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

For North Carolina residents who purchase their own health insurance, open enrollment can bring on a litany of questions and uncertainty. — Karen Koehler, Charlotte Observer, 25 Sep. 2026

The district later developed specialized magnet programs (where a school had a curricular focus and open enrollment) as another strategy for attracting students across neighborhoods and expanding access to distinctive academic opportunities. — Amari Brown, AJC.com, 23 Sep. 2026

Better decision support, personalized communication and year-round engagement that doesn’t treat open enrollment as the finish line—that’s what closing the navigation gap looks like in practice. — Tim Pratte, Forbes.com, 9 Sep. 2026

Vernon Hills High School ranked fifth among suburban public high schools in this open enrollment category, as well as 14th in the state overall and 343rd in national rankings. — Pioneer Press, Chicago Tribune, 24 Aug. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1920, in the meaning defined at sense 2