I'm enrolled in, and moving to, a community college to get my gen ed done cheaply but want to transfer to a 4 year university somewhere in the States to continue my education. I've seen quiet a few posts here talking about colleges that cover trans related care with their school insurance plan. One recent post even suggested that some school plans would cover top surgery. I've tried to google info but I must not be using the right keywords. Can anyone point me in the right direction? Is there a list somewhere out there of schools that offer this?

You'd prob have to be a grad student to get covered as you generally need to an employee and grad student's become TAs. But I'm not totally sure. Most University of California campuses do. Also these ones:


    American University - one health plan option includes coverage, another option does not
    Harvard University
    MIT ­ hormones only
    Northwestern University
    Penn State University ­ hormones only
    Syracuse University
    University of California 10 campuses
    University of Michigan
    University of Pennsylvania
    University of Vermont
    Yale University ­ faculty and exempt (non-union) staff; union negotiations continue

Portland State University has a decent insurance plan for students that covers transgender related things such as surgeries.  If they offer a program you want to study, you might look into them. 

Here's a brochure of their health insurance plan http://www.pdx.edu/shac/sites/www.pdx.edu.shac/files/PSU_Brochure_10_12.pdf

It's pretty pricy (although most insurance is) but the great thing about it is you can use student financial aid to cover it... but then there are still copays and things that it doesn't cover 100% of... but still a lot better than being without insurance. 

Duke University just approved $50 grand worth of SRS for students on their insurance plan. Yes, I am looking into attending there after I get 2 years out of the way at the Community College here.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/04/17/duke-university-gender-confirmation-_n_3100007.html

I'm a UC instructor, and I have been informed that all students who are on the ugrad health plan (USHIP) can get hormones and surgery covered. This is stated on my campus' trans FAQ page, and I believe that it applies to all nine ugrad campuses (ETA: it apparently does; see the link in my next message). You might have to jump through some hoops and see the doctors they want you to see, but it's worth looking into.

UPDATED: You might also write to the LGBT coordinators at the campuses that interest you; explain that you want to attend a UC but need more information about T-related support and healthcare. (I probably don't need to say this, but I will anyway: Don't make it sound as if you want to go to the school just for surgery.) You can also search for info at the various sites of the colleges that Joanna Dark listed, especially if the UC system is not your cup of "T."

UPDATED: See the link in my message below.

Haha. Here's the site. My campus links to it: http://www.uclgbtia.org/transhealth.html

Here's an under construction page (don't you just love that?) from Portland if you are interested in that... but even under construction it has the phone number and email address of their transgender health advocate, as well as a link to the school's trans resources.  Was going to edit the old post, but was afraid it wouldn't be seen. 

http://www.pdx.edu/shac/trans-health-information

http://depts.washington.edu/qcenter/wordpress/trans/student-health-insurance-plan/

The University of Washington page with information on trans health care coverage for students.

Wow, thanks guys! The UC system is impressive and I've considered going there for a while.

Do ivy league schools like Duke actually give fair consideration to people who go to community colleges? I'd absolutely love to go to Cornell but feel defeated before I even try because of my lack of education. My parents 'legally' denied me the right to an education by 'home schooling' me and failing to do anything for me including keeping records. It was their pathetic attempt to force me to become codependent on them by cutting me off from the rest of the world.

Quote from: randomroads on June 15, 2013, 03:27:54 PM
Wow, thanks guys! The UC system is impressive and I've considered going there for a while.

Do ivy league schools like Duke actually give fair consideration to people who go to community colleges? I'd absolutely love to go to Cornell but feel defeated before I even try because of my lack of education. My parents 'legally' denied me the right to an education by 'home schooling' me and failing to do anything for me including keeping records. It was their pathetic attempt to force me to become codependent on them by cutting me off from the rest of the world.

I'm sorry to say that very exclusive colleges will not likely consider a community college transfer except maybe in some extreme rare circumstance. It is almost impossible to get in even as a undergraduate - you need scores, grades, and ...connections. They prefer freshmen applicants because they consider the experience as a 4 year package, and the undergraduate colleges are even wary of students in their 20's.

There are very good state state schools though that are listed above that have coverage. State schools are affordable as well.

For anyone that is interested, here is basically how to get into state schools  (includes the UC schools as well, to the best of my knowledge)
1. Live in the state long enough to get residency. (a year in most places)
2. Complete your CC degree at a school in the state. (maintain a good GPA - over 3.0 for sure. 3.5 even better and more likely to get acceptance)
3. Transfer to an in-state, state university.

State schools give preference to residents for undergraduate transfer admission, and then further preference to those transfer applicants that have a CC degree from their 'feeder' schools. For example, the University of Washington transfer admission acceptances are almost entirely from CC degrees earned at Washington community colleges

I think the UC system is even more like this, as the schools are very good and they want to give those resources to residents of the state.

Some UCs still have guaranteed transfer arrangements (TAG programs) with CA community colleges, but the higher-ranked UCs have been phasing those out. Cal and UCLA don't do it or haven't done it for a long time (I can't remember whether they had actual TAG programs or something similar), and UCSD recently announced that it was shutting down its TAG program after offering it for something like thirty years. This fall is the last application period for that.

I thought that one of the other campuses was going to stop as well, but I don't remember. The schools that don't participate still take CC students, and you can transfer to a participating school even if you don't TAG in, but there's no guarantee.

The CCs also have a transfer program for UCSD that is similar to TAG but not nearly as inclusive. It's called UniversityLink. You have to apply while you are still in high school or in your first year of CC. When I was reading up on it, I thought it had certain advantages (you don't have to fulfill as many course requirements), but I thought was a poor substitute for TAG because TAG gives guarantees to older and returning students. And the way I understood it, you couldn't have any kind of gap between your high school graduation and your entry into the CC, although I might be wrong on that. I do know that you need to be a new college student.

It is also possible to transfer from one UC to another, although it can be tough to go from a lower prestige school to one of the flagship campuses (Cal or UCLA, although many would argue that Cal is THE flagship) or the highly-regarded UCSD.

I hope this info helps someone...