Domestic Undergraduate and Graduate Students
Domestic undergraduate and graduate students are encouraged, but not required to enroll in the Aetna Student Health Insurance Plan to attend Virginia Tech.
Bursar Billing
Beginning with the Fall 2024 semester, students enrolled with the Virginia Tech Student Medical Insurance Plan will be billed through the Bursar’s Office.
This change means that students can enroll in the plan with no money due at the time of enrollment. Instead, insurance charges will be posted to the overall student bill, creating a more unified billing experience for students. More detailed information can be found at this list of FAQs. For additional questions, please contact smi@vt.edu.
Most domestic undergraduate students do not have a university requirement to maintain health insurance. Nonetheless, we know that some students are interested in purchasing the Virginia Tech plan to manage their financial risks. With the change to Bursar billing, domestic students who do not have an assistantship will not be required to pay for the Virginia Tech plan up-front at the time of enrollment, and the cost of the plan will be added to their student bill. Payment for dental insurance and cost for dependent coverage will be due at the time of enrollment directly to Aetna.
Students can choose to pay their student bill at a pace that works for them by enrolling in a payment plan offered by the Bursar’s Office. The insurance cost will be split over both semesters for students who enroll in the fall to maximize the ability to pay over time.
GAs, GTAs, and GRAs with at least a 10 hour assistantship (a .5 assistantship) are eligible for an 88% subsidy of their student medical insurance cost (dependents and dental are not subsidized by the university). The criteria for this benefit have not changed.
Once enrolled, the student share of the insurance premiums will be charged to the student account (the university’s portion of premiums will be shown on the student’s pay stub if needed for tax purposes). The student can then choose to pay the insurance charge, along with university fees, through the Graduate Comprehensive Fee Payment Plan. While this is a change from the current payroll withholding process, since the Graduate Payment Plan debit dates line up with payroll dates, the net impact to graduate students is minimal.