Slipping through the cracks (but at what cost?)

"We do have some people who are uninsured," says Ed Ehlinger, director of Boynton Health Services at the University of Minnesota.

Despite the U's best efforts to mandate that all students who take over 6 credits have health insurance, some people manage to slip through the cracks, usually by providing outdated or falsified insurance information. "Lacking insurance is a huge risk to the investments," Ehlinger says.

While the U requires health insurance, this is not necessarily common practice among colleges and universities. The Minnesota State Colleges and Universities (MNSCU), for instance, has a voluntary insurance plan. In the end, Ehlinger sees this policy as unwise. "We get better rates overall by having a mandatory insurance plan," he says. "You have to weigh individual benefits versus community benefits. It's best for the entire community because we can keep the rates low."

-Jessica