Graduate Assistants, Graduate Fellows, and Graduate Trainees

New Graduate Assistants, Graduate Fellows, and Graduate Trainees will automatically enroll in the SHIP for Penn State (medical), dental plan, and vision plan through their Workday Links to an external site. New Hire event. Please confirm your status with your department if you do not see a Benefit Change Hire action in your Workday Inbox. If you wish to enroll in individual coverage (e.g. if you only need medical, dental, and vision insurance for yourself and you have no dependents), you do not need to take any further action. You will be automatically enrolled in the student insurance plans. If you do need to add a dependent(s) or waive coverage(s) you will select the Workday Inbox Action titled “Elect Student Health Insurance: Your Name.” You will then click on the "Let's Get Started" button.  You will then see the screen where you can elect/waive coverage and add dependents. 

ALL students on a graduate assistantship, graduate fellowship, or graduate traineeship need to complete the waiver on LionPATH Links to an external site. if you waived medical benefits in Workday.

Medical Benefits for Graduate Assistants, Graduate Fellows, and Graduate Trainees

The Student Health Insurance Plan (SHIP) for Penn State medical benefits are the same for all students. 

Penn State provides funding (or subsidy) for those students on a graduate assistantship, graduate fellowship, or graduate fellowship for medical insurance. Penn State covers 80% of the cost of the student premium, 75% for one dependent, and 76% for more than one dependent. You will be responsible for the 20% for yourself or 25% for one dependent OR 24% for more than one dependent. The deductions will be taken from your stipend from September through December for the Fall semester and January through May for Spring/Summer semester. For specifics on coverage dates and rates, please visit the Student Health Insurance Plan (SHIP) for Penn State website Links to an external site.. 

Dental and Vision Benefits for Graduate Assistants, Graduate Fellows, and Graduate Trainees

Penn State provides funding (or subsidy) for those students on a graduate assistantship or graduate fellowship for dental and vision insurance. Penn State covers 80% of the cost of the student premium and 70% for any dependent(s). You will be responsible for 20% for yourself or 30% for any dependent(s). The deductions will be taken from your stipend from September through December for the Fall semester and January through May for Spring/Summer semester.

Dental

The dental insurance offered to graduate assistants, graduate fellows, and graduate trainees are provided by United Concordia. For specifics on coverage dates and rates, please visit the Student Health Insurance Plan (SHIP) for Penn State website Links to an external site.. 

Vision

The vision insurance offered to graduate assistants, graduate fellows, and graduate trainees are provided by Highmark Blue Shield – Davis Vision.

The benefits provided by the plan include:

  •  Examination every 12 months
  •  Frames every 12 months
  •  Eyeglass Lenses
  •  Lasik Surgery
  •  Contact Fill

For more specific information on coverage, please visit the Student Health Insurance Plan (SHIP) for Penn State website Links to an external site..