International Students
Most international students are required to have health insurance. Students can enroll in the Virginia Tech Plan or request a waiver.
Health insurance is required for the following international students:
- Students in F-1 visa status who are taking 3 or more credit hours, and any accompanying dependents.
- All students in J-1 visa status and any accompanying dependents.
Students who have purchased alternative insurance that meets the requirements listed below can request a waiver of the university requirement.
Beginning in Fall 2024, students who do not actively enroll in the Virginia Tech plan or receive a successful waiver will be enrolled in the plan at the end of open enrollment.
Insurance Requirements
- The policy must offer adequate care within a 50-mile/80-kilometer radius of the campus of enrollment.
- The policy must provide a minimum of $25,000 for repatriation of remains AND $50,000 medical evacuation to the home country.
- The policy must have no annual or lifetime limits on medical, mental health, substance abuse, and prescription medication benefits, and have no internal limits on major coverages.
- The policy must have an annual deductible of $500 or less.
- The policy must cover pre-existing conditions for the entire policy term with no waiting period.
- Medical expenses for pregnancy, childbirth and complications of pregnancy must be treated as any other illness under the policy, regardless of gender.
- Coverage term date requirements:
- For students entering in the Summer: The policy must be valid from the student's first day of classes or mandatory program participation (varies by program) with coverage through July 31, the following year or, if graduating, the last day of the month of the student’s graduation.
- For students entering in the Fall: The policy must be valid from the first day of classes with coverage through July 31 the following year or, if graduating, the last day of the month of the student’s graduation.
- For students entering in the Spring: The policy must be valid from the first day of classes with coverage through July 31 or, if graduating, the last day of the month of the student’s graduation.
- For students entering in the Summer: The policy must be valid from the student's first day of classes or mandatory program participation (varies by program) with coverage through July 31, the following year or, if graduating, the last day of the month of the student’s graduation.
Exceptions
Note: Any student to whom an exception might apply MUST go through the waiver process and be granted an exception in writing from the Student Medical Insurance Office.
- A student in F-1 visa status has, or is listed as a dependent on, a US employer-sponsored health insurance plan that is Affordable Care Act (ACA) compliant with an individual deductible of less than $3,000. If the plan does not include a minimum of $25,000 for repatriation of remains AND $50,000 medical evacuation to the home country, a supplemental policy for those coverages must be purchased. A student in a J-1 visa status is required to have a policy with a deductible of $500 or less.
- A student in F-1 or J-1 visa status has a scholarship or foreign government sponsored program that provides a US health insurance plan for the student that is Affordable Care Act (ACA) compliant with an individual deductible of $500 or less. If the plan does not include a minimum of $25,000 for repatriation of remains AND $50,000 medical evacuation to the home country, a supplemental policy for those coverages must be purchased.
- Exchange students on a one-semester program in the fall must show evidence of coverage from the first day of classes or mandatory program participation through December 31 only.
You will receive an email with a copy of your waiver submission. The Student Medical Insurance Office has up to 10 business days to review your waiver.
If your waiver is accepted, you will receive an email from smi@vt.edu stating that your waiver has been approved.
If your waiver is rejected, you will receive an email from smi@vt.edu noting the requriement that has not been met. If you need clarification on what this means, please contact our office. If your waiver is rejected due to lack of documentation, please work with your insurance provider to find the missing documentation and submit a new insurance waiver.
If you feel that your waiver has been rejected in error, or if you believe there is a reason you should be exempt from the university requirement, you can complete a waiver appeal form and submit this to the Student Medical Insurance Office for further review. You may request a denied waiver appeal form from the Student Medical Insurance Office.
After you complete the enrollment form, you will receive an email with additional instructions on how to purchase coverage for dependents, or purchase the optional dental coverage.
Within 10 days of completing the form, the charge for the cost of insurance will appear on your student account.
Please allow 3-5 business days for processing. You will be able to log into your secure member site and print your ID card. You also have the option to contact Aetna Customer Service and request a plastic card be mailed to you.
Steps to log in to the secure Aetna member site:
- Start at aentastudenthealth.com
- Click Your Member Website
- Click Register 2x
- In place of a Member ID, enter your student ID number
- Finish answering questions and set up your username and password
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.
All international students in F-1 or J-1 visa status are required by the State Department and University policy to maintain health insurance to be enrolled at Virginia Tech. Beginning in the 24-25 academic year, international students will no longer have to pay up front for insurance if choosing to enroll in the Virginia Tech plan. The cost of the insurance will be added to their student bill, one charge in the fall, and one in the spring. If eligible, the student can opt into one of the payment plans offered by the Bursar’s Office, which allows for paying the overall student bill in installments.
For international students who choose to demonstrate proof of alternative comparable coverage, the waiver process with the Student Medical Insurance office will remain unchanged. However, international students who have not met the insurance requirement, either by purchasing the Virginia Tech plan or by demonstrating proof of comparable coverage by the end of open enrollment will be automatically enrolled in the Virginia Tech plan at the end of open enrollment (8/31), and the cost of the Virginia Tech plan added to their student account. Full payment for dental insurance and cost for dependent coverage will be due at the time of enrollment directly to Aetna.
The Student Medical Insurance Office will no longer place academic holds for non-compliance with the insurance requirement. The Bursar’s Office will follow their standard collections procedures for non-payment of student charges, including the insurance cost, which can include holds.
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.