The UNC Board of Regents requires most students enrolled in UNC System Colleges and Universities to have health insurance. This requirement applies to students who meet the following criteria:
Enrolled in a degree seeking program
Undergraduate students enrolled in 6 or more on-campus credit hours, or graduate students enrolled in 1 or more on-campus credit hour
Eligible to pay the UNCG Student Health Fee
Students who meet that criteria must take one of the following steps by September 10, 2026:
Enroll in the Student Blue Health Insurance Plan
Obtain a waiver by demonstrating proof of existing health insurance coverage
*PLEASE NOTE: Students not completing one of the required steps by September 10 will automatically be enrolled in the Student Blue Health Plan.
The 2026-27 health insurance options available to international students have changed. Please read the update below before proceeding.
All international students are required to have health insurance.
F-1 Visa Holders are eligible for the Student Blue Health Plan.
J-1 Visa Holders are eligible for the Global Solutions Health Plan.
All international students will be able to request a waiver from the Student Blue or Global Solutions health plan if they have qualifying health insurance (Learn more about waiver requirements: International Student Waiver Guidelines.
If international students do not receive a waiver prior to September 10, they will be default enrolled into the Student Blue or Global Solutions Health Plan.
F-1 Visa Holders can enroll in the Student Blue Health Plan at the Student Blue Portal.
J-1 Visa Holders can enroll in the Global Solutions Health Plan at the Global Solutions Portal.
Enrolling in student Blue
The UNC System offers a student health insurance plan that covers most health care expenses not included in the UNCG Health Fee. This plan is called Student Blue and is administered by Blue Cross / Blue Shield of North Carolina.
Students can enroll in the Student Blue Health Plan through the Student Blue Portal.
Please note that the Fall Semester deadline to enroll in Student Blue or to waive coverage is Sept. 10, 2026.
Students who have existing health insurance coverage may opt out of the Student Blue Insurance Plan by requesting a waiver. Waiver requests can be submitted through the Student Blue Portal. Students will receive an email notification informing them when their waiver has been approved or denied.
*PLEASE NOTE: If a waiver is not granted by September 10, students will automatically be enrolled in the Student Blue Health Plan.
Domestic Students:
To request a waiver, your health insurance plan must meeter the following requirements:
be effective (active) by September 1 for the fall semester or by February 1 for the spring semester
must cover you for the entire semester you are waiving and
must constitute creditable coverage
Creditable coverage is defined as health insurance coverage under any of the following:
a group health plan
individual health insurance
student health insurance
Medicare
Medicaid (Medicaid Family Planning Only is NOT considered Creditable Coverage for waiving Student Blue)
CHAMPUS and TRICARE
the Federal Employees Health Benefits Program;
Indian Health Service
the Peace Corps
Public Health Plan (any plan established or maintained by a State, the U.S. government, a foreign country)
Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) or
a state health insurance high risk pool
Students who miss the waiver deadline or receive a denied waiver have a two‑week appeal window. During this period, the Student Blue portal will remain open for both enrollments and waiver submissions. Students who do not submit an appeal by the deadline will remain default‑enrolled in the Student Blue plan. Once the appeal period ends, no additional enrollment or waiver appeals will be accepted for that semester.
Student Insurance Office:
If you have questions or would like additional information, please contact Shelley Queen in the UNCG Student Health Insurance Office:
Shelley Queen
Student Insurance Manager Phone: 336.334.5759 Email: Shelley Queen at slqueen@uncg.edu
