Enrolling College Students in ACA Plans: A case study in social marketing

The City University of New York is one of the largest most diverse institutions of higher education in the world – Its 480,000 students at 23 colleges come from more than 200 countries and speak nearly as many languages. Approximately 40 percent of CUNY students are immigrants or from immigrant families.

The CUNY School of Public Health is committed to serving the health of students throughout the CUNY system. Recognizing that many students remain uninsured, and knowing the multitudinous benefits of health insurance coverage for young people, the School of Public Health launched a campaign in 2014 to educate CUNY students about their options, and help get them enrolled. 

Due to limited resources, the “CoverCUNY” Campaign focused its efforts on the three CUNY colleges situated in the Bronx. These campuses have especially high enrollments of students from under-served communities, and the highest enrollments of Hispanic and African-American / African students in the CUNY System. At Hostos Community College, for example, approximately 63 percent of its students are reported as Hispanic, 30 percent Black, with only three percent White.

This discussion will analyze the campaign elements used to reach these students, highlighting research that emphasizes the importance of peer-to-peer communication (i.e. through social media). Best practices in social marketing techniques to reach college students will be analyzed, as will plans for improvement in subsequent  CoverCUNY campaigns, with implications shared for college campuses across the country.