Dear Continuing SoE PhD Student,
We hope you are having a productive summer! We look forward to welcoming you back to Tufts for the 2026–2027 academic year.
We are writing to remind you that all Tufts students are required to have health insurance (it’s a Massachusetts state law).
Students enrolled in a PhD program are automatically enrolled in and billed for the Tufts Student Health Insurance Plan and the Student Health and Wellness (SHAW) fee.
However, full-time PhD students in the School of Engineering are provided a subsidy for the full cost of the Tufts Student Health Insurance Plan and the Student Health and Wellness (SHAW) fee for up to 5 years through their academic program, assuming they maintain good standing. If you have questions about your subsidy, please contact your department chair.
If you are covered by a separate policy through a U.S. based insurance company that meets Massachusetts requirements, including minimum creditable coverage standards required under state law, please apply for a waiver by July 31. If your waiver is approved, the student health insurance premium will be removed from your account.
Students with comparable health insurance coverage can apply for a waiver of the university’s plan between now and July 31 in the Student Information System (SIS).
A waiver must be completed annually. If you had a waiver this past year, it is simple to submit your waiver again in SIS.
If you do not apply for a waiver by July 31, you remain charged for the Student Health Insurance Plan and enrolled for this academic year.
You can learn more on our Student Health Insurance website.
Questions? Please reach out to StudentHealthInsurance@tufts.edu.
Sincerely,
Jennifer M. Berrios, MHA
Director of Administration and Operations
Tufts University Health Services, Medford
