For students in Ithaca / Geneva
Students studying on Cornell's Ithaca campus and Geneva campus pay the university’s student health fee to help support affordable and equitable access to high-quality on-campus health services.
Cornell Tech & other NYC-based students: See information about the Cornell Tech health fee.
2024-2025 student health fee
- 2024-2025 academic-year health fee: $275/semester
- Applicable to undergraduate, graduate, and professional students studying on Cornell’s Ithaca campus or Geneva campus
- Charged to students’ Bursar bill at the beginning of each semester
- Summer 2025 health fee: $159
- Applicable to Precollege Studies students and other summer-only residential students
- Charged to students' Bursar bill at the beginning of their summer program
Students who pay the health fee have a $10 visit charge for most Cornell Health services (some services have no charge; additional costs apply for pharmacy prescriptions, some lab tests, most immunizations, and travel medicine). See our Cost for Service page for details.
Health fee FAQ
Who pays the student health fee?
- Undergraduate, graduate, and professional students studying on Cornell’s Ithaca campus and Geneva campus pay the academic-year student health fee, regardless of what health insurance they have.
- Most fully funded graduate students have their health fee covered as part of their funding.
- Summer-only students who are enrolled in in-person classes on the Ithaca campus through the Precollege Studies or Summer Session program pay Cornell's summer health fee. (Academic-year students who are already paying the spring and/or fall semester health fee do not pay the summer health fee.)
Students in residential programs that are distant from the Ithaca / Geneva campuses are not charged the health fee. If those students are temporarily in the Ithaca area, they can still access Cornell Health services and we will bill their insurance plan for those services. These students will be responsible for their copayments, coinsurance, and deductibles (as specified by their insurance plan).
If your student status changes, please see information about refunds below.
Why does Cornell have a student health fee?
The student health fee, combined with other funding sources, helps enable Cornell Health to offer all students the same access to affordable on-campus care, no matter what health insurance they have (see How does Cornell Health's subsidy work? below). It also helps support no-cost mental health services for students, as well as campus-wide health initiatives and programming in the areas of mental health promotion, alcohol and other drug education, hazing prevention, and sexual violence prevention. (The expenses and programs funded by the student health fee may change from time to time, as determined by Student and Campus Life leadership.)
Health fees are standard administrative fees at universities nation-wide. Among Cornell's Ivy Plus peers, those with exposed (listed separately) health fees typically range from $500 to $1,000 a year.
How does Cornell Health's subsidy work?
The student health fee is part of Cornell Health’s overall funding model that enables subsidized access to care when a student’s insurance (in- or out-of-network) does not cover services.
Cornell Health bills students’ health insurance plans as the primary payer for medical and psychiatry services received on campus (most counseling services as well as sexually transmitted infection [STI] screenings are excluded from insurance billing). Remaining costs (copayments, coinsurance, and deductibles) for most services are capped at the $10 visit charge.
How does insurance billing work?
Cornell Health bills students’ health insurance plans as the primary payer for medical and psychiatry services received on campus (most counseling services as well as sexually transmitted infection [STI] screenings are excluded from insurance billing). Remaining costs (copayments, coinsurance, and deductibles) for most services is capped at the $10 visit charge.
- Cornell Health limits students’ copayment for most services to $10 (some services have no charge) – even if your insurance plan denies a claim – and waives both coinsurance and deductible costs.
- Please note that students (or a parent, if they are the policy holder) may receive an explanation of benefits (EOB) from their insurance company indicating that these remaining costs (copayments, coinsurance, deductibles) are due for services received at Cornell Health. In most cases, Cornell Health covers these costs automatically (see our Cost for Service page for details) and the student / parent is not responsible for the charge(s).
EXCLUSIONS: The subsidy does not apply to pharmacy, travel medicine, immunizations other than the flu vaccine, and services outside of Cornell Health (e.g., lab tests that must be sent to an external lab). This means students are responsible for the costs that their insurance doesn't cover.
Learn more on our Insurance & Billing page.
If Cornell Health bills insurance plans, why does the university charge a health fee?
Many students have insurance with a high "cost-share" (copayments, coinsurance, and deductibles), which limits the insurance plan's reimbursement, leaving the remaining costs as the student's financial responsibility. The health fee, as one of our funding sources, ensures that we have the resources to provide equitable access to campus health services for all students, regardless of their insurance coverage.
Can I get refund after I've paid the health fee?
Students whose status changes within the first 10 days of the semester (including students studying away from the Ithaca / Geneva campus for a full semester, students taking a leave of absence, and students withdrawing from the university) will receive a 100% refund on their student health fee charge. This is the same refund policy as the university's student activity fee.