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

That’s when open enrollment for the Affordable Care Act, also known as Obamacare, begins and millions of Americans will start shopping for their 2026 health coverage plans. —Joey Garrison, USA Today, 25 Oct. 2025

That date marks the beginning of open enrollment for people getting coverage through the ACA, when most states will send notices to subscribers laying out the cost of coverage without subsidies. —The Npr Network, NPR, 24 Oct. 2025

But the Wisconsin Legislature ended the program in 2015 following the rise of other school choice programs and open enrollment. —Drake Bentley, jsonline.com, 24 Oct. 2025

The pressure on Congress to reopen the government is set to hit a fever pitch in November, both as SNAP benefits are set to lapse and the Affordable Care Act’s healthcare open enrollment period begins. —Claire Heddles, Miami Herald, 24 Oct. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1920, in the meaning defined at sense 2