Students blindsided by new mandatory health insurance costs at Memorial University, says CFS-NL

News September 1st, 2026

The Canadian Federation of Students–Newfoundland and Labrador (CFS-NL) is raising concerns about changes to Memorial University’s international student health insurance coverage that will introduce an additional mandatory cost for international students beginning in Fall 2026, seemingly without consultation from any of MUN’s four student unions.

Under the changes announced by Memorial University’s Internationalization Office, international students who become eligible for Newfoundland and Labrador’s MCP and enrol in their student union’s health and dental plan may opt out of Foreign Health Plan A. However, beginning in Fall 2026, students who opt out of Plan A will automatically be enrolled in a new Foreign Health Plan B at a cost of $104.60 per semester.

While the university states that Plan B is intended to provide emergency coverage not available through MCP or student union plans, including coverage while travelling outside Newfoundland and Labrador, repatriation and family transportation benefits, and protection in the event of a lapse in MCP coverage, the Federation is concerned about the financial impact of introducing a new mandatory cost that applies specifically to international students, particularly at a time when students are already facing significant financial pressures.

This comes alongside an increase to Plan A, which will rise from $261.59 to $273.75 per semester beginning in Fall 2026. The timing of the new mandatory fee within Plan B is raising concerns among international students who expected greater financial stability following the recent announcement of the 2026-27 tuition freeze. The added cost creates confusion about whether students are actually receiving the financial relief the freeze was intended to provide.

“International students should not be expected to absorb additional mandatory costs, especially without meaningful engagement about how these changes affect them,” said Nicolas Keough, CFS-NL Chairperson. “We have not heard from students that they wanted this additional coverage, nor have the student unions at MUN brought this forward as a concern needing to be addressed. To blindside international students with this change, during a cost-of-living crisis, is unacceptable and the fee should be at least optional.”

CFS-NL is calling on Memorial University to provide greater clarity around the implementation of Plan B, including how and why the decision was made, and why a mandatory fee that affects students and student unions was put in place without student consultation. The Federation also calls on MUN to immediately make the fee optional for all international students before the beginning of the Fall semester on September 9.