open enrollment

noun

1

a

chiefly US : the voluntary enrollment of a student in a public school other than the one assigned on the basis of residence

Carnegie Vanguard High would continue to offer open enrollment to students from across the district and would still likely offer transportation to all its students.

—Shelby Webb

b

chiefly US : enrollment on demand as a student in an institution of higher learning irrespective of formal qualifications

Open enrollment, long the hallmark of the community college, may soon be a thing of the past.

—Rick Diguette

2

chiefly US : a period of time during which someone can join something (such as a health insurance plan) as a member or participant : a period of time during which a person can enroll in something

Just one in four people who buy their own insurance or who are uninsured could name the correct deadline (December 15) for open enrollment, according to a Kaiser Family Foundation poll taken last month.

—Dylan Scott

Examples of open enrollment in a Sentence

Many voters support open enrollment.

the city's open enrollment policy

Employees can sign up for new benefits during open enrollment.

Recent Examples on the Web

His story underscored the urgency of what’s at stake if Congress fails to extend this financial assistance as Covered California leaders gathered Friday to mark the start of the state’s 13th open enrollment. —Cathie Anderson, Sacbee.com, 8 Nov. 2025

The impact of losing enhanced premium subsidies The political fight around enhanced subsidies, which were enacted in 2021 under the Biden administration, is playing out during the ACA marketplace's open enrollment, when would-be enrollees are picking their health plans for 2026. —Greg Iacurci, CNBC, 8 Nov. 2025

Schumer, speaking to reporters after the lunch, highlighted the start of the open enrollment period for the ACA’s health insurance market, and vowed to keep fighting. —Alexander Bolton, The Hill, 5 Nov. 2025

Chronic confusion created during the annual open enrollment for Medicare — and the lengthy federal government shutdown — will make this fall open season for scams. —Susan Tompor, Freep.com, 4 Nov. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1920, in the meaning defined at sense 2