Insurance for Graduate Assistants

Mandatory Insurance Requirements

Graduate students** who are participating in a qualifying assistantship (with an appointment of 33 percent or higher) are required to have health insurance when they are registered for classes at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. These students are automatically enrolled and billed for the university’s student health insurance plan if they are enrolled in classes (with a minimum of one credit hour) during each insurance coverage period.

Additionally, the student’s employing department pays 79% of the premium billed to their student account. The graduate assistant is responsible for paying the remaining 21% of the premium.

NOTE: International Graduate Students may already be required to carry health insurance, so if an international student also has a qualifying graduate assistantship, then they will only be charged once for the insurance premium, and they will also be eligible to receive the credit from their department towards the insurance premium charge.
 

**Graduate-level students that are receiving aid through certain departmental grants or fellowships may also qualify for the student health insurance plan. To learn more, contact the Office of Student Accounts, or contact your department's leadership.
 

Accepting Student Health Insurance 

Each enrollment period, qualifying students need to ACCEPT their enrollment to gain access to their online account through the insurance provider, UnitedHealthcare Student Resources.

Click the link below for step-by-step instructions:
Accepting Your Student Health Insurance

 

Waiving Student Health Insurance

Graduate students may opt out from purchasing the University’s student health insurance plan if they have proof of equivalent health insurance coverage that is either: 

  • A group insurance plan offered through a U.S.-based employer 
    (This can either be in the student's name, or in a parent's name if the student is a dependent on that plan) 
  • An individual insurance plan
  • A Cost-share or Health-share plan
  • Nebraska Medicaid

 

Additionally, the plan must also comply with the Affordable Care Act (ACA):

All other forms of health insurance are not accepted and will not qualify for a waiver.
If you purchase an alternative insurance plan before verifying that it meets the above waiver requirements, you will still be responsible for paying the insurance premium for the University's student health insurance plan, regardless of your obligation to another insurance provider.

When necessary, the University will verify additional information such as insurance carrier financial rating and United States claims processing contact information to verify eligibility.

Waiver Process

Waiver applications for Fall 2026 are due by midnight September 12, 2026. If insurance is not waived by this date, the insurance premium charge will be non-refundable.

  1. Go to MyRED
    (Make sure to allow pop-ups on your computer, if requested)
     
  2. Go to the Student Accounts tab
     
  3. Under Important Links, choose Waive Student Health Insurance and answer the questions. 
    (If you DO want coverage, choose “I want my UNL Health Insurance.”)
     
  4. Once you have completed the waiver request, if your request is approved, your insurance charge will be credited and removed from your student account.
    • If your waiver request is denied, you will be required to keep the student health insurance plan through the rest of the semester. 
    • If you do not submit a waiver request or if you do not successfully complete a pending waiver request, you will be responsible for the cost of the premium added to your student account balance.
       

Appealing Denied Waiver Requests

If you receive a denied waiver request, you will receive an email from UHCSR detailing the reason for your denial. That email will also provide details on how to appeal and resubmit your request. Students are only allowed to submit two waiver requests through the link in MyRED, so if you have received a denial, first submit an appeal through the email you received and wait for a response before submitting. 

If you have two denied waiver requests, then you will not be able to submit any further requests to waive your insurance.

Questions Regarding Your Insurance

If you have any problems setting up your UHCSR My Account, or if you have questions concerning the insurance policy and coverage, please contact the United Healthcare StudentResources Campus Representative.

UnitedHealthcare StudentResources Campus Representative
unebraskaadvocates@uhcsr.com
866-351-4262 

 

If you have any questions surrounding your status as a graduate assistant or the requirement to carry health insurance, please contact the Office of Graduate Studies.

Office of Graduate Studies
https://graduate.unl.edu
graduate@unl.edu
402-472-2875  

 

If you have any questions about enrollment, need to be enrolled, or need to appeal a waiver decision, please contact Student Accounts.

Office of Student Accounts
https://studentaccounts.unl.edu
studentaccounts@unl.edu
402-472-2030