Student Health Insurance

You will need to submit your health insurance information no later than July 1st to the student health insurance portal (coming soon). You will receive a notification within two weeks if your plan is sufficient. Note that most out of state Medicaid, HMOs, CHIP, and traveler’s insurances do not cover routine, preventive, and emergency care in Vermont and are not sufficient. Policies must cover routine, preventive, and emergency care at Bennington College’s Student Health Center and at Southwestern Vermont Medical Center. Having adequate coverage improves your care and lowers your overall expenses. 

Yes, the plan must include coverage for routine and preventive care in Vermont. Coverage for international students must include medical evacuation and repatriation services, as well.

Both domestic and international students have been required to carry a policy that covers their healthcare expenses while studying at Bennington. A College-sponsored policy has been in place for international students for some time and will now be available for domestic students.

Please ensure that your insurance covers routine and preventive care in Vermont, including the Student Health Center (Counseling and Psychological Services and Health Services). If your policy doesn’t cover routine and preventive care in Vermont, you need to pay for the college’s student health insurance plan. 

All students are required to carry a policy that covers their healthcare expenses while in Vermont. If your policy doesn’t cover services at Southwestern Vermont Medical Center, we require that you pay for the college’s health insurance plan.

Note that most out-of-state Medicaid, HMOs, CHIP, and traveler’s insurances do not cover routine, preventive, and emergency care in Vermont and are not sufficient. Policies must cover routine, preventive, and emergency care at Bennington College’s Student Health Center and at Southwestern Vermont Medical Center. Having adequate coverage improves your care and lowers your overall expenses.

The deadlines to prove insurance coverage are July 1 for new students and July 15 for returning students.

The cost for the college’s student health insurance plan for continuing students is $2,491 and will be included in your bill for fall 2026 unless you provide proof of sufficient health insurance by July 1.

The coverage period is August 15, 2026 to August 14, 2027. This rate is about 80% less than rates offered commercially. Cost may be prorated for students graduating in December 2026. The costs for those graduating in December 2026 and June 2027 will be prorated.

This policy change brings Bennington in line with all Vermont’s colleges and most higher education institutions nationwide. It will improve the care experience and reduce overall costs for students and their families.

The college student health insurance plan does not require you to get a referral from the Student Health Center to see specialists in the surrounding area.

If you have insurance that covers care at Bennington College’s Student Health Center, Southwestern Vermont Medical Center, and nearby specialists, you can submit that insurance to the student health insurance portal by July 1 (coming soon). Having valid insurance coverage exempts you from needing to join the College’s plan. 

The college-provided student health insurance is $2,491. It is a comprehensive insurance plan that covers both physical and mental health. It is charged to you on your bill. This rate is about 80% less than individual health insurance plans on the commercial market. 

If you are currently covered under a health insurance policy, you will be able to submit your current information to the student health insurance portal (coming soon).

Depending upon a student’s insurance, notification will be immediate or up to two weeks. If you have a sufficient policy, credit for the insurance policy will be applied to your student bill by mid-August.

Yes. Depending upon a student’s insurance, notification will be immediate or up to two weeks. If you have a sufficient policy, credit for the insurance policy will be applied to your student bill by mid-August.

The premium of $2,491 will remain on your bill.

No. If you have not used the insurance and experience a significant qualifying life event, such as a change to a parent’s job and their job-based insurance plan, a partial refund may be possible. Please contact Ali Tartaglia, Associate Dean and Director of Integrative Wellness. 

Losing insurance is a qualifying life event. A student may sign up for the College’s health insurance plan outside of the normal enrollment times, if they have a qualifying event and if they enroll within 30 days of the qualifying event.

No. The deadline is associated with the plan’s start date. Once the policy purchase has gone through, you are no longer eligible to change your status, unless you or a family member experiences a qualifying life event.

Having a qualifying event entitles you to change your health insurance status. The cost of the plan will be adjusted to reflect the time you will use the policy. 

Financial aid is not available to help cover this cost. 

Arriving at a medical practice with a serious condition can be very stressful. The bills that arrive after care are much higher for uninsured and underinsured people than for those who are insured. Receiving a large bill can keep you from seeking needed medical care in the future, which can result in untreated medical conditions getting worse. Additionally, waiting to seek care often increases the cost of treatment. 

The cost of this policy is much less than the cost of care for many common conditions. The policy cost is about 80% less than rates offered commercially. The cost of the insurance is less than the cost of treatment for many conditions without insurance. 

A College health insurance policy has not been offered for several years for domestic students. Recent changes in the federal insurance subsidies as well as rising healthcare costs prompted the College to align its policy with policies at all Vermont colleges and most higher education institutions nationwide. 

If a student is covered under a parent or guardian’s plan, it must include coverage for routine and preventive care in Vermont. Simply submit proof of coverage using the student health insurance portal (coming soon) by the July 1 deadline. Coverage for international students must also include medical evacuation and repatriation services in order to count as proof of insurance.

You can call your insurance company to review your coverage. When inquiring use the College's NPI number: 1063851350. You can also submit your insurance using the student health insurance portal (coming soon), and we will determine whether it is sufficient and let you know. 

If you lose insurance within the school year, you can opt into the plan offered by the college at an adjusted rate. If your family gets insurance that covers you, it can be used in place of the College’s policy in the upcoming school year. Policy changes must occur within 30 days of a qualifying event.

The College’s policy covers you while you are away. Those who take a leave of absence are not reimbursed for the portion of the policy they did not use. 

For students who withdraw, the policy can be cancelled within 30 days from the first day of class if the plan has not been used. After that, it cannot be cancelled. 

Using the insurance is an acceptance of the policy. The policy cannot be cancelled after it has been used regardless of a withdrawal or qualifying event.