Purdue International Student Insurance Waiver Rules

Purdue's student health insurance is mandatory for international students at the West Lafayette campus, and the waiver is narrow. According to Purdue University Student Health (PUSH), you can only waive if you are 100% funded by your home government or a world organization, a J-1 student on an approved exchange program, or covered through a US employer's US based plan, and your alternative plan must also meet Purdue's benefit minimums. A private plan you buy yourself as an F-1 student does not open a waiver route on its own.

Key facts at a glance

• Mandatory: PUSH states that international students on the West Lafayette campus must purchase Purdue's student health insurance as a condition of enrollment or obtain an approved waiver.
• Four waiver routes: full home government funding, full world organization funding, J-1 status on an approved exchange program, or coverage as a US employee or dependent under a US based employer plan.
• Plan minimums for a waiver: in effect from your date of entry, $100,000 medical per incident, $50,000 evacuation, $25,000 repatriation, and a deductible of no more than $500 for J-1 students or $3,400 for other visa types.
• 2026 to 2027 deadlines: September 8, 2026 for fall and February 2, 2027 for spring, both at 5:00 pm ET, per PUSH.
• Missed deadline: a non refundable $200 late fee and a registration hold, according to Purdue's waiver deadline page.
• Coverage options: PUSH lists fall, spring/summer and summer only coverage periods for 2026 to 2027; the exact dates and costs are on the Purdue SHIP enrollment site run by AHP.

Who qualifies for a Purdue health insurance waiver?

Purdue does not accept a waiver simply because you hold another policy. PUSH lists four categories, and you must fit one of them before the quality of your plan even matters.

• Government sponsored: your home government pays 100% of tuition, housing, fees and health insurance, and that insurance meets Purdue's requirements.
• World organization sponsored: the same test, with a world organization as the full sponsor.
• J-1 exchange student: you are on an approved exchange program.
• US employer coverage: you are covered as an employee, or the dependent of an employee, of a US based company with a US based health plan that meets Purdue's requirements.

PUSH also states that socialized or standard national medical policies, such as Canadian, French, German or Australian plans, are not accepted unless you are on an approved exchange program. If you are a self funded F-1 student, the realistic answer is that you will be on the Purdue plan. Our general guide on how to waive university health insurance explains why many schools draw the line this way.

What must your plan include to be accepted?

If you fit a waiver category, your plan is checked against five requirements on Purdue's waiver page: the policy must be in effect from your date of entry into the US, pay at least $100,000 per incident in medical benefits, include at least $50,000 in medical evacuation and $25,000 in repatriation of remains, and keep the deductible at or below $500 per year for J-1 students or $3,400 for other visa types.

You upload the front and back of your insurance card, the complete policy document, page 1 of your I-20 or DS-2019, and your passport or visa documentation. Exchange students submit through the Purdue SHIP waiver portal run by AHP. A summary brochure alone is often not enough to show every figure, so keep the full policy wording ready.

How much does the Purdue international student insurance cost?

PUSH's international enrollment page points you to the Purdue SHIP enrollment website run by AHP for the current cost, so check the premium there and on your bursar account rather than relying on figures quoted elsewhere. Premiums are set for each plan year, so confirm the figure for 2026 to 2027.

What PUSH does publish is how the plan works. UnitedHealthcare administers it, with a $200 in network deductible and a $400 out of network deductible, and the deductible is waived when you use PUSH providers. Prescription copays are $10 for tier 1, $20 for tiers 2 and 3, and $50 for tier 4, with the Purdue University Pharmacy as the preferred pharmacy.

Can you add a spouse or children to the Purdue plan?

Yes. PUSH's eligibility page says eligible students can add or drop dependents during open enrollment or within 30 days of a life event, such as marriage, birth, adoption, loss of other coverage, or a dependent entering or leaving the US. Miss that window and you wait for the next open enrollment.

Check the dependent rates on the Purdue SHIP enrollment site and compare them against private options for an F-2 or J-2 family member. Among the plans Ombrela can quote, IMG's Student Health Advantage lets a spouse and children join the student's policy, with a $100,000 per incident limit for dependents according to the plan catalog; WorldTrips StudentSecure does not cover dependents. J-2 family members must also meet the federal J-1 minimums in 22 CFR 62.14. Our guide to F-2 dependent insurance walks through the choice.

What about arrival, summer and graduation gaps?

Purdue's fall coverage period starts on a fixed date shown on the Purdue SHIP enrollment site. Study in the States lets F and M students arrive up to 30 days before the program start date on the I-20, so if you land before that coverage start date you can have days without the school plan. A short private plan that starts the day you fly bridges that gap.

Summer can be covered: PUSH offers a spring/summer coverage period and a separate summer only option, with exact dates on the Purdue SHIP site. After graduation, PUSH says students on post completion OPT without employer insurance may be able to continue the Purdue plan for up to 90 days. After that, you need your own coverage. StudentSecure, for example, waives its full time requirement for F-1 students on OPT, according to WorldTrips' plan document.

Your free Purdue coverage planning worksheet

Download our free Purdue coverage planning worksheet below. It walks you through the waiver test, the deadlines, dependents and each gap in your timeline, so you know exactly when you are on the Purdue plan and when you need something else.

How to get covered for the gaps

Use the Purdue plan for the semesters it covers, then fill the gaps. You can compare student plans on Ombrela for arrival days, dependents or the months after the 90 day continuation ends. J-1 exchange students who meet Purdue's waiver route can check J-1 compliant options on our J-1 insurance page, then confirm every waiver figure before submitting.

Eligibility matters: Student Health Advantage is not available to citizens of Botswana, Gambia, Ghana, Niger, Nigeria or Sierra Leone (Platinum also excludes Kosovo), and StudentSecure is not available to citizens of Cuba or Ukraine, according to the plan catalog Ombrela uses. Both also exclude residents of certain other home countries, such as Iran and North Korea, so check the plan page for your country.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can an F-1 student waive Purdue insurance with a private plan?

Usually not. Purdue's waiver routes are limited to students fully funded by a home government or world organization, J-1 students on an approved exchange program, and people covered by a US employer's US based plan. A self funded F-1 student who buys a private international plan does not fit any of these categories, so the Purdue plan remains mandatory regardless of the private plan's benefits.

What happens if I miss the Purdue waiver deadline?

According to PUSH, residential international students who do not submit and obtain waiver approval by 5:00 pm ET on September 8, 2026 for fall, or February 2, 2027 for spring, face a non refundable $200 late fee and a registration hold. You would also remain responsible for the Purdue premium for that period, so submit well before the deadline and keep proof of submission.

Does the Purdue plan cover me over the summer?

It can. PUSH offers a spring/summer coverage period that continues through the summer, and a separate summer only option for students who need it. The exact start and end dates for 2026 to 2027 are listed on the Purdue SHIP enrollment site. If you leave Purdue or graduate before your period ends, check your end date carefully, and plan private coverage for any days you stay in the US afterward.

Can I keep the Purdue plan after I graduate?

PUSH says graduates without employer insurance may be able to continue the Purdue University Student Insurance Plan for up to 90 days. That is useful early in OPT or while you wait for a job offer. Contact the Student Insurance Office at student-insurance@purdue.edu to confirm eligibility, then arrange a private plan to start the day the continuation ends.

Mark your deadlines now, download the worksheet, and compare student plans for the dates Purdue's plan does not reach.