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Health & Immunization

The mission of Student Health Services (SHS) is to keep students healthy so they can be well-prepared academically. SHS is here for students not just when they are sick, but also to help their mind and body thrive! Our healthcare providers and staff really care about your student’s well-being.

Student Health Services offers a range of services to support your student as they pursue their academic and extracurricular programs at UCSC. Routine medical appointments are available throughout the year for care of acute and chronic illness, reproductive/sexual health care, and health clearances for sports or travel. If your student has a chronic medical condition or significant medical history, please consider having them schedule an appointment in order to establish care at the Health Center. If your student has a medical condition currently under treatment, please have your student provide a summary letter from their doctor at home. For more information on services provided by the health center, please visit the Health Center website.

At the Health Center, students can see us when they:

  • Are sick or injured
  • Need immunizations and wellness care
  • Want contraception and family planning
  • Have mental health concerns
  • Want a full-service pharmacy for prescriptions
  • Need on-site lab tests or X-rays
  • Want a vision exam
  • Are seeking help with special needs or complex health questions
  • Have COVID-related questions or issues
  • Need referrals to specialists
  • Want to learn about health insurance


What are the healthcare requirements for new students?

Students on campus must meet three important health requirements. They must submit proof of:

  1. Immunizations (including COVID-19 vaccines and booster)
  2. Tuberculosis Risk screening
  3. Health insurance

In addition, if your student will be under 18 when they arrive on campus, you will need to complete a Consent for the Treatment of a Minor form.

These requirements are not optional. If they are not taken care of, students wo not be allowed to attend classes (a hold on registration). Additional fees may be incurred.

Student Health Insurance: Insurance Requirement

The University of California mandates that all students be covered by a health insurance plan. All undergraduate and graduate students are automatically enrolled in the University of California-sponsored Student Health Insurance Plan (UC SHIP) unless you have them choose to submit an insurance waiver showing proof of comparable coverage.

Requirements: Immunizations and TB Screening

The University of California regents require all students on all UC Campuses to have certain vaccinations. The required vaccinations prevent serious diseases that spread easily. Vaccinations protect your health and the health of our UCSC community. Here is a link to the University of California’s memo on the mandatory insurance vaccination and screening policy. 

All students also need screening for tuberculosis (TB). These requirements are all part of our commitment to keeping you and our UCSC community free of communicable diseases.

When a student has all their immunizations and has completed the TB screening, they are considered “compliant” with the requirements. If students do not meet these requirements, they will be prevented from registering for classes. There are no exceptions, except medical exemptions. Learn more about the UC medical exemption policy here.

Health Insurance—Choosing a Health Insurance Option

For most students, UC SHIP is the easiest and most affordable option. There is no sign-up paperwork and no need to leave campus when they are sick. See these short videos and infographics for more information.

If they use UC SHIP, what is next?
No action is needed. We will automatically enroll students. When the quarter starts, we will send UC SHIP information to their MyUCSC portal.

If I use my own insurance. What is next?
Choosing to use private insurance is more complex. The student will need to complete: 1) a waiver worksheet, and 2) the online waiver. This is extremely important! Without a completed waiver, the student will be billed for UC SHIP. The waiver is also where they sign up for CruzCare. To get started:

  1. Watch this video about how to complete the waiver and get CruzCare
  2. Read the waiver FAQs here
  3. Learn how your student can accept or waive UC SHIP
  4. Have your student complete and submit the online waiver

After the student submits the online waiver, our waiver partner, Academic HealthPlans, will review the waiver. They will let the student know if there are any issues with their private insurance plan.

NOTE: Waivers must be submitted each quarter!

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