The Rice University Health Data Form is the medical document every incoming student has to complete and upload before registering for classes. It collects your immunization history, a recent physical exam, and basic medical background so Student Health Services can confirm you meet Texas vaccination law and campus health standards.1Rice University. Student Health Services – New Students Miss the deadline and a hold goes on your account that blocks course registration, on-campus housing, and class attendance until the form clears.2Rice University. Health Data Form
Who Has to Submit It
All incoming students, regardless of degree level. First-year undergraduates, transfer students, MBA candidates, and newly admitted graduate students are all in. International students on F-1 or J-1 visas face the same form requirement plus a separate insurance obligation. Students returning after sitting out at least one fall or spring semester may also need to resubmit, because Texas law treats a break in enrollment the same as initial enrollment for meningitis vaccination purposes.3Legal Information Institute. 19 Texas Administrative Code 21.613 – Immunization Requirement
Students enrolled exclusively in online or distance-education courses are exempt from the state meningococcal vaccination requirement under Texas Education Code § 51.9192, and Rice’s broader health insurance mandate does not apply to students in fully online programs, hybrid programs, or the Glasscock School of Continuing Studies.4Rice University. Student Health Insurance If even one of your courses is in person, assume the full requirements apply.
What to Bring to Your Doctor’s Appointment
The form is not a desk task. Your physician fills out and signs key sections, so you need an in-person appointment. Print the blank form from the Rice Student Health Services website and take it with you.2Rice University. Health Data Form
Have records or plans for the following:
- Two doses of MMR. Rice requires documented proof of two Measles, Mumps, and Rubella vaccinations. If you can’t find your records, contact the provider or state health department that gave the shots.
- Meningococcal ACWY for students under 22. Texas law requires entering students under 22 to show proof of a bacterial meningitis vaccination received within five years before the first day of the semester and at least 10 days before that date. If your existing dose falls outside that window, you need a booster. Students who are 22 or older by the first day of the semester are exempt.5Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board. Bacterial Meningitis
- Physical examination. A healthcare provider has to perform the exam and record results directly on the Rice Health Data Form. The exam must fall within one year before the first day of classes. International students can see a provider in their home country.
- Tuberculosis screening questionnaire. This one is separate. You complete it through the student health portal rather than on the paper form. If your answers flag risk factors, Student Health Services will require follow-up TB testing.
Tdap and Meningococcal B vaccines are strongly recommended but not required. Seasonal flu is recommended during the school year, not mandatory. If your doctor can give any missing shots at the same visit as the physical, you save yourself a second trip.
Filling Out and Submitting the Form
You fill in the patient sections: full legal name, Rice Student ID, and a detailed medical history covering chronic conditions, past surgeries, allergies, and current medications. Student Health Services uses this if you later visit the campus clinic, so accuracy matters more than brevity. Use the American date format (MM/DD/YYYY).
Your provider completes the physical examination section and records immunization dates with a signature. Before you leave the office, confirm every required section is filled and signed. Missing signatures and blank vaccination dates are common reasons forms get rejected, and fixing them means another office visit.
Upload the completed form through the Rice student health portal. Do not mail it. Log in with your university credentials, go to the upload section, and submit a PDF or scan of the signed form along with supporting vaccine records. Check that documents are legible and right-side up before you upload.
Deadlines and What Happens If You Miss Them
Fall deadlines depend on your program:
- Undergraduates: June 15
- MBA students: July 1
- Graduate students: July 15
For spring, every student shares a December 1 deadline.
There is no monetary fine for a late submission, but a delinquent student cannot move on campus, register for classes, or attend classes until the form is processed. Housing assignments can also be delayed. The hold lifts once every part of the health requirement is complete, so if you are already past the deadline, submit as soon as you can rather than waiting for a next appointment to be perfect.
Exemptions
Texas allows two paths out of a required vaccination. A medical exemption needs a physician’s waiver letter submitted to Student Health Services. A non-medical exemption, based on reasons of conscience including religious belief, requires the official Texas DSHS “Affidavit Exemption from School or Child-Care Immunizations for Reasons of Conscience,” which must be completed, notarized, and submitted. As of September 1, 2025, you can download the affidavit directly from the Texas Department of State Health Services website.6Texas DSHS. Texas Immunization Exemptions The exemption is valid for two years from the notary date.
One limit worth knowing: a student with a vaccine exemption can be excluded from campus during a disease outbreak or public health emergency. The exemption removes the vaccination requirement under normal circumstances; it does not guarantee uninterrupted campus access in every scenario.
After You Submit
Allow at least three business days for Student Health Services to review your documents before you check your hold status. Log into ESTHER, Rice’s student administration system, to see whether the hold has been released. If anything is missing or illegible, staff will typically reach out through the portal, so check it in the days after you upload.
Rejections are usually fixable without much trouble: a missing provider signature, an expired vaccination date, or an incomplete section. Correct the issue and re-upload through the same portal. For urgent questions about your form, Student Health Services can be reached at 713-348-4966.
Health Insurance Is a Separate Requirement
Do not confuse the Health Data Form with Rice’s health insurance mandate. All registered, degree-seeking students must maintain health insurance while enrolled. You either enroll in the Rice Aetna Student Health Insurance Plan or waive coverage by proving your existing policy meets the university’s standards, which include a deductible of $5,000 or less, unlimited annual and lifetime benefits, prescription drug coverage, in-area emergency and non-emergency care in Houston, and a U.S.-based claims administrator.7Rice University. Waiver Requirements Do nothing by the deadline and you are automatically enrolled and billed the full annual premium, with no refunds after auto-enrollment.
International students on Rice-sponsored F-1 or J-1 visas cannot waive and must enroll in the Rice Aetna plan. The 2025–2026 annual student premium is $3,425.8Rice University. Current Rates The waiver deadline for fall is typically late August and for spring is in mid-January. These dates do not line up with the Health Data Form deadlines, so track them on their own.