Student Health Insurance Plan (SHIP)
BU SHIP Information
About BU SHIP
BU Student Health Insurance Plan (SHIP) is Boston University’s health insurance plan for students. It is offered through Aetna, a large national health insurer. SHIP may be the best—and most affordable—option for covering one’s healthcare outside of Student Health Services (SHS).
We automatically enroll all students who are legally required to have health insurance in SHIP. Boston University has no financial stake in promoting this plan. Your premiums are automatically billed to your student account and included in the balance due annually, unless an online waiver is submitted by the waiver deadline each plan year.
Premium rates can vary depending on your program length. The standard annual rate for the 2025-2026 year for the Basic plan is $3,538 and the Plus plan is $4,741.
Coverage & Eligibility
- Boston University automatically enrolls full-time, three-quarter time, and international students in the basic Student Health Insurance Plan (SHIP)
- Online only students are not eligible to enroll in SHIP
- Domestic part-time degree students may be eligible for SHIP coverage but in most cases will need to take the positive action to enroll. Please speak with Student Health Services about any questions or concerns you may have about enrolling in BU SHIP
Coverage Dates
Health insurance coverage takes effect once the student successfully registered for the fall semester or on August 15, whichever is later, and it ends on August 14 of the following year. Students who graduate in January or who go part-time in spring can enroll in fall only coverage before December 31 – in this case, the coverage will end on December 31 and the premium will be adjusted. For additional information, please visit Student Accounting Services.
BU SHIP & Your Account
- The SHIP premium is billed through your student account. For information on how to enroll in the more comprehensive PLUS plan or how to add dependents, please visit Student Accounting Services page on the Student Health Insurance Plan.
- If you waive SHIP coverage before the open enrollment period, the SHIP charge will be removed
- If you waive SHIP by the end of the open enrollment period, a credit in the amount of the SHIP premium will be applied to your student account.
- Please contact Student Accounting Services concerning the application or removal of SHIP charges.
Waiving SHIP
If you decide SHIP is not for you, you may be able to waive coverage. To be eligible to waive SHIP coverage, you must:
- Be enrolled in a plan underwritten in the US that meets the comparable coverage requirements.
If you decide to waive coverage, the Fall waiver must be submitted by September 20. If you are entering in the Spring, the waiver must be completed by January 31.
- You can access the waiver through the MyBU portal by selecting “Student Health Insurance” from the left menu, then choosing “Waive SHIP”.
- During the process you will be redirected to the website of our partner, Gallagher Student Health & Special Risk, to complete your waiver.
- If your waiver is approved, the SHIP charge will either be removed or a credit will be applied to the student account within 1-2 business days.
Contact
For additional information concerning the details of BU SHIP, please contact Student Health Services or visit the BU Student Health Insurance Plan page.
For additional information concerning the application or removal of BU SHIP, please contact Student Accounting Services.
Boston University Questrom School of Business
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CONTACT
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CONTACT
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