those who are enrolled for at least 48 units for the semester or 36 units for a 12-week term.  Calculate your units HERE.   Please note, any student taking 899 have 108 units and are considered full-time.  Some student groups are exempt from the waiver process. Please see below.

NEW Graduate Students Registered Full-Time for Spring 2024:  
NEW graduate students who start in the Spring who are registed as a full time student will be required to either enroll in SHIP or waive out of SHIP.   

RETURNING Graduate Students Registered Full-Time for Spring 2024: 
RETURNING graduate students have already gone through the waiver process.  No action is required. 

NEW and RETURNING Graduate Students enrolled Full-Time in Fall 2024: 
All NEW AND RETURNING graduate students enrolled as full time students in Fall 2024 will be required to either enroll in SHIP or waive out of SHIP.  This is an annual waiver process required for all full time graduate students.

SHIP Waiver Process  (Enroll or Waive)

Full-time registered graduate students enrolled in a master's or doctoral program at College Park are required to have health insurance and must either enroll in SHIP or waive out of SHIP by the end of the Open Enrollment Period.  New students in Spring 2024 must enroll or waive by February 15, 2024.

1.  Enroll in courses and calculate your units.

2.  Full-time registration status is transferred to Academic HealthPlans (AHP) daily.  AHP is our insurance broker.

3.  Once registered full time, GO TO the ENROLLMENT & WAIVER PORTAL to either enroll in SHIP or waive out of SHIP.  If enrolling, your student account will be charged. If waiving, be on the lookout for the waiver approval (3-5 days) after submitting your waiver.

4.  If you forget to go to the ENROLLMENT & WAIVER PORTAL, you will be automatically charged for SHIP. 

• New Spring 2024 students will be charged on January 15, February 1, and February 15.
• Fall 2023 students returning for Spring 2024 will not be charged.
• New and returning students for Fall 2024 will be charged on August 15, September 1, and September 15.

Exemptions

Certain student groups are exempt from the mandatory SHIP enrollment/waiver process.  the students groups listed below are not required to enroll in SHIP and are not required to waive out of SHIP. Their student accounts will not be charged.

Part-time students (less than 48 units)
Certificate students
Non-degree seeking students
Exclusively online students
Shady Grove Students
Students on an Approved Leave of Absence

Voluntary SHIP Enrollment

To enroll in SHIP using the voluntary enrollment process, go to umd.myahpcare.com/enrollment and click on "Student Groups eligible for Voluntary Enrollment" section.

Who is eigible to enroll in SHIP using the Voluntary Enrollment Process:

Part-time students (less than 48 units)
Certificate students
Non-degree seeking students
Exclusively online students
Shady Grove Students
Student using a Qualifying Event Process
Students on an Approved Leave of Absence
Research Scholars
Postdoctoral Associates
SROP Scholars
AES Enrollment

Who is NOT eligible to enroll using the Voluntary Enrollment Process?

Anyone who has is no longer registered as a student
Recent graduates
Students in other USM institutions
OPTs

Appeals

Graduate students who are out of the country for a full semester can apply for an exception to the Health Insurance requirement.  Students who believe they have been charged for SHIP incorrectly can submit an appeal. Please submit your request using this Appeal Form. The Spring 2024 and Fall 2024 appeal deadlines are listed below:

• The appeal process for Spring 2024 is available through February 29, 2024.
• The appeal process for Fall 2024 is available through September 30, 2024.