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

However, sign-ups fell overall during his term, in part due to the administration’s slashing of advertising budgets and halving the open enrollment period. —Joshua P. Cohen, Forbes, 11 Dec. 2024

Arizona has long had open enrollment, in which parents could send children to any public school with sufficient openings. —Annabella Rosciglione, Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government, 4 Dec. 2024

Most Medicare beneficiaries know that each year during open enrollment (October 15 - December 7) they’re allowed to change their coverage. —Bob Carlson, Forbes, 21 Dec. 2024

The state hopes to get the system back online before the healthcare open enrollment period ends on January 31st, as WPRI writes. —Wes Davis, The Verge, 14 Dec. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1920, in the meaning defined at sense 2