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

Though the enhanced subsidies do not expire until the end of the year, the Blue Cross Blue Shield Association would prefer Congress to act by fall to avoid confusion during open enrollment, said David Merritt, a senior vice president. —Daniel Chang, Miami Herald, 17 June 2025

Try leveraging gamification during open enrollment, engagement surveys and change management initiatives. —Expert Panel®, Forbes.com, 13 June 2025

Obamacare enrollment: The bill ends open enrollment for the Affordable Care Act a month earlier. —Jay O'Brien, ABC News, 5 June 2025

What To Know The index scored states based on the availability of charter schools, homeschooling, virtual schooling and open enrollment policies. —Khaleda Rahman, MSNBC Newsweek, 30 Apr. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1920, in the meaning defined at sense 2