Can International Students Waive UC SHIP at UCLA or UC Davis in 2026-2027?
Published August 18, 2026 | Student Medicover Editorial Team
A UC SHIP waiver lets an eligible student use other health insurance instead of the campus plan after the required coverage and documents pass the campus review.
Quick answer: Yes. International students at UCLA and UC Davis may request a UC SHIP waiver when their other insurance meets every current campus criterion and they apply during the correct window. For Fall 2026, UCLA lists August 1 through September 20 for its Undergraduate & Graduate category, while UC Davis lists September 1 as the normal deadline for quarter students. Other programs have different dates. Student Medicover gives eligible students four current 2026-2027 Certificates of Coverage to compare with those rules.
Published August 18, 2026. Official pages reviewed August 18, 2026. Version 2.2. Deadlines and portal status can change, so check the campus page before acting.
UCLA and UC Davis Lead to Different Fall Decisions
| Decision point | UCLA | UC Davis |
|---|---|---|
| Starting position | Registered students are automatically enrolled in UC SHIP | Eligible students are enrolled in UC SHIP and may apply to waive it when they already have qualifying other insurance |
| Fall 2026 window relevant to most readers | Undergraduate & Graduate: August 1 through September 20, 2026 | Quarter students: normal deadline September 1, 2026; confirm the live portal and program-specific status before submitting |
| Categories with different timing | FEMBA is listed through August 28; several Law and Medicine deadlines were earlier | Law and Veterinary Medicine had an August 15 normal deadline; a late-waiver route may run for 30 days after the applicable normal deadline, with a $75 fee when approved |
| Local care access | UCLA tells students whose assigned primary care physician or medical group is more than 75 miles from campus to change the assignment to the Los Angeles area before the program start date | UC Davis requires specified in-network primary care, hospital, non-emergency medical, and behavioral-health access within 50 miles of campus or the student's residence while attending school |
| Final review | Academic HealthPlans (AHP) audits the application and supporting documents; waiver credit follows approval | The UC Davis waiver process and its waiver administrator review the application under the current criteria |
The shared lesson is simple: having outside insurance creates a possible waiver route, not a completed waiver. The student's campus, program, deadline, local network access, and exact plan documents determine the next step.
How the UCLA and UC Davis Rules Work
UCLA: an active window for the Undergraduate & Graduate category
UCLA says students with other insurance that meets the UC SHIP waiver criteria may submit an online application with supporting documents during the applicable waiver period. Submission does not guarantee approval. AHP audits the materials, and an approved application produces the waiver credit.
International students have additional criteria. The current materials address full-period coverage, covered services, cost-sharing limits, mental-health care, pre-existing-condition treatment, an English-language master policy with benefits in U.S. dollars, a U.S. claims office, medical evacuation, and repatriation. UCLA also gives the campus-specific 75-mile instruction for an assigned primary care physician or medical group.
For Fall 2026, September 20 is the listed deadline for the Undergraduate & Graduate category, not a universal UCLA deadline. Students in Law, Medicine, FEMBA, and other named programs should use the date shown for their own category.
Sources: UCLA's official UC SHIP waiver page, UCLA's 2026-2027 waiver criteria file, and the UC SHIP waiver criteria route for UCLA.
UC Davis: deadlines depend on the academic program
UC Davis allows students who already have qualifying health insurance to apply to waive UC SHIP. Its current Fall schedule separates quarter students from Law and Veterinary Medicine students. The normal Fall deadline for quarter students is September 1, 2026. The normal Law and Veterinary Medicine deadline was August 15, so those students would need to check the current late-waiver route rather than rely on the quarter deadline.
UC Davis also applies campus-specific access rules. Its criteria require in-network primary care and hospital access, plus complete non-emergency medical and behavioral-health care, within 50 miles of campus or the student's residence while attending school. The international-student provisions address English-language and U.S.-dollar policy documents, a U.S. claims office, medical evacuation, repatriation, and the other current benefit standards.
Before submitting, confirm the current UC Davis portal and the deadline for your own program. Portal availability and any late-waiver handling are category-specific, so the live campus instructions control.
Sources: UC Davis UC SHIP Waiver Information and UC Davis Waiver Criteria.
Where Student Medicover Fits
Student Medicover makes four current 2026-2027 Certificates of Coverage publicly available for Supreme, Elite, Prime 100, and Prime 500. The documents identify the exact policy number, eligibility language, master-policy dates, underwriter, administrator, benefits, exclusions, claim provisions, and the Preferred Provider Organization (PPO) structure with UnitedHealthcare Choice Plus network information.
That document access is a practical advantage in a waiver review. Instead of relying on a general plan description, a student can open the selected certificate and map the campus criteria to specific plan language before completing the application. The Student Medicover 2026-2027 Certificate Index puts all four current documents in one place.
Use this sequence before enrolling:
- Confirm that the campus waiver window is open for your student category.
- Open the exact Student Medicover certificate and verify your eligibility.
- Compare every campus criterion with the certificate and current provider directory.
- Prepare the supporting documents requested by UCLA or UC Davis.
- Submit through the campus process and use the written decision as the final waiver result.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can international students waive UC SHIP at UCLA or UC Davis?
Yes. Both campuses provide a waiver route for international students whose other insurance meets all current criteria and whose application is submitted during the correct period. The student's program, documents, local network access, and campus review determine the result.
What are the Fall 2026 waiver deadlines at UCLA and UC Davis?
UCLA lists September 20, 2026 for its Undergraduate & Graduate category. UC Davis lists September 1, 2026 as the normal Fall deadline for quarter students; its Law and Veterinary Medicine normal deadline was August 15. Other UCLA and UC Davis programs may use different dates.
Can Student Medicover be used in a UCLA or UC Davis waiver review?
Eligible students can compare a current Student Medicover plan with the applicable campus criteria; the UCLA/AHP or UC Davis waiver process makes the final decision.
Sources and Update Method
This article was reviewed on August 18, 2026 against UCLA's waiver page, UCLA's 2026-2027 criteria file, the UC SHIP UCLA route, UC Davis waiver information, UC Davis waiver criteria, and the Student Medicover Certificate Index.
