<p>I can see this happening. The fact of the matter is that you do owe the money to Penn. You cannot get financial aid for the insurance premiums paid while you were not a student there, and you cannot return to the school until you get that balance paid. It is indeed a tough situation, because you probably still need health insurance, and if you were at Penn, your financial aid would cover it, but because you are not, there is no financial aid. </p>
<p>First of all, what options are there for those who have no money and no health insurance in your state? The fact of the matter is that UPenn is not responsible to keep you covered, and if you want to be covered by the health insurance they offer, you have to pay for it, just as you would any other health insurance you get independently. The exception would be what your state has for those who cannot pay. UPenn was being very careless continuing to cover you without getting a premium payment. The way it works with most health insurance is that if you don’t pay the premium by the date the policy is scheduled to lapse, you are not covered anymore. Penn did not do this–they let you keep the coverage with the expectation that you would pay it, and their form of the big heavy stick is that you can’t come back to school until you do.</p>
<p>The only two options I can see, is that you appeal to the financial aid office for a school loan for the amount of the premium you owe, and you will have to work part time during the school year to start paying it off and that it becomes a loan that you will owe to the school. If they cannot help you that way, then the other option is to take off a year, get state insurance, work and pay off what you owe UPenn and return to school when that is paid off.</p>
<p>A lot of kids feel that a college should be helping you out in “life” things. That you go for a place to live, that the school will support you. Not really, though it often does when all goes well. This is a business agreement and if you are not a full time student meeting certain requirements, all and any financial aid and amenities turn into smoke. There is no obligation for a college to support you. The aid is only to allow you to study there . The instant you are in breach of that agreement, it’s game over.</p>