Editorial: Aid for dental and vision plans

Admittedly, the argument for providing vision and dental insurance is weaker than the argument for health insurance. While as a matter of law students must annually confirm that they possess health insurance in order to enroll at the University, there is no legal requirement that students possess either vision or dental plans. The Financial Aid Office might justify its current policy, then, by claiming that it covers only costs required to attend Princeton. Enrolled students must pay for health insurance just as they must pay tuition, so financial aid will cover both. But since a student’s decision to purchase dental or vision insurance plans is independent of their decision to enroll, it is not the University’s concern.

We believe, however, that it is incorrect to think of health insurance merely as a cost of attending Princeton. In other instances, the office of financial aid provides students with the funds to ensure that they are capable not just of attending Princeton, but also of functioning successfully as students and as members of the community. There is neither a legal requirement nor a University policy mandating that upper-class students purchase a meal plan, but the University nonetheless provides financial aid to cover the cost of food because it correctly believes that students’ experience at Princeton will suffer if they do not have access to food on campus. Similarly, traveling home for winter break is not a necessary cost of attending Princeton. But the University still provides funding for students on aid to pay for travel costs.

The University is correct to ensure that all students can afford healthcare because a level of good health is necessary for students to participate fully in their lives at Princeton. The logic of the cases described above should lead the University to provide vision and dental health coverage as well. If a student cannot afford vision insurance, they are not likely to have their eyes checked and they will be unable to afford glasses if needed. Similarly, those students lacking dental health coverage are not able to afford routine visits that prevent mouth and tooth disease as well as decay that can lead to illness and pain. Inadequate access to vision and dental care can significantly affect students’ lives, inhibiting them from performing well as students and from partaking fully in the Princeton community.

The board commends the University for having a policy to assist aid students who have no alternative health insurance. It does a disservice to students by failing to provide aid to help pay for dental and vision insurances as well.