Some Illinois students risk being auto-enrolled and charged nearly $6,000 for health insurance
Health insurance requirements across the Prairie State often burden students with thousands of dollars in automatically billed premiums.
For those already insured, navigating tight waiver deadlines and requirements is critical.
As students return to Illinois campuses this fall, health insurance requirements are adding another layer of costs, often in the thousands of dollars depending on where they’re enrolled.
While every major university in Illinois requires students to carry insurance, the scope and price of these mandates vary widely between public and private institutions. Missing a waiver deadline often means automatic enrollment in a school-sponsored plan, leaving students stuck with a potentially unnecessary bill on top of tuition and housing.
[RELATED: Northwestern University cuts staff, halts hiring amid federal funding freeze]
Public Universities
Illinois’ public institutions generally require all students to carry coverage, with some universities enforcing the mandate only after registration for a certain number of credit hours. Premiums, however, are often far lower than those at private universities.
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University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign – Required for all students, auto-enroll. Cost: ~$1,692. Waivable with approved equivalent insurance. Deadlines: Sep. 26 and Feb. 20.
University of Illinois Chicago – Required for all students, auto-enroll. Cost: ~$1,349. Waivable with major medical insurance. Deadlines: Aug. 16 and Jan. 1.
Illinois State University – Required for all students with 9+ credit hours. Cost: ~$570. Waivable with comparable coverage. Deadlines: Sep. 2 and Jan. 26.
Northern Illinois University – Required for all students with 9+ credit hours. Cost: ~$2,756. Waivable with coverage meeting ACA standards. Deadlines: Aug. 1 and Jan. 1.
Southern Illinois University Carbondale – Required for all students, auto-enroll. Cost: ~$2,278. Waivable with coverage meeting SIU’s standards. Deadline: Aug. 29.
Private Universities
Private universities in Illinois impose broader requirements, often applying them to all students regardless of credit load. Costs can be significantly higher, increasing the financial burden for students who choose a private institution over a public one.
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University of Chicago – Required for all students, auto-enroll. Cost: ~$3,430. Waivable with comparable coverage. Deadline: Third Friday of fall quarter.
Northwestern University – Required for all students, auto-enroll. Cost: ~$5,919. Waivable with comparable coverage. Deadline: Oct. 1.
Illinois Institute of Technology – Required for all students, auto-enroll. Cost: ~$2,343. Waivable with comparable coverage. Deadlines: Sep. 1 and Jan. 12.
Loyola University Chicago – Required for all students enrolled in 12+ credit hours, auto-enroll. Cost: ~$3,684. Waivable with comparable coverage. Deadlines: Oct. 1 and Feb. 28.
DePaul University – Required for all students, auto-enroll. Cost: ~$2,490. Waivable with comparable coverage. Deadline: Sep. 26.
[RELATED: Illinois poised to mandate public universities provide abortion pills on campus]
The contrast between Illinois’ public and private schools is striking. At public universities, medical fees can be as low as $570 a year, while private institutions like Northwestern charge close to $6,000 for insurance premiums—a figure that rivals the cost of tuition at some community colleges.
These steep charges are especially frustrating for students who are already covered under a parent’s plan or who could find cheaper policies on the open market. Instead, schools often automatically enroll them in expensive plans and force them to navigate narrow waiver windows to opt out.
For students and families already stretched by tuition hikes, housing costs, and hidden fees, mandatory insurance looks less like a safeguard and more like another financial burden piled on top of existing costs.
