USA · CHAPTER 14
Health insurance,bank and phone.
Almost every US university requires health insurance; you either buy the university plan or prove equivalent cover to get a waiver. Use the campus health centre first. Open a student bank account and choose a prepaid phone plan in your first week.
Published by Althéa Consulting · Adviser: Harshita Kohli
Source review: · How to use our guides
Essentials
- University plan or approved waiver
- Campus health centre for routine care
- Emergency rooms are expensive — use urgent care when suitable
- Student checking account with no monthly fee
IN DEPTH · TAP A TOPIC TO OPEN
Using health insurance
- Use the university health centre first — cheaper and often free
- Know your deductible, co-pay and in-network providers
- Urgent care clinics are cheaper than emergency rooms for non-emergencies
- Call 911 for emergencies
- Dental and vision are often separate plans
Banking and credit
Most students open a checking account with a national bank or credit union near campus. A credit score matters in the US for renting, phone plans and loans; a student or secured credit card paid in full every month starts building it.
QUICK ANSWERS
Your questions, answered.
Landlords, phone companies and lenders check it. Without credit history you may pay higher deposits. A card paid in full monthly builds history within months.
WHERE TO GO NEXT
Keep going: the pages that help next.
Each card says what you will find there. Looking for something else? See every page on the site.
USA GUIDE
First weeks in the USA
After arriving in the USA: check your I-94, report to your international office, enrol, open a bank account and apply for an SSN if you get a job.
USA GUIDE
Safety, wellbeing & emergencies
911, the 988 crisis line, campus counselling, the Embassy and consulates of India, and the scams that target F-1 students in the United States.
USA GUIDE
On-campus work & CPT
F-1 work rules: on-campus jobs up to 20 hours a week, CPT internships, assistantships, and why off-campus work without authorisation is not allowed.
FROM INDIA
Sending money abroad
Pay foreign university fees from India: LRS limit of USD 250,000, TCS from April 2026 (nil on loans, 2% above ₹10 lakh), Form A2, forex cards and TCS refunds.
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FRANCE
Study in France
The full France guide: degrees, fees, Campus France, visa, housing and work, chapter by chapter.
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