Health Requirements for New & Returning Students

The health of an individual can affect the health of the campus community, and Whittier College is committed to protecting the well-being of all our students, faculty and staff.

As a result, all full time incoming students (new, transfer, international and exchange) are required to meet certain health requirements in order to enroll at the College and participate in intercollegiate sports.

Health Requirements

All new full-time undergraduate (commuters and residents), transfer, international, exchange students and (part-time students that will be residents) must meet the listed health requirements by the following deadlines:

Students entering in Fall semester:  August 1
Students entering in Spring semester: February 1

Failure to meet the necessary health requirements within two weeks of the appropriate deadline will result in

  • A late fee of $100.00 charged to the student's account on August 16 or February 16. The late fee will continue to be assessed monthly until the student completes all requirements.
  • The student will also be placed on hold and will not be allowed to register for the next semester until he/she is in compliance.
  • If a student participates in intercollegiate sports and they have not completed their health requirements by the appropriate deadline, the student will not be allowed to practice or play sports until he/she is in compliance.
  • If a student is a resident on campus, their name will be submitted to the Director of Residential Life and the Dean of Students, who will send a final reminder to the student and further action will be taken. If they still fail to follow through, their ID card will be deactivated, the lock to their room will be changed (at their expense - $125) and they will not be allowed in the residence halls until all requirements are met.

  • Complete physical examination (CPE) within the past year (includes a vision screen). A Physical Examination Form and Immunization Record must be completed and signed off by a health care provider (MD, DO, PA, or NP). Physical exams by chiropractors and naturopathic doctors are not accepted.
  • Students must complete a Personal Data Form and attach a copy of their health insurance identification card. 
  • Students must complete a Health History Record (HHR).
  • Two doses of the Measles, Mumps, Rubella (MMR), at least 28 days apart and dose #1 must be given on or after 12 months of age. A positive MMR titer will be accepted in lieu of this vaccination series if no records are available. 
  • One dose of Tetanus, Diphtheria, Acellular Pertussis (Tdap) within the last 10 years. 
  • Three doses of the Hepatitis B vaccine series. A positive Hepatitis B titer will be accepted in lieu of this vaccination series if no records are available. 
  • One booster dose of Menactra or Menveo at 16 years of age or later.
  • A TB skin test (Mantoux or Quantiferon) within 1 year prior to the fist day of classes. The TB skin test must be read within 48-72 hours. If a student has a history of a positive TB Skin Test, then a chest X-ray within the past year must be obtained. A copy of the actual x-ray report is needed. International and exchange students will be required to obtain a QuantiFERON Gold Test. The traditional Mantoux will NOT be accepted for these students. 
  • If a student has had chicken pox as a child, a positive Varicella titer must be submitted by presenting  a copy of the actual lab report. If a student did not have chicken pox as a child, then the student will be required to obtain two doses of the chicken pox vaccine called Varivax at least 28 days apart.

Recommended Vaccinations

  • Two doses of the Hepatitis A vaccine 6-12 months apart
  • Three doses of the Gardasil vaccine for women and men between 9-26 years of age
  • Serotype B Meningococcal Vaccine (Bexsero or Trumenba)
  • An annual flu vaccine in Fall of each year

  • Athletes must complete all the items listed above for non-athletes and complete page 5 of the Health History specific to athletes

  • The physical examination must be performed by an MD, DO, PA or NP. Physical exams completed by chiropractors and naturopathic doctors will NOT be accepted

  • Students will need to upload proof of their physical examination, vaccinations, and other forms in the Medicat Student Health Portal. Students should make a copy of the completed Physical Examination Form and Health History Record as they will need to provide proof of these documents on the day the student checks in for their sport

  • Sickle cell testing is optional. A waiver must be completed if a student declines this screening. This form will be provided to the student by the Athletics Department.

  • Returning athletes will need a new physical examination annually so long as they continue to participate in intercollegiate sports

All students who participate in a travel abroad program at Whittier College will be required to obtain a blood test 8-10 weeks upon their return in order to rule out potential tuberculosis exposure during their travels. Traditional tuberculosis skin testing (Mantoux) is no longer accepted.

Students must obtain one of two types of Interferon Gamma Release Assay (IGRA) blood test:

  1. QuantiFERON TB Gold Test Plus
  2. T-SPOT

The QuantiFERON TB Gold Test is available through the Student Health & Wellness Center at a cost of $48.87 plus a $20 lab fee. The Health & Wellness Center can bill the student's insurance carrier for the test but cannot guarantee that the carrier will pay for the entire cost. Students may also choose to complete the blood test through their own provider and submit their results to the Student Health & Wellness Center. If the result is positive, the student will be asked to obtain a chest x-ray.

Failure to complete the blood test requirement by the 10th week of their return from studying abroad will result in the following:

  • A hold on the student's account
  • A $100 late fee charged to the student's account
  • Referral to the Dean of Students for additional sanctions
  • Placement on interim suspension as outlined in the Student Code of Conduct

Returning students (actively enrolled students who have not taken a leave of absence during any semester) do not need to meet the above requirements as they have met them already their first year at Whittier College. However, if a particular vaccine is no longer valid, the student will be asked to update that vaccine. If the student fails to do so two weeks from the date of expiration, a hold will be placed on their student account along with a late fee of $100.00 and they will not be allowed to register for the following semester until they are in compliance in addition your name will also be submitted to the Associate Dean of Students where further action will be taken.

If a student withdraws from the College for any reason and then returns, they will be required to meet most of the same health requirements as new students with the exception of the Complete Physical Exam which is valid for 3 years from the last one on file. For athletes, the Complete Physical Exam is valid for one year from the last one on file.

In addition, any student taking a leave of absence for medical reasons will also be required to meet with the director of the Student Health and Wellness Center for medical conditions, or the director of the Counseling Center for psychological conditions. The director of either department will require the student to provide medical documentation from his or her treating provider regarding the reason(s) for the medical or psychological leave. The treating provider must state within the medical documentation that the student is cleared to return to the College. If the student requires a physical examination, the physical exam must be completed by the treating physician familiar with the reason behind the leave of absence.

  • Complete physical examination (CPE), including vision screen, within the past three years for non-athletes. Athletes participating in intercollegiate sports must complete a Preparticipation Physical Evaluation packet within 1 year prior to the first day of classes. A Physical Examination Form and Immunization Record must be completed and signed off by a health care provider (MD, DO, PA, or NP). Physical exams by chiropractors and naturopathic doctors are not accepted.
  • The student must complete a Personal Data Form (PDF).
  • The student must complete a Health History Record (HHR)
  • Two doses of the Measles, Mumps, Rubella (MMR), at least 28 days apart and first dose must be given on or after 12 months of age. A positive MMR titer will be accepted in lieu of this vaccination series if no records are available.
  • One dose of Tetanus, Diphtheria, Acellular Pertussis (Tdap) within the last 10 years.
  • Three doses of the Hepatitis B vaccine series. A positive Hepatitis B titer will be accepted in lieu of this vaccination series if no records are available.
  • One booster dose of Menactra or Menveo at 16 years of age or later.
  • A TB skin test (Mantoux or Quantiferon) within 1 year prior to the first day of classes.  The TB skin test must be read within 48-72 hours.  If a student has a history of a positive TB skin test, then a chest X-ray within the past year must be obtained.  A copy of the actual x-ray report is needed. 
  • Documentation from a medical provider. If a student has had chicken pox as a child, a positive varicella titer will be accepted if no records are available. If a student did not have varicella in the past, two doses of varicella vaccine at least 28 days apart or proof of a positive varicella Titer.

Part-Time Students

Any student who is enrolled in less than 12 units (commuters only) do not need to meet the readmission requirements as listed in items 1 - 9.  A copy of the student's Degree Works is required.

Late Admissions

The Student Health and Wellness Center defines a late admission as any student depositing to Whittier College two weeks after the health clearance deadline. Late admits will be charged $100 late fee if not cleared by September 15 for fall semester or March 15 for spring semester. The late fee will continue to be assessed monthly until the student completes all requirements.

Student Patient Portal

Maintaining the privacy and confidentiality of your medical records is a priority. Given that email is not a secure form of communication, we now offer a patient portal that allows you to

  • Secure communication with the Student Health & Wellness Center
  • Upload immunization records
  • Complete health required forms

Completing Your Health Requirements via the Student Patient Portal

  1. Sign on to the Checklist for New Students.
  2. Click on Step 2.
  3. Click on Student Health Portal and follow the instructions.
  4. Be sure to enter all your immunization dates under the “Forms” section of the portal.
  5. Upload a copy of your current immunization record so that health staff can verify the dates.
  6. All health forms need to be uploaded into the student portal. Forms submitted by fax, email, or mail will not be accepted.
  7. Once all the health forms are received, you will receive an email asking you to log onto the student portal. The message will indicate if you've fulfilled all requirements or are missing items.

Uploading the records does not make you compliant. Once you have uploaded all the health records, a staff member will review the uploaded documents and you will receive an email informing you if you are compliant or missing any items.

If you have any questions about the student portal, please call the Student Health & Wellness Center at 562.464.4548.