Student Health Insurance Plan

2025 Spring Semester Coverage
UT Orientation Video 
Benefit Coverage Options for Graduate Students
Student Health Insurance (SHIP), Quick Guide

As a student at The University of Texas at El Paso, you have access to health insurance.  The University of Texas System is pleased to offer the Student Health Insurance Plan (SHIP) through Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Texas and is administered by Academic Health Plans (AHP). This insurance protects students at school, at home, and while traveling or studying abroad. The Plan includes comprehensive coverage compliant with the Affordable Care Act at the Gold level. Please click to view 2024-2025 Plan Highlights.

All International students (both online and in-person)  are required to have health insurance coverage that provides the minimum essential benefits per the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) to include evacuation, and repatriation. As a condition of enrollment at UTEP and in compliance with UTS requirements, policies, and procedures for international students, UT SHIP enrollment and premiums are applied automatically at the time of registration.

International students who wish to apply for a UT SHIP premium waiver must do so individually and electronically, this cannot be done on someone else’s behalf.   UT SHIP Waivers are not carried forward and students must submit a new waiver request (declaration or supporting documentation) each semester.

Please Note: Students who are on campus or in the U.S. regardless of distance learning must have health insurance. 

Distant learning waiver options:
It is extremely important that each international student desiring a health insurance fee waiver complete their request by the posted deadline each semester:

• Certify or declare, individually (and electronically) that they will not be entering the U.S. while enrolled as a UTEP student
• If entering the U.S. while enrolled at UTEP, the student is required to provide proof of alternate coverage compliant with the PPACA
• Or a premium waiver will not be applied to their student account and the SHIP charges will remain.

Please send questions and requests for information to SHIP@utep.edu.

  For additional information and support, please contact SHIP@utep.edu.