Graduating seniors about to join the work force may find themselves without health insurance coverage for the first time in their lives.

Most college-age students retain health insurance coverage under their parents' plans until the age of 23, around the time when most college seniors graduate, said Holly Majestic, business coordinator for Business Planning Service in Spring Mills. Insurance plans vary from company to company, but the coverage usually expires when the student graduates, she said.

After graduation, many students have to find their own health insurance for the first time. "This is not an issue that students typically think about," said Dennis Shea, professor of health policy and administration. The university offers a course teaching students how to manage health insurance issues, he said. In most cases employers provide health insurance coverage, but if a recent college graduate does not enter the workforce immediately after graduation, the student needs to obtain his or her own plan. Group rates -- the type that employers typically offer -- end up costing much less than if the student were to go out and obtain a singular health insurance policy, Shea said. Group-rated health insurance policies are community rated, which means the employer incurs some of the cost of the policy, he said.

"We advise students to find out about health insurance," said Ellen Nagy, University Health Services marketing manager. Most students, and even some parents, do not know much about health insurance-related issues, and the costs associated with health insurance can add up quickly, she said. Penn State offers health insurance to undergraduates in the form of the Penn State Student Insurance Plan from MEGA Life & Health Insurance, said Julie Martinez, manager of the Student Insurance Office. The university mails fliers to every student to raise awareness that the university offers its own health insurance if students need coverage.

"Since most students have insurance with their parents, the flier lets them know that the university can provide coverage," she said. The university-offered insurance cost $757 last year, she said. The coverage lasts the length of the academic year, from August to August. The Student Insurance Office, located in Grange Building, offers graduating students information on interim health insurance coverage.

This type of temporary insurance can be useful to seniors transitioning from college life to employment, Martinez said.