The Unofficial SMART Scholarship Forum

The handbook states that we will receive health insurance allowance. But what if you are still on your parents' health insurance?

It doesn't cost my parents anything to continue having me on their plan until I'm 26 (which won't happen until after I've graduated) so do I have to give these funds back to SMART or let them know I don't need them?

Do they ask for some verification that you spent that allowance on health insurance or could I potentially just take it as additional stipend?

My grad program offer for last year had an included health insurance benefit but since I didn't need it they didn't give me anything. Is SMART similar?

Thanks

SMART-ish wrote:The handbook states that we will receive health insurance allowance. But what if you are still on your parents' health insurance?

It doesn't cost my parents anything to continue having me on their plan until I'm 26 (which won't happen until after I've graduated) so do I have to give these funds back to SMART or let them know I don't need them?

Do they ask for some verification that you spent that allowance on health insurance or could I potentially just take it as additional stipend?

My grad program offer for last year had an included health insurance benefit but since I didn't need it they didn't give me anything. Is SMART similar?

Thanks

SMART gives all scholars $1200 for health insurance, regardless of their actual costs, even if they are less than $1200 or nothing. So congratulations, you've got some extra cash to put into savings!

The annual report does ask you to confirm that you had healthcare, and it asks you how much it cost. This is just to gauge whether they will need to change the allowance in future years. They will not take the money back if you did not need/use it for healthcare.

Seems odd your parents don't have to pay anything additional for your healthcare though? My parents have to pay an additional flat rate for adding "children," but it stays the same regardless of the number of children they have on the plan.

DifferentGuest wrote:

SMART-ish wrote:The handbook states that we will receive health insurance allowance. But what if you are still on your parents' health insurance?

It doesn't cost my parents anything to continue having me on their plan until I'm 26 (which won't happen until after I've graduated) so do I have to give these funds back to SMART or let them know I don't need them?

Do they ask for some verification that you spent that allowance on health insurance or could I potentially just take it as additional stipend?

My grad program offer for last year had an included health insurance benefit but since I didn't need it they didn't give me anything. Is SMART similar?

Thanks

SMART gives all scholars $1200 for health insurance, regardless of their actual costs, even if they are less than $1200 or nothing. So congratulations, you've got some extra cash to put into savings!

The annual report does ask you to confirm that you had healthcare, and it asks you how much it cost. This is just to gauge whether they will need to change the allowance in future years. They will not take the money back if you did not need/use it for healthcare.

Seems odd your parents don't have to pay anything additional for your healthcare though? My parents have to pay an additional flat rate for adding "children," but it stays the same regardless of the number of children they have on the plan.

I had to purchase my own health insurance through my college because the stipend meant my parents weren't providing more than 50% support... Plus if you are a grad student I believe some schools also require you to have your own insurance anyway. So my insurance wasn't completely covered by the SMART insurance stipend.

That's odd because I'm able to remain in my parents health insudance until I'm 26 regardless of my dependency status.

DifferentGuest wrote:

SMART-ish wrote:The handbook states that we will receive health insurance allowance. But what if you are still on your parents' health insurance?

It doesn't cost my parents anything to continue having me on their plan until I'm 26 (which won't happen until after I've graduated) so do I have to give these funds back to SMART or let them know I don't need them?

Do they ask for some verification that you spent that allowance on health insurance or could I potentially just take it as additional stipend?

My grad program offer for last year had an included health insurance benefit but since I didn't need it they didn't give me anything. Is SMART similar?

Thanks

SMART gives all scholars $1200 for health insurance, regardless of their actual costs, even if they are less than $1200 or nothing. So congratulations, you've got some extra cash to put into savings!

The annual report does ask you to confirm that you had healthcare, and it asks you how much it cost. This is just to gauge whether they will need to change the allowance in future years. They will not take the money back if you did not need/use it for healthcare.

Seems odd your parents don't have to pay anything additional for your healthcare though? My parents have to pay an additional flat rate for adding "children," but it stays the same regardless of the number of children they have on the plan.

Our plan only costs more for the first two children so since I have two younger siblings they're already paying for keeping me on doesn't cost them more.