Graduate Student Health Insurance Support

Some graduate teaching and research assistants (GTA/GRA) receive UT SHIP Student Health Insurance at UTA expense, as a benefit of their employment. The benefit received is basic, individual health insurance for the student (coverage for dependents, dental, or vision is not included). To receive this benefit, students must be in a PhD degree program or one of three Terminal Master’s degree programs: Fine Arts, Architecture, and Landscape Architecture. Students in other Master’s degree programs are not eligible for this benefit, but they may enroll in UT SHIP at their own expense (see the section on this page “Other Graduate Students (Not Funded)”. Eligibility for this benefit also requires that the GTA or GRA appointment be for 20 hours per week.

Students who qualify for the benefit of UT SHIP, paid for by UTA, are automatically enrolled in UT SHIP at the start of each Fall and Spring Semester. This enrollment occurs when the appointment is processed by the student’s academic department and then finalized by the Graduate School. Coverage in the Fall Semester begins on August 15 and terminates at the end of the year on December 31. Students who are reappointed in the Spring semester are covered from January 1 to August 14, as are students who start in the Spring Semester. They have continuing coverage over the summer if they are returning to UTA at the start of the Fall Semester. Coverage terminates for graduating students at the end of the graduation semester, though continuation coverage may be purchased for a period of three months.

After enrollment in UT SHIP at the beginning of a semester, students get an email message from Academic Health Plans with links to add optional coverages (e.g., dependent coverage, vision, dental), to obtain an ID card, and to waive the coverage if they have other insurance that they are keeping (proof of other coverage is required). These and other services are also available through the AHP website for UTA. For most students, accepting the benefit of free student health insurance will be more favorable than waiving and obtaining other coverage, which will usually have a cost.

Students who need to check their UT SHIP coverage status, get proof of coverage before they have an ID card, or who have problems during the enrollment phase may contact graduate.studies@uta.edu.

Graduate teaching and research assistants (GTA/GRA) appointed one-half time or more for a period of 4 ½ months or longer and work at least 20 hours per week are part-time benefit eligible, and they can elect to participate in the university’s UT System Employee group insurance programs.  UT System Employee group insurance programs include Group Medical, Dental, Vision, Term Life, Accidental Death and Dismemberment, Flexible Spending, Short-Term Disability, Long-Term Disability, and Voluntary Retirement Programs.  As a part-time benefits eligible employee, UTA will pay 50% of your premiums for the basic coverage package (medical, prescription, and life insurance) and up to 25% of the premiums for your dependents’ medical coverage. Because the premium sharing is partial, students who enroll in the UT System employee basic coverage benefits, will be charged a partial premium.

In many cases, students who are eligible for UT SHIP student health insurance at UTA’s expense will obtain adequate coverage from UT SHIP, and they will benefit from choosing UT SHIP (which is free) instead of obtaining medical coverage from employee benefits (which is not free).

If you enroll in UT Ship, you can waive the UT System basic coverage package and elect premium sharing to be applied to the cost of dental, vision, and or voluntary Accidental Death and Dismemberment.   Students using this option should follow these steps:

• Accept enrollment in UT SHIP and obtain proof of medical coverage.
• Log into My UT Benefits
• Waive basic medical coverage through UT Select
• Enroll in their desired optional coverages
• Upload proof of medical coverage through UT SHIP
• Accept the premium sharing credit

At first, the full premium for the selected coverages will be displayed, but this will be reduced when the proof of medical coverage through UT SHIP is approved.

Some graduate teaching assistants and research assistants (GTA/GRA) who are not eligible for UTA to pay for UT SHIP may be eligible to enroll in the UT System Employee group insurance programs via the MY UT Benefits website, as an alternative to UT SHIP.  

Students are encouraged to compare their options carefully, and to consult with the Office of Employee Benefits 817-272-5554, or benefits@uta.edu) regarding UT System Employee group insurance program benefits.

Students who are not eligible for UTA to pay for health insurance under UT SHIP may enroll in UT SHIP at their own expense. Procedures for enrolling in UT SHIP differ between international and U.S. students. Students who hold a 20-hour, 50% effort GTA or GRA appointment for at least 4.5 months but who are not in a PhD program or one of the three qualifying Master’s programs also have the option of enrolling in UT System Employee Benefits, as described above.

International Graduate Students

International students are required to have health insurance while in the United States, and UT System policy requires that UTA auto-enroll international students in UT SHIP. International students who are auto enrolled in UT SHIP are billed for the premium through their student account, if they are not eligible for UTA to pay. They may select additional optional coverages at their own expense. International students may obtain a waiver from UT SHIP coverage if they have proof of alternative coverage from another provider. The waiver process is described by the Office of International Education. Assistance with UT SHIP for international students may be obtained from the Office of International Education (817-272-2355, international@uta.edu).

Voluntary U.S. Graduate Students

U.S. students who are not eligible to have UTA pay for their health insurance through UT SHIP may voluntarily enroll in UT SHIP at their own expense, if they are enrolled in at least 4 credit hours, or 2 credit hours in the summer. The voluntary enrollment process is available at the AHP website for UTA.

Enrollment periods for UT SHIP open about 2 months before the start of each academic term (fall, spring, summer), and extend about 3 weeks into the term. Exact dates are posted at the AHP website for UTA. Continuing students enroll in fall and spring, and their spring coverage extends through the summer. Only new students may enroll for the summer term with prior spring enrollment.

The initial enrollment period for coverages under UT System Employee Benefits is 31 days from date of hiring, which must be at the beginning of the fall or spring semester. Enrollment does not extend into the summer unless the qualifying GTA or GRA appointment continues through the summer. If the qualifying appointment ends after the spring semester, students may pay to continue medical, dental, or vision coverage for three months (under the COBRA option).

Students are encouraged to be proactive at the start of each semester about enrolling in any optional coverages that they want to obtain, as these must be chosen during the respective enrollment period.

Questions about eligibility for funded graduate student status and enrollment in UT SHIP at UTA’s expense may be sent to graduate.studies@uta.edu.

Questions about UT SHIP and waivers for international students may be sent to international@uta.edu.

Questions about UT System Employee Benefits may be sent to benefits@uta.edu.

Helpful web sites:

                The UT SHIP website for UTA

                The UT System Employee Benefits website for graduate student employees

                Graduate Health Insurance Support Frequently Asked Questions