Benefits for Graduate, Research and Teaching Assistants

The subsidy program is offered to graduates students who meet all the criteria listed below on the payment subsidy date:

• The student must confirm their enrollment of insurance AND
• The student must be a full-time or certified full-time graduate student AND
• Receiving a graduate assistantship with an appointment of at least 10 hours/week or graduate fellowship paid through the university payroll system AND
• Has paid their Lehigh student health insurance premium in full by the time the subsidy is paid out, or has signed up for the payroll deductions of premiums.

For AY2023-2024, the annual premium for students only coverage will be $2,452.00. To help eligible students afford individual coverage, the University will provide a subsidy of $1,953.60 on Lehigh’s student health plan for the 2023-2024 academic year (see criteria below). The out-of-pocket premium cost for the individual coverage will be $488.40.

Eligible students will receive a subsidy payment of $741.60 in Fall and $1212.00 in Spring; minus the appropriate taxes for each semester during which they qualify. The subsidy will be paid at the end of each semester (with December 29, 2023 and May 31, 2024 paychecks.) NOTE: If your paychecks stop before these dates, you will not be eligible to receive the subsidy.

The subsidy program is an integral part of the University’s commitment to providing our graduate students with a quality insurance program.  This insurance covers the graduate student only and not their dependents. For AY2023-2024, to help afford the dependent coverage, the University will provide a subsidy of $250 per semester, ($500 per student/family per academic year) to the eligible graduate students with a dependent child and/or spouse; minus the appropriate taxes for each semester during which they qualify.  Information regarding eligibility and the application process for the dependent insurance subsidy will be provided in a separate document.

You may begin enrolling in the insurance program on June 15, 2023. To enroll in the insurance program, you must confirm your enrollment in the health insurance by going to www.universityhealthplans.com AND submit payment to the Bursar’s Office. Students must complete their registration prior to being eligible to confirm their enrollment in the health insurance plan. (NOTE: Certified Full-Time students must confirm their enrollment of insurance after RAS has processed their Full-Time Certification request.) PLEASE READ ALL THE INSTRUCTIONS THAT FOLLOW TO ENSURE YOU ENROLL PROPERLY.

• Insurance coverage for annual (2023/2024 coverage) OR fall 2023 only policy begins the later of:
  • August 15, 2023, OR upon your online confirmation of enrollment and premium payment.
  • Deadline to confirm your enrollment is 4:00PM on September 8, 2023.
• Insurance coverage for the spring 2024 only policy begins the later of:
  • January 1, 2024 OR upon submission of an enrollment form and premium payment to the Bursar’s Office.
  • Deadline to enroll is 4:00PM on February 2, 2024.
• To confirm enrollment in the annual plan, go to the University Health Plans website and then select the Enrollment Form from the menu.
• Students who wish to enroll for Fall-Only or Spring-Only plans, or enroll via a Qualifying Event must email the Bursar’s Office (bursar@lehigh.edu) to request coverage.
• Make online payments at eBill Suite. Payroll deduction forms are on the Lehigh University Controller’s Office website under the payroll forms (Graduate Student Health Insurance Payroll Deduction Form.)
• Students who are eligible to enroll for the fall semester and choose not to enroll are eligible to enroll for the spring semester ONLY IF the student had a “qualifying event” as described in the Student Health Insurance Brochure.

Subsidy payments to all eligible students each semester is automatic and require no application forms.

The student health insurance plan constitutes qualified health care coverage for the purpose of the ACA individual mandate. Additional information about the Affordable Care Act as it relates to students can be found on the Provost's website.

For AY2023-2024, to help afford the dependent coverage, the University will provide a subsidy of $250 per semester per student/family to the eligible graduate students with a dependent child and/or spouse. Eligible students must apply for the subsidy before the deadline and provide necessary documents. Instructions for the application process will be available later.

Eligibility

Eligible graduate students must:

• Be eligible for the University’s individual insurance subsidy for graduate students. 
• Have a dependent child who is in the U.S. and NOT covered by the spouse's insurance, and/or have a spouse who is in the U.S. and is ineligible for employer sponsored insurance coverage. 
• Have purchased a current health insurance policy for their dependent child/spouse.

Documentation

Below are the required documentations:

• Proof that you have purchased health insurance for your dependent child/spouse. Document must include the amount paid for the insurance, this can be an invoice and must list the names of the dependent child/spouse enrolled in the plan.

Failure to provide the necessary documentation will result in delays reviewing your application or rejection of application. You may be asked to provide additional documentation or information needed to evaluate your application. If you have falsified information or supporting documentation on the application, the subsidy will be rescinded, and you will be referred to the Deans of Students.

Eligible students will receive a subsidy payment of $250 per semester; minus the appropriate taxes for each semester during which they qualify.  The subsidy will be paid at the end of each semester (with December 29, 2023 and May 31, 2024 paychecks). If your paychecks stop before these dates, you will not be eligible to receive the subsidy.

Graduate students seeking health coverage for dependent children might be eligible for a plan through the Pennsylvania Children’s Health Insurance Plan. In addition, more information about dependent coverage for citizens and residents can be found at Pennie.com.

For any questions about application or eligibility, please consult with the Associate Deputy Provost for Graduate Education (Kaha@lehigh.edu).

Lehigh research assistants (RAs), teaching assistants (TAs), and graduate assistants (GAs) with full-time appointments are eligible for ten days of paid vacation/personal time. Note: Graduate students enrolled in a 9-month academic program are eligible for 8 days of paid vacation/personal time.

Following guidelines established by federal granting agencies, a reasonable amount of time away from obligations is necessary and encouraged to support the physical and mental health of RA/TA/GAs and therefore their retention and ultimate completion of their degrees.

The purpose of this document is to clarify rules and procedures regarding RA/TA/GAs time away to ensure equitable access and avoid confusion over time limits and continuity of stipend payment.

Considerations

• This policy is especially pertinent for graduate research assistants who are typically funded for 12 months including over semester breaks and summer where work on research is expected, and provides clarity and consistency about limits for time away during those periods.
• Those funded in fall and spring only are also eligible for time away on a prorated basis. In addition, time away must not interfere with teaching obligations or other time-sensitive work.
• Requests for time away must be arranged as far in advance as possible and be approved by the adviser and/or program director.
• Students may need to work over holidays to monitor experiments and/or care of animals and facilities. However, obligations should be shared and scheduled as early as possible. Students who work over a national holiday will receive a floating holiday.
• Appointment letters should include information about the holiday and vacation/time away policy.
• Students who need to be absent for a longer period of time should plan to take a leave of absence for the entire term.
• Students are allowed to use these days for short-term medical issues, bereavement, or care of a family member.
• RA/TA/GAs may have some flexibility regarding working locales. In other words, depending on
  • the nature of the work,
  • permission from the research adviser, and
  • permission from sponsor for work outside the US (if pertinent), the student might be able to be away from campus for a period of time that includes both vacation and remote work.

Policy Criteria

• Students receiving a stipend may request up to 10 business days in an academic year without suspension of the stipend. Students may take more time away unpaid with permission from the adviser or P.I.
  • Unused days do not carry over.
  • The academic year includes the semester breaks and the summer.
  • Students funded for only the fall and spring semesters have paid time away
  • prorated to four days per semester or eight days per year.
  • Students can take their time away all at once or in other combinations.
  • All GA/TA/RAs with full appointment may request up to 10 paid vacation days/personal days in a calendar year in addition to university holidays (with the exception of Labor Day, on which the university holds classes and labs), without suspension of the stipend.
• International students must consult with the Office of International Students and Scholars to ensure they remain in compliance with visa requirements.
• Unauthorized absences may result in stipend suspension.
• Professional travel does not count toward time away.
• Students should email their request directly to their supervisor and the supervisor should respond to the request in a timely manner.
• In the event of a conflict, the student or supervisor should consult with their graduate associate dean or the associate deputy provost for graduate education.

Parental leave (up to 5 weeks)

A student (either the mother or the mother’s partner) who expects the birth of a child or plans the adoption of a child should consult with her/his adviser and work supervisor (e.g., department chairperson, department manager, research principal investigator) and make appropriate arrangements for the anticipated absence from the assistantship assignment. The University’s policy is to not interrupt an assistantship for a parental leave up to 5 weeks, during which time the student is excused from the duties associated with the assistantship.

The student taking the parental leave must be the child’s primary caregiver. Accordingly, if both parents are graduate students, each is entitled to the parental leave for a period during which he or she is the primary caregiver, but the leaves cannot be simultaneous. In all cases, the parental leave must be taken within six months of the child’s birth date or the adoption date.

The student’s department or work supervisor may apply to the Provost’s Office for a Parental Leave Grant (PLG). The PLG equals the student’s assistantship pay during the parental leave, and is to be used to compensate another student or other students for carrying out the duties of the student who is on leave (typically the case for a teaching assistant). If no other student will be paid and the work stops during the leave, no grant will be made available (this might be the case for some graduate assistantships).

A research assistant funded by a sponsored research grant may be eligible for continuation of support under the terms and conditions of the research grant. If no such support is available, the student’s department may apply for a PLG to take the student temporarily off the research assistantship and continue his or her pay during the leave regardless of whether the research grant pays another student to carry out the duties of the student who is on leave.

Application for Parental Leave