GAHP Eligibility

Eligibility for the Graduate Assistant Health Plan

To be eligible for the GAHP, you must work 195 hours per semester in an eligible position and you must be properly registered for the number of credits required for your job class or appointment. Coverage terminates at the end of the month in which you graduate or at the end of the month in which your position ends (as long as you have worked the required number of hours), except for under the summer coverage provision. 

Graduate assistants:

Must have an appointment of 195 hours or more (65 hours for summer term) per semester.

Class Titles: 9510 (Graduate Assistant Coach), 9511 (Teaching Assistant), 9515 (Graduate Instructor), 9517 (Ph.D. Cand. Graduate Instructor), 9518 (Advance Masters TA), 9519 (Ph.D. Cand. w/24 thesis cred. TA), 9521 (Research Assistant), 9526 (Graduate Research Project Assistant), 9527 (Ph.D. Cand. Graduate Research Proj. Asst.), 9528 (Advance Masters RA), 9529 (Ph.D. Cand. w/24 thesis Cand. RA), 9531 (Administrative fellow), 9532 (Advance Masters Admin. Fellow), 9533 (Ph.D. Cand. w/24 thesis cred. AF), 9535 (Professional Program Asst.), 9571 (Summer Term TA), 9572 (Summer Term RA), 9573 (Summer Term AF), 9574 (Summer Session TA w/T. Ben.), or 9575 (Summer Session TA w/o T. Ben)

Graduate Trainees or Fellows:

Must receive a stipend during the academic year equivalent to at least a 25% nine-month graduate assistantship and whose departments agree to pay the full departmental cost of coverage during the academic year.

Class Titles: 9560 (Post-Doctoral Fellow), 9561 (Graduate School Fellow), 9562 (Graduate School Trainee), 9564 (Professional School Fellow), 9565 (Professional School Trainee), or 9566 (Graduate Fellow)

Other eligibility requirements:

1. Graduate assistants holding hourly appointments in an eligible class title of 195 hours or more per semester (65 hours in summer), as estimated by your departments, are eligible for the GAHP.
2. Where a graduate assistant has more than one eligible GA appointment, the appointments are combined to determine eligibility.
3. Summer contribution: The University will contribute to the summer premium for graduate assistants enrolled in the GAHP spring semester. See Summer Coverage for more details.
4. GAHP enrollees can maintain their benefits until the last day of the month in which they graduate, regardless of hours worked for the semester. To be eligible for this exception, the student must have been enrolled on the GAHP during the prior semester and hold at least a 25% eligible assistantship for the semester in which they are graduating. The student must also work in their appointment during the same month to maintain benefits. Since early termination of employment may result in termination of coverage retroactive to the beginning of the semester, it is the responsibility of the department to notify the Office of Student Health Benefits of a change in appointment due to graduation.

Dependent Eligibility

You can enroll your dependents: 

• At the same time you are initially eligible;
• Within 31 days of involuntary loss of other coverage;
• Within 31 days of marriage, birth, or adoption;
• If on a University of Minnesota sponsored visa, within 31 days of a recent arrival into the US; or
• During the open enrollment period.

Definition of Eligible Dependents

The chart below lists the individuals who are considered eligible dependents.