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About
All Neuroscience graduate students receive health insurance, however the specific plan will vary depending on appointment as an
- employee - Graduate Research Assistant (GRA) or Teaching Assistant (TA),
- fellow - Graduate Student Fellow (GSF) who is a scholarship or training grant recipient, or
- international student (employee or fellow).
The available medical plans are Academic Blue and UT Select, both underwritten by Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Texas (BCBSTX). UT Select is the university employee health plan; Academic Blue is designed and priced for students, so premiums are lower than UT Select.
Options for Student Employees (GRAs or TAs)
Academic Blue
New GRAs or TAs appointed part-time (20 hours/week for 4.5 months) are automatically enrolled in Academic Blue for medical coverage and the Premium Sharing Credit Plan for dental, vision and accidental death and dismemberment coverage.
- UT Austin provides 100% premium support for medical coverage for part-time GRAs/TAs, and 50% premium support for dependent coverage, with the employee paying the remaining 50% of their dependent premiums directly to Academic Health Plans, the plan administrator, on a monthly basis.
- Optional dependent, dental, vision, and AD&D elections must be completed by the end of a 31 day initial enrollment period.
UT Select
Part-time GRAs and TAs may waive Academic Blue in the Academic Health Plans waiver system. You will then need to elect UT Select in the My UT Benefits enrollment system. These elections must be completed by the end of a 31 day initial enrollment period.
- UT Austin provides 50% premium sharing for part-time GRAs and TAs and 25% premium sharing for dependent coverage. Premium costs for part-time and/or dependent coverage is through monthly or semi-monthly payroll deduction.
- Optional coverage such as dental and vision must be elected by the end of your 31 day initial enrollment period.
Academic Blue vs. UT Select Out-of-Pocket Premium Cost Per Month Comparison
| Level of Coverage | Academic Blue | UT Select |
|---|---|---|
| Subscriber Only | $0.00 | $390.12 |
| Subscriber + Spouse | $143.25 | $930.54 |
| Subscriber + Child(ren) | $229.80 | $872.30 |
| Subscriber + Family | $373.05 | $1,388.22 |
Please visit UT Human Resources for detailed insurance information for graduate student employees.
Options for Student Fellows (GSFs)
Academic Blue
New GSFs must enroll in Academic Blue medical and dental coverage by the enrollment deadline.
- For NRSAs and training grants, the premium is paid out-of-pocket and receipts for reimbursement by the fellowship or training grant. Other fellowships will provide an insurance allowance to cover the cost of the premium.
- Online enrollment periods:
- Fall - 06/01/2024 - 09/16/2024
- Spring - 11/01/2024 - 02/09/2025
- Summer - 04/01/2025 - 06/15/2025
AcademicBlue Cost
| Level of Coverage |
Fall 9/1/24 - 12/31/24 |
Spring/Summer 01/01/25 - 08/31/25 |
Summer 06/01/25 - 08/31/25 |
Annual Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Subscriber Only |
$1,146 |
$2,292 |
$864 |
$3,438 |
| Subscriber + Spouse |
$2,929 |
$4,584 |
$1,728 |
$7,513 |
| Subscriber + Child(ren) |
$2,984 |
$5,969 |
$2,250 |
$8,953 |
| Subscriber + Family |
$4,130 |
$8,261 |
$3,114 |
$12,391 |
GSFs may also purchase an Individual Vision Care Plan offered through VSP, which covers eyewear, contacts, and eyes exams at an affordable price from a large network of vision care providers. For more information, including coverage and cost, please visit the VSP Individual Vision Care Plan webpage.
- The premium is paid out-of-pocket and receipts submitted for reimbursement by the fellowship or training grant.
UT Select
GSFs may enroll in the university's medical, dental, and vision plans. To enroll in these employee plans, you must have one or more fellowships awarded on a competitive basis, that either singly, or in combination, are valued at $10,000 or more per year.
- Since GSFs are not employees and do not receive premium sharing to offset the cost of their medical insurance, the cost of UT Select may be prohibitively expensive, when compared to the cost of Academic Blue.
- To enroll in the university's employee insurance plans, you must submit a Graduate Student Fellow Insurance Enrollment Request (Online) within 31 days of the start of your fellowship. When submitting your request, you will be asked to upload documentation verifying your eligibility for coverage that shows your name, the name or type of your fellowship, the annual value of your fellowship, and your fellowship's begin and end dates.
UT Select Cost
| Level of Coverage |
Per Month |
Annual Total |
|---|---|---|
| Subscriber Only |
$780.24 |
$9,362.88 |
| Subscriber + Spouse |
$1,189.20 |
$14,270.40 |
| Subscriber + Child(ren) |
$1,041.90 |
$12,502.80 |
| Subscriber + Family |
$1,453.34 |
$17,440.08 |
Please visit UT Human Resources for detailed insurance information for graduate student fellows.
Options for International Students (GRAs, TAs, or GSFs)
Academic Blue
International students (regardless of appointment as an employee or fellow) are automatically enrolled in Academic Blue for medical coverage and the cost automatically charged to the tuition and fee bill each fall, spring, and summer semester.
GRAs & TAs
Since GRAs and TAs (appointed at 20 hours/week for 4.5 months) are automatically enrolled in Academic Blue for medical coverage and the Premium Sharing Credit Plan for dental, vision and accidental death and dismemberment coverage, they should apply for a waiver online to remove the automatic billing to the tuition and fee bill for each applicable fall, spring, or summer semester as a GRA or TA.
GSFs (Fellows)
Fellowship recipients will receive an insurance allowance to cover the cost of insurance charged to the tuition and fee bill, so don't apply for a waiver to remove the automatic billing to the tuition and fee bill.
Please visit Texas Global for detailed information on insurance for international students, including enrolling for optional dental and dependent coverage.
Health Care Assistance Fund
Academic Blue provides affordable, quality coverage that meets or exceeds a gold-level of coverage according to the Affordable Care Act (the same rating as UT Select). The university expects that the majority of students will have lower out-of-pocket costs under Academic Blue.
Nevertheless, a small percentage of the overall benefits-eligible graduate student population may experience increases in out-of-pocket costs due to plan differences. The impact of this insurance change will vary based upon utilization and students’ specific healthcare needs.
The Health Care Assistance Fund is intended to help students who encounter higher costs through block grants awarded by the Graduate School. Efficiency of the application and award processes and the protection of student privacy are high priorities. It is expected that the fund will adapt to best suit student needs as we learn more about the impacts of the change.
Each individual student should verify the plan that is available to them. Please contact Marsha Berkman at berkman@austin.utexes.edu with questions regarding health insurance options.