Does anyone have experience getting financial aid to cover the cost of health insurance, if they are on need-based aid? Looking carefully at our current plan I suspect it may not be “comprehensive” enough for qualify for the waiver (and even if so, it’s a little dicey should a situation arise.) But it’s also a really big added expense and we are already maxed out based on what Brown thinks we can afford. It was not included in the original estimated COA though. Calling first thing but I’m not sure how this is going to play out, and if badly if we can really afford to commit. Seems like 3 options are possible, right?
- They say our current insurance is approved for a waiver, as it covers urgent and emergency care away from home.
- They say it is not approved and SHIP must be purchased, but add it to the cost of attendance and as we have a no-loan package, add the cost to the grant.
- They say it is not approved and SHIP must be purchased, but we need to figure out some other way to pay for it. (About 3800/more/year.)
Experience from the front lines?
I strongly believe that for someone with a no-loan package, if your insurance is not comprehensive enough then they will add it to the COA and adjust your FA package accordingly.
I’m very concerned about this. Could a current or former Brown student or parent provide some insight?
Current Brown student here! If you are on a financial aid, you can explore the option of Brown covering your health insurance fees. They range from partial coverage to complete coverage. I had a scholarship to cover mine but I had a friend cover her health insurance through Brown’s financial aid.
Going through the process of applying for a waiver online right now. Already denied once because the company “could not confirm coverage.” Very frustrating! We have very good insurance and I am hopeful the waiver will ultimately be approved. But this just feels like a shakedown from the vendor Brown has contracted with. $3800 when we already have comprehensive insurance? Give me a break.
Everything else with Brown so far has been great. I don’t know why they let an outside company do this to their families. Any thoughts on whom to share this feedback with at Brown?
I think that most colleges work with an outside company like this, though the company Brown’s using this year is new. FWIW, I had no issue filing the waiver and getting things approved.
We had no problems getting the waiver for our kid – but that was a decade ago. baltimoreguy’s experience sounds horrible. I’d call financial aid and admissions – heck, copy the president’s office, too, as well as the Brown Daily Herald.
I actually wrote Brown’s Director of Insurance and Procurement on Thursday, explaining what had happened. The next morning, the wavier was approved, and then she called me shortly thereafter to explain - there had been a disconnect on my insurance provider’s end about providing the information when requested. As a result of Brown’s outreach, the insurance provider has changed its practices going forward. I couldn’t be more impressed or appreciative of how quickly and professionally the situation was resolved once I called it to their attention.
Whew – glad to hear that it went so well, baltimoreguy. I hope all your dealings with Brown’s bureaucracy go as smoothly!
I’m betting that while Brown’s health insurance waiver request “glitch rate” is low, it can’t possibly be zero! While it can be VERY frustrating to have to spend so much time on these things, some percentage of those requesting waivers will encounter glitches of some sort or another. I have a son at a liberal arts college and it took about 4 tries this year and several email exchanges. No good reason. But my daughter’s waiver request at Brown encountered no glitches. Just random good/bad luck!