FAQ

All degree students (including online-only), as well as visiting, mobility (study abroad), maintenance of status, ESL+ certificate, graduate credit certificate, and graduate and undergraduate degree non-matriculating students enrolled in credit-bearing classes, are eligible to enroll in the Student Health Insurance Plan. Students enrolling through the Continuing and Professional Education program are not eligible and are not charged for student health insurance.

Please visit How to Enroll for information about enrolling in the Student Health Insurance Plan for the 2025–2026 school year.

All students are required to have health insurance coverage. Students are automatically charged for the Student Health Insurance Plan after they register. Students with their own comparable health insurance coverage must submit a new online waiver form each school year. If the form is not received by the posted waiver deadline, students are enrolled in the student plan by default after the waiver deadline has passed, and the health insurance fee will remain on their account. 

The waiver deadline for the fall 2025 semester was September 30, 2025 (extended from September 9). Please visit Waiving Insurance for more information.

A new online waiver form must be submitted each school year before the posted deadlines. When you submit a waiver form in the fall, the waiver is automatically applied to your account in the spring semester of the same academic year.

If you submit the waiver form before the university bills you for the 2025–2026 school year, the waiver will be applied to your student account approximately two to three days after the fall charges have been applied to your student account.

If you submit the waiver form after the university posts your fall 2025 charges, the waiver will be applied to your student account approximately two to three days after the waiver form has been submitted.

You will see the health insurance charge on your account, and the waiver will be applied on a separate line as a credit/payment. The waiver cancels out the health insurance charge. 

You can monitor your account through my.newschool.edu (click on Electronic Bills, then View Account Activity on the Me tab) to verify that the appropriate credit appears in your student account.

Your plan’s benefits must be comparable to the benefits of The New School’s plan but don’t have to match exactly. Please refer to the Plan Comparison chart for more details. If you need additional assistance comparing plans, please contact University Health Plans at 833.251.1129 or [email protected].

The annual premium for the 2025–2026 school year is $4,310. It is charged in two installments: fall and spring. The fall 2025 premium is $1,748 for coverage from August 20, 2025, through January 14, 2026. The spring 2026 premium is $2,562 for coverage from January 15 through August 19, 2026.

The Plan Brochure for the 2025–2026 school year is available at universityhealthplans.com/tns. The plan also provides dental and vision benefits to all students enrolled in the Aetna Student Health Insurance plan. For information about prescription coverage, visit the Aetna Student Health website.

If you are enrolled in the student health insurance plan for the 2025–2026 school year, you can access a copy of your ID card to view or print it here. To review your claims and benefits, find in-network providers, and access a digital copy of your ID card, create an online account on Aetna’s website.

Yes; dental and vision benefits are included for all students enrolled in Aetna's Student Health Insurance plan. The 2025–2026 dental and vision brochures are available at universityhealthplans.com/tns.

• How to Use Your Dental Benefits
• How to Use Your Vision Benefits

The plan also provides additional pediatric dental and vision benefits for students through age 18. These benefits are outlined on pages 33–34 of the plan brochure.

Access to Student Health Services is covered by your University Services Fee. All students can use these services regardless of their health insurance provider.

All students are required to have health insurance coverage. The university requires all students to have coverage that is comparable to the university-sponsored insurance plan. Students can waive the plan with international insurance as long as their plan provides comprehensive coverage where the student will be studying. Plans that provide coverage for urgent care or emergencies only are not sufficient. Short-term limited-duration plans are appropriate only for students studying in the United States for one semester or a summer or winter term.

In addition to meeting the university’s requirements, J-1 visa holders must have insurance coverage that meets J-1 regulations. Your coverage must provide benefits of at least $100,000 per person per year or accident; repatriation of remains in the amount of at least $25,000; medical evacuation of the exchange visitor to their home country in the amount of at least $50,000; and a deductible limited to $500 per accident or illness. This differs from the regulations  governing F-1 students, which do not have a health insurance requirement.

Yes. The New School plan meets all of the U.S. government requirements for students on J-1 visas. The U.S. government does not require health insurance for students on F-1 visas; however, The New School requires all students to have active health insurance where they are studying. 

You can view the SENS-UAW Health Insurance Rebate FAQ.

For questions about your student account, payment plan, or late fees, please contact [email protected].

For questions about health insurance coverage for students and dependents, please contact [email protected].

For questions about the calculation of your rebate, please contact [email protected].

Students who waive the Student Health Insurance Plan and experience an involuntary loss of their health insurance coverage during the academic year can join the student plan for a prorated premium.

If you lose coverage and need to enroll, contact University Health Plans at [email protected] or 833.251.1129 for assistance. You must contact University Health Plans within 31 days of losing coverage. Once your enrollment request is processed, the student health insurance coverage will begin the day after your lost coverage ends.  

Graduating students should be aware that your student health insurance will end on the following dates:

Fall graduation: January 14, 2026
Spring graduation: August 19, 2026

To avoid a coverage gap, as most plans begin on the first day of the month, consider these options:

Enroll in a New Plan
Since you're losing student health insurance, you may qualify for a Special Enrollment Period. Options include:

• Join a parent's plan (if under 26).
• Enroll in a state Marketplace plan at healthcare.gov.
• Get coverage through a new job.
• Apply for Medicaid (if eligible).
• Buy a private plan directly from an insurer.

To avoid a gap, enroll before your coverage ends.

Terminate Your Current Coverage Early
You can ask to end your student health insurance in order to start a new plan on January 1 or August 1, depending on your graduation date. Submit the termination request form in the month before your coverage ends (July or December).

International Students on OPT
You can extend your coverage for up to one year after graduation if you’re on OPT. Contact University Health Plans for enrollment details once you’re approved for OPT.

Help with Finding Coverage
Explore resources that can help you find new insurance options, including free health insurance navigators through NADAP in New York or your state’s Marketplace. If you need proof of your coverage end date, contact University Health Plans.

For questions, contact Student Health Services at [email protected].

Students taking a documented health-related leave should contact the SHS Health Insurance Office at [email protected] for information regarding premium payment and reinstatement of coverage during this period. You may opt to remain enrolled in the Student Health Insurance Plan for a maximum of two consecutive semesters. This includes your dependents as well if they were already enrolled in the plan.

• Leave taken before waiver deadline: Full refund of insurance premium; coverage removed retroactively to the beginning of the semester if no claims were paid by the insurance provider. If you have already used the plan that semester (that is, if you or a doctor, lab, or other service provider has submitted a claim on your behalf that was paid by Aetna Student Health), the insurance premium will be added back to your student account and your coverage will remain active through the end of the semester coverage period. 
• Leave taken after waiver deadline: Full health insurance premium will remain on your student account, and coverage will remain active through the end of the semester coverage period.
• Students taking a leave of absence for any reason other than health are not eligible to reinstate coverage while on leave. 
• Students on leave (including health-related leave) are not eligible to be seen at Student Health Services.

Yes. Students participating in OPT are eligible to continue enrollment in the Student Health Insurance Plan. You will not be charged and enrolled automatically; you will need to contact the International Student and Scholar Services office for instructions. Please note: In order to be eligible to enroll in the Student Health Insurance Plan while participating in OPT, you must be enrolled in the plan during your final semester of study and enroll in the plan when your OPT begins.

New School employees taking classes for credit at the university and receiving a tuition waiver are not eligible to be seen at Student Health Services and are not eligible for student health insurance coverage. The university automatically waives the health insurance premium for New School employees. The health insurance premium charge will appear in the charge column of your student account, and the health insurance premium waiver will appear in the payment column and serve as a credit.

Dependents of New School employees who are taking classes for credit and receiving a tuition waiver pay the University Services Fee and can access Student Health Services. They are automatically charged the health insurance premium. All students (both undergraduate and graduate) can waive the health insurance premium by providing their health insurance plan information on the Online Waiver form and submitting it before the waiver deadlines: September 30, 2025 (extended from September 9), for the fall semester and February 3, 2026, for the spring semester. 

Employees and dependents taking continuing education classes are not charged the health insurance premium and are not eligible for student health insurance coverage.

Medicaid offers low-cost or free insurance coverage to individuals who qualify. New York State residents who do not qualify for Medicaid may be eligible for the New York State Essential Plan. 

If you are a New York State resident, you can visit the New York State Marketplace, where you can search for and enroll in a health insurance plan. Students can enroll online at nystateofhealth.ny.gov, call the customer service center at 855.355.5777, or schedule a phone appointment with a Certified Enrollment Assistor who can walk them through their health plan options.

Information about enrollment periods can be found here.

How to find free enrollment help - NY State

You can also consult with NADAP, an organization that assists individuals with finding insurance coverage and other services.

If you are a non–New York State resident, you can visit healthcare.gov and input your zip code. The site will direct you to either your home state’s health insurance marketplace or the marketplace insurance application.

An EOB Statement is a form you receive from the insurance company each time a claim is submitted on your behalf. One copy is sent to you and one is sent to your provider (doctor, lab, etc.). The EOB Statement explains how your claim was processed and/or paid. It includes some or all of the following information: the provider’s name, the date, the amount the provider billed, any discounts that apply, the amount paid and to whom it was paid, any amount applied to your deductible, the co-insurance amount for which you are responsible, and the reason for denial if your claim was denied.

For questions about health insurance benefits, claims processing, in-patient admission pre-certification, and ID cards (including lost ID cards), contact:

Aetna Student Health
800.878.1927

For questions about enrollment and waivers, contact:

University Health Plans
833.251.1129
[email protected]

A deductible is the dollar amount that an insured person is responsible for paying before the insurance company will begin to pay. The Student Health Insurance Plan in-network deductible is $150 per policy year. The out-of-network deductible is $300 per policy year.

Any student who withdraws from the university before the semester waiver deadline will receive a full refund of the student health insurance premium as long as no claim against the plan has been paid.

Any student who has paid the student health insurance premium and withdraws from the university after the posted last date for a refund will remain covered in the university-sponsored Student Health Insurance Plan for the full policy period (fall 2025 coverage period: August 20, 2025–January 14, 2026; spring 2026 coverage period: January 15–August 19, 2026). No refund will be given.

Any student who takes a leave of absence for health reasons before the semester waiver deadline can retain coverage under the Student Health Insurance Plan for the remainder of that semester only by notifying the Student Health Services office at [email protected]. Please note that this option is offered only to students who withdraw for documented health reasons.

Yes. The 2025-2026 Student Health Insurance Plan covers you during semester breaks, summer vacation, and even travel or study abroad. You’ll be covered for the period for which you are enrolled and premiums have been paid. In addition to covering medical treatment and services, the plan covers emergency medical evacuation, repatriation of remains, and 24-hour worldwide travel assistance services through On Call International.

Dependent coverage will continue to be offered under the Student Health Insurance Plan in the 2025–2026 academic year. The deadline to enroll a dependent for the fall 2025 semester was September 30, 2025 (extended from September 9). Please contact University Health Plans for more information about dependent enrollment.