Health Insurance

For most students at New York Institute of Technology, health insurance is required for students enrolled at the New York campuses. This requirement is consistent with many other schools in the New York metro area and is widely endorsed by New York Tech’s academic, student and health services divisions. At New York Tech, we offer a broad coverage, ACA-compliant health insurance plan through Aetna, a large national healthcare insurance provider.

Upon registration for classes, students in one or more of the following categories are automatically enrolled for health insurance:

  • Full-time undergraduate students
  • Residence hall occupants
  • School of Health Professions students
  • International students holding an F-1 or a J-1 visa

Waiver Eligibility

If a domestic student has comparable health insurance coverage available, such as through a parent’s plan, the student may be eligible to waive the coverage. For any new incoming students registering who wish to WAIVE the Aetna Student Health insurance, please visit Aetna’s Enroll/Waive page.

International students: Medicaid coverage does not meet the requirements to waive the health insurance plan and it does not cover services outside of New York state. In addition, as an international student, you must have enough funding for your stay in the United States. If you accept U.S. government assistance in the form of Medicaid, it is possible the U.S. government will later determine you have been a public charge. This could result in: Denial of an F-1 or J-1 visa or renewal Refusal to enter the U.S. Denial of a future change of status or future benefits (such as OPT) We therefore recommend that international students NOT enroll in Medicaid, and we cannot waive insurance coverage based on Medicaid enrollment. Remaining enrolled in Medicaid is at your own risk and will not exempt you from fees and enrollment in the health insurance plan. If you wish to cancel your Medicaid coverage, contact the local Medicaid office or call the contact information on your Medicaid card.

The waiver period is July 1, 2025, through September 30, 2025. Please pay strict attention to the waiver deadline.

New York Tech cannot honor late withdrawal requests once insurance coverage has been confirmed by Aetna. Fall semester insurance coverage begins August 1, 2025, and ends December 31, 2025. Spring semester coverage begins January 1, 2026, and ends July 31, 2026. If you are enrolled for the fall semester, your enrollment will be automatically renewed for the spring semester. As indicated above, you may not waive coverage midyear. If you waive your insurance for the fall semester, you will automatically be waived for the spring semester.

PLEASE NOTE:
  • International students are not eligible for a health insurance waiver.
  • Any new student taking a summer class must be waived manually, please contact: yruiz@nyit.edu.
  • Waivers are subject to audit by both Aetna and New York Tech.
  • You may not waive coverage midyear. If you waive your insurance for the fall semester, you will automatically be waived for the spring semester.
  • New York Tech student plan includes dental and vision coverage.  

Premium Costs and Coverage for 2025–2026

Health insurance premiums are billed to the student’s account. The cost of the Aetna student health plans for the 2025–2026 academic year are:

  • Domestic student plan: $2,070 annual rate ($1,035 per semester, charged in fall and spring terms).
  • International student plan (F-1, J-1 visa holders): $2,200 annual rate ($1,100 per semester, charged in fall and spring terms).
  • Disclaimer: These rates and benefits are pending approval by the New York Department of Insurance and can change. If they change, we will update this information.

A description of the plan benefits can be found at aetnastudenthealth.com.

Fall semester insurance coverage begins August 1, 2025, and ends December 31, 2025, Spring semester coverage begins January 1, 2025, and ends July 31, 2025. If you are enrolled for the fall semester, your enrollment will be automatically renewed for the spring semester. As indicated above, you may not waive coverage midyear. If you waive your insurance for the fall semester, you will automatically be waived for the spring semester.

Some New York Tech graduate and part-time students will not automatically be enrolled. Unfortunately, there is no longer a voluntary enrollment process for these students. We look forward to assisting you with any questions regarding the mandatory enrollment and waiver process. Please feel free to contact the Office of Counseling and Wellness:

Student Health Insurance and Waiver Eligibility FAQ 

New York Tech’s Aetna Student Health Insurance Plan reflects the university’s commitment to safeguarding student well-being by ensuring access to comprehensive, high-quality health services. It provides coverage that complements on-campus resources, helps protect students from excessive medical costs, and provides coverage across the United States and during international travel. New York Tech’s plan also provides dental and vision benefits. 

Like most universities, student health insurance is mandatory for students attending one of New York Tech’s New York campuses, including: 

  • All full-time undergraduate students.
  • All students in the School of Health Professions (SHP).
  • All students holding a F1/J1 visa.
  • All residence hall occupants.
  • All full-time Ph.D. students not covered by the College of Osteopathic Medicine (NYITCOM) student health plan.
  • Certain full-time master’s program students in NYITCOM, not covered by the NYITCOM plan. 

The New York Tech plan is administered by Aetna, but billing is processed by New York Tech as part of your term bill.  Upon registering for classes each semester, charges for the health plan are immediately recorded on the student account.  Enrollment in the plan is obligatory for a twelve-month period beginning on August 1 of each academic year, with coverage guaranteed through the following July 31. The plan cost is billed in two parts, commensurate with the fall and spring semester course registrations.  

Upon automatic enrollment, students receive a link to the Aetna website, which provides detailed benefit information and waiver instructions. The cost of the insurance plan is not a reason to submit a waiver request. Waivers may be granted for domestic students under some circumstances, such as demonstration of coverage under a parent’s employer-based, ACA-compliant plan. Domestic students with New York State-based Medicaid are eligible for a waiver, but Medicaid policies from other states do not qualify. Arkansas students attending school at the Jonesboro, Ark., campus may waive out with Arkansas-based Medicaid. International students may not waive coverage regardless of their eligibility or enrollment in Medicaid. Waiver requests must be submitted to Aetna insurance company through its dedicated portal prior to September 30 of each academic year. If your waiver request is approved, health insurance charges will be removed from your student account. 

No. Premiums are billed by semester, so students graduating in December will only be charged for the fall term, and coverage will end on December 31.

The U.S. State Department requires all international students with F1/J1 visas to have health insurance meeting certain minimum requirements for both the claims coverage scope and the insurance company financial resources. New York Tech’s plan through Aetna is specifically designed to meet or exceed those requirements. While some third parties may offer health insurance to international students, those plans may be inadequate, leaving students and the university at risk, since New York Tech has no ability to validate whether those plans or their issuers meet State Department requirements. New York Tech’s plan is assured to provide excellent, reliable coverage for visa students. 

Rates for New York Tech’s Aetna student health insurance plan are set and reviewed annually by New York State’s Department of Financial Services. Approximately 95 percent of the rate is passed directly from New York Tech to Aetna to pay for claims and costs of administering the plan benefits. As permitted by the state, New York Tech retains approximately 5 percent to cover the cost of billing and collecting fees from students.

While most grant aid is not available for application against student health insurance, student loan funds can generally be used to cover the costs. 

Waiver Submission Period:Deadline for Waiver submission:
Fall (new and continuing students)July 1, 2025
Online		September 30, 2025
Spring (new students only)December 1, 2025January 31, 2026
Summer (new students only)May 1, 2026June 30, 2026

At the start of every academic year, students are required to enter waiver requests, including alternate private insurance information. As many students may have changes in coverage due to parent job changes, or moves off or on to Medicaid, the waiver process cannot assume that no changes exist. A yearly waiver request ensures that every student has appropriate insurance coverage at the start of each school year. If you have a successful waiver for the fall semester, you do not need to resubmit a waiver for the following spring. 

If your request is denied, you will be told the reason for the denial via email from Aetna. The most typical reasons include submission of private insurance that does not meet our requirements, or out-of-state Medicaid. Additionally, if you used the Aetna insurance plan prior to requesting the waiver, and a claim was filed on your behalf, your waiver will be denied even if you have other qualified insurance. 

Both New York Tech and Aetna reserve the right to audit your waiver request at any time during the academic year. If your waiver is found to be invalid, you will automatically be re-enrolled in the Aetna plan and charges will be reinstated on your account. 

If you have any questions, you can contact an Aetna Student Health Customer Service representative or the Office of Counseling and Wellness.  

Medicaid plans from other states only provide emergency insurance coverage while students are in New York. Out-of-state Medicaid policies leave our students at risk for large, uninsured medical costs while attending school at our New York campuses, or while travelling outside NY to other states for student events sponsored by New York Tech. One exception is that Arkansas students attending school at the Jonesboro, Ark., campus may waive out with Arkansas-based Medicaid. 

Some points to consider: 

  • How does the alternate plan cost compare to New York Tech’s student plan?  
  • Will those plans also offer dental and vision benefits? 
  • Will you have routine care, hospitalization, and mental health coverage in New York? 
  • Are you planning to travel across the country or internationally?  
  • What are the deductibles, co-pays and other out-of-pocket costs?  
  • If you are 25 and on your parent’s insurance, will you age out during the plan year? 

Whether you enroll in the New York Tech Aetna Student Health Insurance Plan or a different one, students accept the responsibility of paying for all medical costs that are not covered by their health insurance (including but not limited to deductibles, copays, coinsurance and the expenses above policy maximums and benefit limits). Please also be aware that some health facilities, including the Student Health Center, may require payment at the time that treatment is provided. 

To keep the cost of the Aetna plan as low as possible, New York Tech’s plan does not permit any voluntary enrollments, such as graduate students not in the School of Health Professions, part-time students, spouses, or dependents. For New York-based students with dependent children, we suggest checking the New York State Child Health Plus program for low or no-cost health insurance.