Welcome to TCNJ Student Health Services! We hope that your time here will be healthy, happy, and intellectually stimulating. We encourage you to come see us if you have any health care needs or concerns.
Please read the following information carefully regarding health requirements.
All students are subject to health requirements as a pre-requisite to attending classes at TCNJ and entering college housing (if applicable). These requirements are mandated by New Jersey Higher Education Immunization laws and The College of New Jersey. Health requirements apply to students living on or off-campus, attending classes on campus or at an off-campus location in New Jersey, and regardless of how many classes are being taken. Students who are re-entering or re-admitted after an absence are required to update health requirements following the due dates established for new students.
Due Dates for completing pre-entrance health requirements:
- Fall semester entering students: July 15
- Winter session entering students: Dec 15
- Spring semester entering students: Jan 15
- Summer session entering students: May 20
- Summer Scholars/EOF: June 9
- RN to BSN Program Students: Classes held off-site are considered an extension of the TCNJ campus by the N.J. State Department of Health. You are subject to health requirements if you are a nonmatriculated (not yet accepted into a degree/certificate program) student taking 3 or more course units (considered full-time) your first term OR you are a matriculated student (accepted into a degree/certificate program) regardless of number of course units taken. Due Dates for completion of TCNJ health requirements are as follows:
- Fall entering in a nonmatriculated full-time status or in a matriculating part or full-time status: September 5
- Spring entering in a nonmatriculated full-time status or in a matriculating part or full-time status: February 8
Where to locate TCNJ health forms and submit health requirements
All health requirements are completed in the Online Wellness Link (OWL), TCNJ’s secure student health portal. Students can log into OWL 24 hours after being assigned a TCNJ email account. Health forms are located in OWL under the tab, Forms, in the Pre-Entrance Health Requirements section. Instructions are on the home page of OWL. Completed forms, vaccination records, and other health documents are uploaded to OWL following the instructions on the Upload page in OWL. Records that are faxed, emailed, mailed, or brought in person to our office will be not be reviewed. Please allow 7 business days after you submit your records for them to be reviewed by our immunization compliance staff. Your TCNJ email account is the official method of communication and they will communicate with you using your TCNJ email address. Please monitor your TCNJ email account at least weekly for our messages and other important TCNJ notices.
TCNJ pre-entrance health requirements are as follows:
- Step One: Complete the Student Medical History form (located in OWL in the section, “Pre-Entrance Health Requirements” under “Forms”)
- Step Two: Complete the Authorization to Treat a Minor form (located in OWL in the section, “Pre-Entrance Health Requirements” under “Forms”): required only if the student will not be at least 18 years of age by the Pre-Entrance Health Requirement due date.
- Step Three: Upload to OWL a copy of your Immunization Record.
- Required vaccinations:
- 2 doses of Measles vaccine, 2 doses of Mumps vaccine, and 1 dose of Rubella vaccine, OR 2 MMR vaccinations, OR a laboratory report of immunity. Vaccines must be received on or after 12 months of age and each dose must be separated by a minimum of 28 days. Students who were born before 1957 are exempt from the MMR requirement.
- 2 doses of Varicella (chickenpox) vaccine, OR a laboratory report of immunity, OR a past history of chickenpox or herpes zoster (shingles) verified by your healthcare provider (MD,DO, NP, PA). Vaccines must be received on or after 12 months of age and each dose must be separated by a minimum of 28 days.
- 1 dose of Tdap (tetanus, diphtheria, pertussis) vaccine received within the last 10 years.
- Completion of the Hepatitis B vaccination series required for full-time students only (full time = 3 or more course units/semester)
- 1 dose of Meningococcal meningitis ACWY vaccine received on or after 16 years of age is required for the following students:
- are 18 years of age or younger, living on or off campus.
- are 19 years of age or older, living on campus, OR living off campus with the following medical risk factors: anatomical or functional asplenia, sickle cell disease, HIV infection, persistent complement deficiency, or complement inhibitor use (e.g., Solaris®, Ultomiris®).
- Meningococcal meningitis B vaccine is required for students with the following medical risk factors: anatomical or functional asplenia, sickle cell disease, HIV infection, persistent complement deficiency, or complement inhibitor use (e.g., Solaris®, Ultomiris®).
- TCNJ strongly recommends that students are up-to-date on COVID-19 vaccinations as defined by the CDC.
- Acceptable evidence of immunization:
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- A record of immunization from a public health department, pharmacy, or medical office
- TCNJ Record of Immunization form (found HERE and in OWL, in the section, “Pre-Entrance Health Requirements” under “Forms”) signed and office-stamped by a licensed physician, nurse practitioner, physician assistant, or registered nurse
- An official school immunization record from a previous school that you attended
- A military immunization or health record from the United States Armed Forces
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- Required vaccinations:
- Step Four: Only if indicated. Complete the Physician’s Evaluation for Tuberculosis form (located in OWL in the section, “Pre-Entrance Health Requirements” under “Forms”): required only if the student has answered YES to one or more of the questions on the Tuberculosis (TB) Screening Questionnaire in the Student Medical History.
Late Fines, Housing Holds, and Registration Holds for Noncompliance
All first year and transfer students, including re-entering and re-admitted students, are expected to complete pre-entrance health requirements by the due date listed above.
- Late Fines: Students who have not completed health requirements and do not have an approved extension in writing from the director of Student Health Services by the following dates will incur nonreversible late fines as follows:
- Fall entering: AUGUST 10 ($50); OCTOBER 1 (additional $50)
- Spring entering: MARCH 1 ($50)
- The Housing Health Hold is released in PAWS by Student Health Services when the student completes health requirements. This release will be reflected in the Housing system the following day. We will release the Housing Health Hold when a student is not due to receive their next dose of a required vaccine (second Varicella, second or third Hepatitis B, second MMR) until after classes begin because of vaccine spacing interval rules. When the next dose is due before classes begin, students are expected to receive the vaccine, upload the record to OWL, and their Housing Health Hold will then be released.
- Registration holds: Students who have not completed health requirements by the due date will incur a registration hold which will prevents class registration. This hold will be released when the student completes health requirements.
The above applies unless Student Health Services has provided the student with an extension for completion of health requirements, such as when spacing between certain vaccines is necessary.
Exemptions from Immunization Requirements
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- Academic:
- Students who have NOT been admitted to a TCNJ degree or certificate program (non-matriculated) AND are taking less than 3 course units/semester (part-time status) are exempt from immunization requirements. YOU MUST MEET BOTH CRITERIA TO QUALIFY FOR EXEMPTION.
- Students taking online classes are NOT exempt from pre-entrance health requirements unless their entire program is 100% online. Verification from the Office of Records & Registration is needed to confirm this before an exemption can be issued.
- When a student no longer meets the exemption criteria, they become subject to TCNJ health requirements. This typically happens when a non-matriculated student taking less than 3 course units/semester is formally accepted into a degree or certificate program at TCNJ and becomes subject to health requirements.
- Medical:
- Per N.J.A.C. 8:57-6.14, students are not required to have any vaccinations that are medically contraindicated based upon valid medical reasons as enumerated by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP). For current ACIP immunization schedules and recommendations, including contraindications, click HERE.
- To apply for a medical exemption from required vaccinations, your healthcare provider must complete the REQUEST FOR MEDICAL EXEMPTION FROM MANDATORY IMMUNIZATION form.
- Upload the completed form to OWL by the due date for pre-entrance health requirements. All other health requirements must be submitted prior to uploading this form.
- The information on the form will assist our office in determining the validity of the exemption and whether it should be accepted or rejected. Supporting medical documentation may be requested by our office and/or by local or state public health authorities.
- Laboratory test reports showing immunity to measles, mumps, rubella and varicella are acceptable in place of vaccination.
- The student requesting the exemption will receive an email sent through OWL informing them of the status of their request. If approved, the student will be exempted from the specific immunization permanently (in the case of a permanent medical condition) or temporarily until such time that the student’s medical condition permits vaccination.
- The College of New Jersey may temporarily exclude a student with an exemption from vaccination from classes and from participating in college-sponsored activities during a vaccine-preventable disease outbreak or threatened outbreak. The decision to exclude a student with a medical exemption will be made by the College in consultation with the New Jersey Commissioner of Health.
- Note that medical exemptions apply to vaccination only and not to other health requirements.
- Religious:
- Per N.J.A.C. 8:57-6.15, a student may be considered for exemption if the student provides a written statement, signed (handwritten signature) by the student (and a parent or court-appointed legal guardian if the student has not yet reached 18 years of age), explaining HOW the administration of immunizing agents conflicts with the student’s bona fide religious tenets or practices. A general philosophical or moral exemption to the vaccination will not be sufficient for an exemption on religious grounds.
- The statement must include the current date.
- Upload the written statement to OWL by the due date for pre-entrance health requirements. All other health requirements must be submitted prior to uploading this document.
- Laboratory test reports showing immunity to measles, mumps, rubella and varicella are acceptable in place of vaccination.
- The student requesting the exemption will receive an email sent through OWL, informing them of the status of their request. If approved, the student will be exempted from the specific immunization.
- The College of New Jersey may temporarily exclude a student with an exemption from vaccination from classes and from participating in college-sponsored activities during a vaccine-preventable disease outbreak or threatened outbreak. The decision to exclude a student with a medical exemption will be made by the College in consultation with the New Jersey Commissioner of Health.
- Note that religious exemptions apply to vaccination only and not to other health requirements.
- Academic:
Contact information for questions about health requirements:
- Call 609-771-2889
- Email health@tcnj.edu
Resources for Disability, Mental Health and Nutritional Support
ADA Accommodation Requests
Please direct requests for accommodation for a physical or mental disability to Accessibility Resource Center (formerly Disability Support Services) by email at arc@tcnj.edu. See the ARC website for information at https://arc.tcnj.edu/ .
Mental Health Services
Questions and concerns about the availability of mental health services at TCNJ can be directed to Counseling and Preventive Services. Call 609-771-2247 or by email at caps@tcnj.edu. Check out the Counseling and Prevention Services website at https://caps.tcnj.edu/.
Dietitian
Complimentary nutrition consultations are available to students on a TCNJ meal plan. See https://tcnj.sodexomyway.com/explore/nutrition.