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Status Change

Your UHIP coverage is tied to your registration status at U of T. As of May 1, 2025, students can step away for one term (i.e., not hold a REG status in ACORN) either during the winter term, or summer term and their UHIP coverage will remain active during their break in studies. If students do not re-register in the term following their one term break in studies, UHIP coverage will become terminated on the last day of the term they took as a break in studies.

*If your registration status changes from registered to de-registered more than 45 days from the beginning of academic term, you will not be issued a refund for the cost of UHIP coverage for that term.

On this page:

Exemption

Extension

UHIP Coverage During Absence

Exemption

UHIP is mandatory for all international students.
You are required to be enrolled in UHIP unless you are provided an exemption.

Eligibility and Application

Please note that if you are eligible for an exemption, you have to apply for the exemption by October 15th (for fall registrants) or by February 15th (for winter registrants) in order to get a full refund. If you are applying after any of these dates and before March 1st, you will only get a partial refund.

If you are eligible for an exemption, you must apply for it within 45 days of your coverage becoming active. You are financially responsible for every month in which you have active UHIP coverage. Refunds will not be made retroactively. This means that you will be charged $63.00 for every month in which you had active UHIP coverage if you submit your refund application after October 15th (for the fall term), and after February 15th (for the winter term). If you apply on the 1st of the month, you will still be charged the full monthly premium. 

To determine whether you are eligible for an exemption, please use our exemption checker tool below. This checker tool will help you determine whether you are eligible to apply for a UHIP exemption. Select the circumstances that best apply to you, and you will receive information about exemptions that best apply to your scenario. 

Exemption Categories

Already have OHIP

  1. Go to the UHIP portal
  2. Fill out the OHIP waiver form (under the ‘Waivers’ tab)
  3. Upload copies of the required documents

Returning Canadian citizens/permanent residents

  1. Apply for OHIP
  2. Update the legal status with the University of Toronto by contacting Registrar/Program Office
    • If not, a UHIP coverage charge will be added to the account each academic year

If you have active coverage from a health plan that is listed in the Pre-Approved Health Care Plans section, you may apply for a waiver.

  1. Go to the UHIP portal
  2. Fill out the Pre-approved plans waiver form (under the ‘Waivers’ tab)
  3. Upload copies of the required documents

Only government-sponsored plans will be considered for an exemption. Private travel insurance will not be considered for an exemption.

All non-pre-approved exemption requests must be initiated no more than 45 days after you are enrolled in UHIP.

You will find more information about the conditions you need to meet for an exemption and the application process on the UHIP website.

Only government-sponsored plans will be considered for an exemption. Private travel insurance will not be considered for an exemption.

Your U of T UHIP team is unable assess non-pre-approved plans for exemption. Please connect directly with Cowan to ask them to assess your non-pre-approved plan by emailing UHIP.admin@cowangroup.ca

Students with an off-campus status outside of Ontario are eligible for UHIP exemption only if they hold one of the Pre-Approved Health Care Plans.

To submit an exemption application, please follow the steps:

  1. Go to the UHIP portal
  2. Fill out the Pre-approved plans waiver form (under the ‘Waivers’ tab)
  3. Upload copies of the required documents

Exemptions: frequently asked questions

If you already have OHIP, go to UHIP portal and fill out the OHIP waiver form (under the ‘Waivers’ tab). Upload copies of the required documents. Please note that if you are eligible for an exemption, you have to apply for the exemption by October 15th (for fall registrants) or by February 15th (for winter registrants) in order to get a full refund.

Check out the UHIP exemption checker tool above to determine whether you are eligible for a UHIP exemption. If you are eligible, through the tool you will find information on how to apply for an exemption. 

All non-pre-approved exemption requests must be initiated no more than 45 days after you are enrolled in UHIP. Only government-sponsored plans will be considered for an exemption. Private travel insurance will not be considered for an exemption. Your U of T UHIP team is unable assess non-pre-approved plans for exemption. Please connect directly with Cowan to ask them to assess your non-pre-approved plan by emailing UHIP.admin@cowangroup.ca.

Extension

Important: UHIP extensions must be requested one month before your current coverage expires. As of May 1, 2025, the deadline to request an additional 2-month extension is August 1st for students who finished their degree requirements in April, and April 1st for students who finished their degree requirements in December. For students finishing their degree requirements in August, the deadline to request a 6-month extension is August 1st. The extension form will close on the deadline. No extensions can be granted past the deadline.

UHIP coverage must be continuous.

UHIP extensions are non-refundable.

Please be aware that during an extension UHIP does not cover the cost of elective procedures or operations. Coverage during an extension to UHIP is limited to medically necessary treatments and procedures. To determine whether you are eligible for an exemption, please use our extension checker tool below.

This checker tool will help you determine whether you are eligible to apply for a UHIP extension. Select the circumstances that best apply to you, and you will receive information about extensions that best apply to your scenario. 

Extension Duration

  • If you finish your degree requirements in APRIL, you will receive an automatic 4-month extension until AUGUST 31st . You can request an additional 2-month extension until OCTOBER 31st . The deadline to request this extension is AUGUST 1st.  

  • If you finish your degree requirements in DECEMBER, you will receive an automatic 4-month extension until APRIL 30th . You can request an additional 2-month extension until JUNE 30th . The deadline to request this extension is APRIL 1st.  

  • If you finish your degree requirements in AUGUST, you can request an extension for 6 months. The deadline to request this extension is AUGUST 1st. Please note: you will NOT receive an automatic extension and will have to request one before the deadline.  

NOTE: Extending your UHIP coverage will not extend your Supplementary Health and Dental plan. You will need to contact your Student Union.  

How To Apply

To apply for an extension of your own coverage, in advance of the deadlines stated above, please fill out our extension before deadlines form.

To extend the coverage of your dependents, in advance of the deadlines stated above, please go to the UHIP portal and complete the Dependents Application

Extensions: Frequently asked questions

If you are graduating early and will not be enrolled in courses in the next semester, you will need to apply for a UHIP extension. UHIP extensions must be requested one month before your current coverage expires. The extensions deadlines are August 1st for fall extensions, and December 1st for winter extensions. The extension form will close by the deadline. No extensions can be granted past the deadline. Look at the “extensions” portion of our website for more details. 

You can only receive UHIP coverage for up to 6 months after you finish your degree requirements. After that extended coverage, you will have to apply for OHIP if you are eligible or purchase your own private health coverage plan. Take a look at our UHIP extension checker tool above to determine whether you are eligible for an extension and how to apply for one.  

You are eligible for a two-month extension after your program is complete if your VISA allows you to remain in Canada after your exchange program ends. Exchange students can get a maximum extension of two months. Please submit our extension form for exchange students to request a 2-month extension.

UHIP Coverage During Absence

As of May 1, 2025, international students on a one-term leave (either summer or winter) from their studies will maintain their UHIP coverage automatically for the term in which they are not actively registered.

You are no longer required to submit proof of an official leave of absence from the University to be eligible for UHIP coverage during your one-term leave.

UHIP coverage will be terminated on the last day of the term that you elected to take a break in your studies unless you become registered in the term following the break, or if the term following your break is a scheduled break and you are unable to resume studies.

If you elect to take a scheduled break in the fall term, you must contact our office at least one-month prior to your leave and request UHIP coverage during your leave. No automatic continuation can be provided in the first term of an academic year.

If you hold a registered status at the beginning of an academic term and become de-registered afterwards, the term you de-registered from will be treated as a break in studies and your coverage will be automatically maintained.

The only exception is if you become de-registered within 45 days of the first term of an academic year, you’ll not be enrolled into UHIP and will receive a refund to your Acorn account.