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
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
Rick Diguette2
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
Dylan ScottExamples 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
Benefits strategy doesn’t stop after open enrollment, and brokers who provide ongoing education, proactive plan optimization and year-round compliance support will outshine the competition.
—Tim Pratte, Forbes.com, 5 June 2025
Too often, they're left to decode PDFs in a short open enrollment window—hardly the recipe for confident decisions.
—Arick Wierson, MSNBC Newsweek, 29 May 2025
Because Minnesota has open enrollment, St. Paul residents also are able to enroll in other districts.
—Imani Cruzen, Twin Cities, 16 Mar. 2025
During this open enrollment period, individuals who are already enrolled in a Medicare Advantage plan may switch to another Medicare Advantage plan.
—Lorie Konish, CNBC, 24 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for open enrollment
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Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
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Tim Pratte, Forbes.com, 5 June 2025
Too often, they're left to decode PDFs in a short open enrollment window—hardly the recipe for confident decisions.
—Arick Wierson, MSNBC Newsweek, 29 May 2025
Because Minnesota has open enrollment, St. Paul residents also are able to enroll in other districts.
—Imani Cruzen, Twin Cities, 16 Mar. 2025
During this open enrollment period, individuals who are already enrolled in a Medicare Advantage plan may switch to another Medicare Advantage plan.
—Lorie Konish, CNBC, 24 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for open enrollment
Cite this Entry
“Open enrollment.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/open%20enrollment. Accessed 8 Jun. 2025.
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