Health Insurance Policy

Graduate Student Mandatory Health Insurance Policy

Colorado State University has a strong commitment toward graduate student growth and the development of individual responsibility. To further this goal, the University embraces the rationale that catastrophic financial risks while attending the University should be minimized, risks that may impact a student’s ability to complete his or her graduate studies. To this end, the University embraces a policy of mandatory demonstrated health insurance, requiring that all resident instruction graduate students be covered by a comprehensive health insurance plan. Graduate students will be enrolled in the University’s health program, which will provide an insurance plan designed to meet most graduate students’ needs, or they may elect coverage under their own insurance or through another employer.

The University student health insurance program seeks to:

  • minimize, as much as possible, the financial risk of health care to students
  • maximize the pool of insured students to create a more affordable health insurance plan
  • facilitate the development of individual responsibility by requiring students to take positive action in order to waive the insurance coverage
  • ensure that all students, regardless of financial background, have equal access to health care

Policy

It is the policy of Colorado State University that all full-fee paying resident-instruction graduate students enrolled in 6 credits or more are required to enroll in the CSU Student Health Insurance Plan (SHIP) or to receive a waiver by demonstrating comparable health insurance. Graduate students enrolled in less than six resident instruction credits (including CR) may voluntarily enroll by completing an online enrollment form or a paper enrollment form at the CSU Student Insurance Office by the University Add/Drop date (approximately two weeks after classes begin). Students with 5 credits or less are considered partial-fee paying, do not pay General Fees, and hence have access to fewer services.

CSU does not provide insurance coverage to spouses, domestic partners and dependents of graduate students. This policy does not impact the current policy of the University that requires all international students, regardless of enrollment status, to demonstrate comprehensive health insurance coverage through either the University health insurance plan or a comparable plan.

Health Insurance Questions

Please contact CSU Health Network with questions or call 970-491-2457.

Graduate School's Graduate Assistant Health Insurance Contribution

Please visit our Graduate Assistantship Health Contribution page for information about the health insurance contribution provided to graduate assistants by the Graduate School.