Health Insurance

• Enrollment in the Columbia Student Health Plan is automatic for all full-time students. You may choose to waive this coverage by September 30. If waiving after August 1, though, you will see the charge for the Columbia Student Health Plan on your Fall billing statement. 
• Full-time students may choose to waive the Columbia University Student Health Insurance using this link. Comparable coverage must be provided.
• The Fall semester open enrollment period is from July 1 – September 30 each year.
• Students whose status changes from part-time to full-time during the academic year will be automatically enrolled at that time, but may waive the insurance if they have comparable coverage.
• The waiver must be completed each insurance year. The insurance year begins August 15 of each year.
• Full-time students and those on the Columbia Student Health Plan are required to pay the Health Services Fee regardless of the student’s physical location.
• Students with active New York State Medicaid coverage may request a waiver.If your Medicaid coverage is from outside New York, waiver requests are typically denied while living in New York. Medicaid plans from other states usually do not provide coverage outside of their state of residence, and students would not be covered for routine care in New York.

Part-time students may elect to enroll in the Columbia Student Health Plan by using this link. Part-time students who enroll in the Columbia Student Health Plan must pay the Columbia Health Services Fee. 

Students whose status changes from part-time to full-time during the academic year will be automatically enrolled at that time but may waive the insurance if they have comparable coverage by using this link.

Part-time students, including non-degree students, taking less than 11 credits, are not required to waive or enroll in the Columbia Student Health Plan, or to pay the Columbia Health Services Fee, unless their status changes to full-time. Part-time students may elect to pay the Columbia Health Services Fee to benefit from the health program and may also choose to enroll in the Columbia Student Health Plan. Please email Dean Abby [email protected] for support. 

Union Theological Seminary requires ALL international students (regardless of credit status) to enroll in the Columbia Student Health Plan. Navigating the U.S. healthcare system can be complex, and this will ensure that international students have access to the highest quality of care both on- and off-campus. Please reach out to Dean Abby with any questions: [email protected]

International students attending Union on an F-1 visa may wish to waive their health insurance. In order to request a waiver from mandatory enrollment in the Columbia Plan, students must have alternate coverage that meets the Seminary’s requirements. Students must provide sufficient information regarding their alternate health insurance plan to allow independent verification that the alternate plan meets the Seminary’s requirements. In most cases, waving the mandatory insurance is only possible if you are a dependent under a US citizen’s current coverage plan, or if your global health insurance meets the requirements, which is extremely rare.

The Student Affairs Office considers all requests, but approval is not guaranteed.  It is extremely rare that students can find coverage that meets all of the waiver requirements, unfortunately, due to the limitations in access to coverage that are placed on F-1 students. We encourage you to reach out to Dean Abby to discuss: [email protected]

➜ This checklist will help you determine if your health insurance plan meets the waiver criteria.

1. The plan must meet the requirements of the Affordable Care Act, including coverage for routine, urgent, and emergent care for all of the Act’s Essential Health Benefits in New York State.
2. The plan must provide routine coverage throughout the United States.
3. The plan must be based in and licensed to do business in the United States.
4. The plan must be effective and remain in force for the duration as noted below.
5. No yearly or lifetime coverage maximums for essential health benefits.
6. The plan must include medical evacuation (minimum of $50,000) and repatriation coverage (minimum of $25,000). This requirement may be met via a secondary coverage plan for evacuation and repatriation only.

After the first two years, students are given the status of “dual degree semester (other institution),” which denotes that a student is paying full-time tuition at another school. Students with the status of “dual degree semester (other institution)” are not charged Union tuition and are expected to pay relevant fees such as the student activity fee, housing rent, and meal plan fee as applicable. Students with the dual degree semester (other institution) enrollment status may not take more than six credits per semester at Union in years three and four. Students who are full-time at another institution, but enrolled part-time at Union, may remain on the Columbia Plan if they so choose. Students enrolled in the Columbia Plan will also be charged the Columbia Health Services Fee. As a part-time student, you MUST opt-in each academic year to be enrolled in the Columbia Plan using this link.

You may enroll dependents to the Columbia Student Health Plan using this link: https://utsnyc.formstack.com/forms/health_insurance_dependents_2627

Dependents must be enrolled each year to be added to the plan. Spouses/partners are charged 50% of the Health Services Fee if enrolled. There is no additional charge for child dependents.

Students who wish to enroll a dependent spouse or domestic partner for the first time will need to provide the school with acceptable documentation to verify the dependent’s eligibility for enrollment.

Acceptable forms of documentation:

• Spouse: marriage certificate (translated into English)

• Domestic partner: certificate of domestic partnership (translated into English)

Students need to complete this verification only once unless they are enrolling a different spouse or domestic partner. We will also need a copy of the spouse or partner’s state ID or passport page to process this request.

Students who wish to enroll a dependent child for the first time will need to provide the school with acceptable documentation to verify the dependent’s eligibility for enrollment.

Acceptable forms of documentation:

• copy of the birth certificate.

Students need to complete this verification only once unless they are enrolling another child.

Students enrolled in the Columbia Plan have access to covered preventative dental services and specially discounted rates for other dental needs through Columbia Doctors Dentistry. You can find more information at the bottom of this page. This coverage is minimal and basic.

If you are seeking more comprehensive vision or dental care, please note that Union Theological Seminary does not enroll students in additional vision or dental coverage. Should you choose to opt-in, you must enroll yourself, using this link: https://www.aetnastudenthealth.com/en/school/704502/members/enroll-waive-coverage.html 

Open enrollment for Fall 2026 begins on July 15, 2026 with coverage beginning on August 15, 2026. The additional cost for these plans can be found on this page under “Aetna Voluntary Dental PPO Max Plan (2026-2027).” The link above also provides a comprehensive overview of what the add-on vision and dental plans cover. These plans are not managed by Union Theological Seminary.