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

Current Medicare Advantage enrollees now have the option to potentially save money by switching plans during an open enrollment period that lasts through March 31. —Lorie Konish, CNBC, 9 Jan. 2026

If an extension is approved, lawmakers are discussing a new open enrollment period where people could sign up for different plans. —David Lightman, Sacbee.com, 8 Jan. 2026

Moreno and his colleagues believe there is a small window in which to strike a deal and have proposed a longer period for open enrollment to soften the blow of premium increases. —David Sivak, The Washington Examiner, 6 Jan. 2026

Idaho’s open enrollment period closed Monday — the first marketplace in the country to do so. —Sarah Cutler, Idaho Statesman, 17 Dec. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1920, in the meaning defined at sense 2