Outside Scholarship Policy: Macalester Health Insurance

Exception for Students Using Macalester Health Insurance

Macalester College requires all students to have comprehensive health insurance coverage that complies with the Affordable Care Act (ACA). Because students who need Macalester’s health insurance incur an additional charge on their bill, an exception to our outside scholarship policy is available. This exception will take effect for the 2023-2024 academic year.

Per normal policy, the first $500 a student receives in outside scholarships will not affect their need-based grants from Macalester. Students using Macalester’s health insurance can receive outside scholarships up to $500 plus the cost of the insurance charge without affecting their need-based grants. If the student receives an insurance grant from Macalester to help with the cost, this will be taken into account.

The standard Outside Scholarship Policy is then applied. Half of the remaining outside scholarship award will replace existing grants from Macalester.

Example 1:  A student who will be using Macalester’s health insurance has received $3,500 in outside scholarships. The student could receive up to $3,829 in outside scholarships without affecting their need-based grants from Macalester (based on an insurance charge of $3,329 plus the standard $500 outside scholarship policy), so their need-based grants will not be reduced.

Example 2: A student will be using Macalester’s health insurance, receives an insurance grant to help with the cost, and has $5,000 in outside scholarships. Based on an insurance charge of $3,329 minus an insurance grant of $1,143, plus the standard $500 outside scholarship policy, $2,686 of the student’s outside scholarships will have no effect on their need-based grants from Macalester. Half of the remaining amount (half of $2,3141) will replace existing grants from Macalester, so their need-based grants are reduced by $1,157.