Student Health Insurance
Student health insurance provides eligible students with medical and mental health coverage for services beyond those available through the Student Wellness Center. Coverage is available for qualifying graduate, law, international, medical, dental, nursing, radiology, and ultrasound students.
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Graduate, Law, International, Nursing, Radiology & Ultrasound
Medical & Dental
Eligibility & Automatic Enrollment
The UNLV Student Health Insurance (SHI) Plan is available only to students in eligible programs. Not all UNLV students are eligible for coverage.
Undergraduate students are generally not eligible for the SHI Plan, except for eligible Nursing, International, Radiology, and Ultrasound students.
| Student Group | Automatic Enrollment Criteria |
|---|---|
| Graduate | Enrolled in 9 or more credits |
| Graduate Assistants | Enrolled in 6 or more credits |
| Law | Enrolled in 12 or more credits |
| Medical | Automatically Enrolled |
| Dental | Automatically Enrolled |
| Undergraduate Nursing | Degree-seeking Nursing students enrolled in 1 or more credits |
| Graduate Nursing | Enrolled in 9 or more credits |
| International | Automatically enrolled |
| Ultrasound | Enrolled in 3 or more credits |
| Radiology | Enrolled in 9 or more credits |
Students who do not meet the automatic enrollment criteria above may still qualify for voluntary enrollment, depending on their student group.
Voluntary Enrollment
Students who do not meet the automatic enrollment criteria may voluntarily enroll if they are:
- Degree-seeking Graduate or Graduate Nursing students enrolled in 1–8 credits.
- Law students enrolled in 1–11 credits.
- International students on approved OPT, with approval from the Office of International Students and Scholars (OISS).
Undergraduate students are not eligible for voluntary enrollment at this time.
Voluntary enrollment is completed directly through Academic Health Plans (AHP), and the cost of coverage is paid directly to AHP rather than billed to the student’s UNLV account.
View enrollment information, rates, and deadlines for your student group:
Dependent Coverage
Students with active UNLV Student Health Insurance coverage may enroll eligible dependents, such as a spouse and/or children, for an additional cost paid directly to AHP. Dependent eligibility, enrollment periods, rates, and deadlines vary by plan.
View dependent coverage details and enrollment information:
*Health Insurance Requirements for Graduate and Law Students:
In May 2013, the Graduate & Professional Student Association (GPSA) passed a motion to recommend that all fully admitted graduate and professional students must have health insurance coverage either through UNLV or their own carrier. In June 2013, the NSHE Board of Regents supported and approved this proposal. As a result, the mandatory hard waiver student health insurance policy went into effect for the fall 2013 semester and beyond.
UNLV Student Health Insurance vs. Student Health Fees
Student Health Insurance (SHI)
The UNLV Student Health Insurance (SHI) is a medical insurance plan available to eligible UNLV graduate, law, international, medical, dental, nursing, radiology, and ultrasound students. SHI provides coverage for services received from off-campus community providers, in addition to services available through the on-campus UNLV Student Wellness Center.
Student Health Fee
Student Health Fees are mandatory fees assessed to all matriculating students (undergraduate and graduate) as a part of tuition. These fees support various services offered by Student Wellness and grants access to the on-campus UNLV Student Wellness Center.
Student Health Insurance Coverage & Waiver Dates
2026–2027 UNLV Student Health Insurance
| Coverage Dates | Waiver Dates | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SHI Plan | Semester | Effective | Termination | Start | End | Cost |
| Graduate, Law, International | Fall | 8/16/2026 | 1/11/2027 | 5/11/2026 | 9/15/2026 | $1,776 |
| Spring/Summer | 1/12/2027 | 8/15/2027 | 11/13/2026 | 2/9/2027 | $2,574 | |
| Nursing | Fall | 9/1/2026 | 12/31/2026 | 7/5/2026 | 9/15/2026 | $1,454 |
| Spring | 1/1/2027 | 4/30/2027 | 11/13/2026 | 2/9/2027 | $1,430 | |
| Summer | 5/1/2027 | 8/31/2027 | 3/15/2027 | 5/18/2027 | $1,466 | |
| Medical/School of Medicine | Annual | 7/1/2026 | 6/30/2027 | 5/21/2026 | 8/31/2026 | $4,143 |
| Spring/Summer | 1/1/2027 | 6/30/2027 | $2,055 | |||
| Dental - Ortho & Peds | Annual | 7/1/2026 | 6/30/2027 | 5/21/2026 | 7/15/2026 | $4,143 |
| Spring/Summer | 1/1/2027 | 6/30/2027 | $2,055 | |||
| Dental - DDS & DMD | Annual | 8/25/2026 | 8/24/2027 | 6/15/2026 | 9/4/2026 | $4,143 |
| Spring/Summer | 1/1/2027 | 8/24/2027 | $2,679 | |||
| Early Start Summer | 5/6/2027 | 8/24/2027 | 4/25/2027 | 5/20/2027 | $1,260 | |
Student Health Insurance Waiver (Opt-out)
To opt out of the insurance plan, students must have proof of alternate insurance coverage and request a student health insurance fee waiver by the appropriate semester/annual deadline for their program. International students’ alternate insurance coverage must include Medical Evacuation and Repatriation, per their visa requirements.
Fall Semester Waiver Approvals
If approved for the fall semester, a health insurance waiver is good for one academic year (fall and spring) for all students except international students. International students must request a new waiver every semester.
Spring Semester Waiver Approvals
If approved, a spring waiver only applies to that semester. Students who received a health insurance waiver for the spring semester will need to submit a new request for subsequent academic semesters or years.
Online Waiver Forms
Please Note: Waivers are not accepted after the waiver request deadline has passed - there are no exceptions. Please review the waiver criteria before submitting a waiver (opt-out) request on the following sites:
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Plan year 2026-2027 costs and dates are as follows:
Graduate, Law, International, Radiology, and Ultrasound Students
- Fall - $1,776 - August 16, 2026 to January 11, 2027
- Spring - $2,574 - January 12, 2027 to August 15, 2027
Nursing Students
- Fall - $1,454 - September 1, 2026 to December 31, 2026
- Spring - $1,430 - January 1, 2027 to April 30, 2027
- Summer - $1,466 - May 1, 2027 to August 31, 2027
School of Medicine Students
Annual - $4,143 - July 1, 2026 to June 30, 2027
School of Dental Medicine – Orthodontics and Pediatrics Students
Annual - $4,143 - July 1, 2026 to June 30, 2027
School of Dental Medicine – DDS and DMD Students
Annual - $4,143 - August 25, 2026 to August 24, 2027
You can access your Aetna medical insurance ID card online by selecting your school and following a few simple steps . You may also view your ID card anytime through the Aetna Health app on your mobile device.
UNLV Resources
Students are encouraged to utilize the on-campus Student Wellness Center. Medical and mental health services are covered at 100% with no deductible or co-pays; prescriptions incur a minimal copay/cost using Student Health Insurance.
- Medical (illness and preventative): Student Health Center
- Mental health services: Student Counseling and Psychological Services
- Pharmacy: Student Health Center Pharmacy
- Laboratory services: Student Wellness Center Laboratory
Community Resources
Services are also available throughout the country with providers who participate in the Aetna provider network:
- Aetna Find an In-network Doctor, Hospital or Pharmacy
- Aetna’s Well-being Resources
- 24-Hour Nurse Line (24-hour information for health questions)
The SHI plan information including coverage and benefits summary, rates (SHI cost), deductibles, and copay amounts can be found in the following pamphlets:
- International, Graduate, Law, Radiology, and Ultrasound Students Plan Highlight Flyer
- Nursing Plan Highlight Flyer
- Medical and Dental Students Plan Highlight Flyer
Additional plan information and coverage details can be accessed on the Aetna UNLV Student Health Insurance Members web page and in the Aetna Student Health Plan Design and Benefits Summary 2026-2027.
Dental and vision coverage is optional and available for an additional cost.
For an additional cost, you may add your spouse and/or children to your coverage; however, they cannot be seen at the on-campus UNLV Student Wellness Center. Contact Academic Health Plans (AHP), at 1-855-850-4192, 8 a.m. – 5 p.m. (Pacific), Monday – Friday or online by selecting Begin Enrollment at:
Contact Academic Health Plans (AHP):
- Enrollment Info: 1-855-850-4192
- Benefit Claims:
- Medical Claims: 1-877-480-4161
- Dental Claims: 1-877-238-6200
- VSP Vision: 1-800-877-7195
In some instances, students may be considered for additional federal student loans to help pay their health insurance costs. Contact the Financial Aid & Scholarships Office for more information, including how to initiate the “cost of attendance appeal” process.
If you lose your health insurance coverage after the standard enrollment period closes—such as aging out of a parent’s plan or losing employer-sponsored coverage—you may be eligible to enroll through a Qualifying Life Event (QLE).
To learn more, visit the Enrollment page for your student group and open the Qualifying Life Event section for eligibility requirements, deadlines, and enrollment instructions.
No. Submitting a waiver does not automatically remove you from the Student Health Insurance Plan. Your waiver must be reviewed and approved by Academic Health Plans (AHP). Students should monitor their AHP waiver status and email notifications for the final determination.
It depends on your student status:
- International students: Yes. You must submit a new waiver each semester you wish to opt out of the UNLV Student Health Insurance Plan.
- Domestic students: No. If your Fall waiver is approved, it remains valid for the entire academic year, including Spring/Summer. You will not need to submit another waiver until the following academic year. If you first submit a waiver for Spring/Summer, it is valid only for the remainder of that academic year. Students should review the waiver requirements and deadlines each year, as requirements may change
Contact Us
For students with UNLV Student Health Insurance:
- Aetna UNLV Student Health Insurance – coverage, benefits, find a provider, ID cards, general info
- Academic Health Plan (AHP) / My AHP Care – claims/bills, waivers, general info
- 24 Hour Nurse Line - 24-hour information line for health questions
Other Questions or need help? Please email shi@unlv.edu with any questions or concerns and include your NSHE number so we can assist you as quickly as possible.