Your Eligibility for MIT Benefits

About Eligibility

Who is eligible

MIT's benefits plans are immediately available to all employees who are paid by MIT, who work 50% or more of the normal full-time work schedule and who have an eligible appointment. Use the charts below to confirm eligibility and enrollment requirements for specific plans.

Who is not eligible

contractor
affiliate
teaching or research assistant
honorary lecturer
summer appointment
non-MIT student program worker
international visiting student
member of the armed services assigned to MIT
family member not employed by MIT
work-study student
paid by MITemps

Visitors: If you are categorized as a visitor, you are eligible to enroll in an MIT health, dental, vision or flexible spending plan. Visitors are not eligible for life insurance, retirement plans, long-term care, long-term disability, travel accident insurance, tuition assistance, children's scholarship plan, educational loan plan, home and auto insurance discounts, backup childcare/adultcare, or the childcare scholarship program.

If you do not meet the eligibility requirements listed above, you might be eligible for the MIT Affiliate Health Plan.

Collective Bargaining Units: All plan provisions are subject to the terms of your collective bargaining agreement.

Benefits Eligibility Charts for MIT Employees

These charts show the eligibility for active employees. Find eligibility for postdoctoral fellows and employees on leave below.

Automatic enrollment

Plan	Length of Appointment	Enrollment Schedule for Newly Hired and Newly Eligible Employees	Enrollment Schedule for Eligible Existing Employees
Basic Life Insurance	Three months or longer at 50% or more of full-time work	Automatic on date of hire.	Automatic on date of hire.
Disability	Three months or longer at 50% or more of full-time work	Automatic on date of hire.	Automatic on date of hire.
Accident Insurance	Three months or longer at 50% or more of full-time work	Automatic on date of hire.	Automatic on date of hire.
MIT Basic Retirement Plan	If you are an eligible employee scheduled to work 50% or more of a regular full-time work schedule, you will be eligible to participate on the first day of the month coinciding with or following the first anniversary of your hire date. Special rules apply if you are scheduled to work less than 50%. For example, if you were hired on July 16, 2023 and worked 50% or more of a regular full-time work schedule, you would begin participating in the plan on August 1, 2024. If you were hired on October 1, 2023 and worked 50% or more of a regular full-time work schedule, you would begin participating in the plan on October 1, 2024.

Voluntary enrollment

Plan	Length of Appointment	Enrollment Schedule for Newly Hired and Newly Eligible Employees	Enrollment Schedule for Eligible Existing Employees
Health	Three months or longer at 50% or more of full-time work	Enroll within 31 days of your date of hire or within 31 days of receipt of your "Welcome Letter," whichever is later.	Enroll or make changes only during Open Enrollment unless you have an allowable change in family or employment status.
Dental	Three months or longer at 50% or more of full-time work	Enroll within 31 days of your date of hire or within 31 days of receipt of your "Welcome Letter," whichever is later.	Enroll or make changes only during Open Enrollment unless you have an allowable change in family or employment status.
Vision	Three months or longer at 50% or more of full-time work	Enroll within 31 days of your date of hire or within 31 days of receipt of your "Welcome Letter," whichever is later.	Enroll or make changes only during Open Enrollment unless you have an allowable change in family or employment status.
Flexible Spending Accounts Health / Dependent Care	Three months or longer at 50% or more of full-time work	Enroll within 31 days of your date of hire or within 31 days of receipt of your "Welcome Letter," whichever is later.	Enroll or make changes only during Open Enrollment unless you have an allowable change in family or employment status.
MIT Supplemental 401(k)	Three months or longer at 50% or more of full-time work	Enroll within 31 days of your date of hire or within 31 days of receipt of your "Welcome Letter," whichever is later.	Enroll or make changes any time during your employment.
Supplemental Life Insurance	Three months or longer at 50% or more of full-time work	Enroll within 31 days of your date of hire or within 31 days of receipt of your "Welcome Letter," whichever is later. Coverage effective date is the 1st of the month after your date of hire.	Enroll or make changes any time during your employment (may have to provide evidence of good health).
Spouse and Dependent Life Insurance	Three months or longer at 50% or more of full-time work	Enroll within 31 days of your date of hire or within 31 days of receipt of your "Welcome Letter," whichever is later. Coverage effective date is the 1st of the month after your date of hire.	Enroll or make changes only during Open Enrollment unless you have an allowable change in family or employment status.
Long-Term Care Insurance	Three months or longer at 50% or more of full-time work	Enroll directly with Genworth within 31 days of your date of hire or within 31 days of receipt of your "Welcome Letter," whichever is later.	Enroll or make changes directly with Genworth any time during your employment (may have to provide evidence of good health).
Tuition Assistance	Nine months or longer at 50% or more of full-time work	Enroll any time during your employment.	Enroll any time during your employment.
Children's College Scholarship	Three months or longer at 50% or more of full-time work	Enroll any time during your employment. Your benefit level depends upon hire date and position.	Enroll any time during your employment. Your benefit level depends upon hire date and position.
Educational Loan	1 year or longer of MIT service required	Enroll any time after your first full year of employment. Tenured faculty may apply any time during their employment.	Enroll any time after your first full year of employment. Tenured faculty may apply any time during their employment.
Identity Theft Protection	Three months or longer at 50% or more of full-time work	Starting Feb. 14, 2022, enroll within 31 days of your date of hire or within 31 days of receipt of your "Welcome Letter," whichever is later.	Enroll or make changes only during Open Enrollment unless you have an allowable change in family or employment status.
Legal Insurance	Three months or longer at 50% or more of full-time work	Starting Feb. 14, 2022, enroll within 31 days of your date of hire or within 31 days of receipt of your "Welcome Letter," whichever is later.	Enroll or make changes only during Open Enrollment unless you have an allowable change in family or employment status.
Pet Health Insurance	Three months or longer at 50% or more of full-time work	Starting February 14, 2022, you may enroll in pet insurance directly with the vendors at any time during your employment.	Enroll in pet insurance directly with the vendors at any time during your employment.
Adoption Assistance	Three months or longer at 50% or more of full-time work	Apply when you adopt a child under the age of 18.	Apply when you adopt a child under the age of 18.
Backup Child/Adult Care (Care.com)	Three months or longer at 50% or more of full-time work	Pre-register at any time	Pre-register at any time
Childcare Scholarship Program	Three months or longer at 50% or more of full-time work	Apply after child's family accepts a space in a Technology Children's Center location. Applications are accepted at any time during child's enrollment.	Apply after child's family accepts a space in a Technology Children's Center location. Applications are accepted at any time during child's enrollment.

Eligibility During Unpaid Leaves

Need to request a leave? See the Unpaid Leave Request form.

Your benefits will change according to the length of your leave. The chart below summarizes these changes.

If you continue coverage during your leave and your payments are delinquent more than 30 days, your coverage will be cancelled, and you will be offered coverage under the provisions of the Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act (COBRA).

Plan	Leave of Less Than Three Months	Leave of Three Months or Greater
Health	You must continue your coverage. Contributions will be deducted upon your return to pay status.	You may continue or cancel your coverage. If you continue coverage and do not return the Continuing Benefits Form, you will be billed automatically. If you cancel coverage, it will not be reinstated automatically. You have 31 days following your return to MIT to re-enroll.
Dental	You must continue your coverage. Contributions will be deducted upon your return to pay status.	You may continue or cancel your coverage. If you continue coverage and do not return the Continuing Benefits Form, you will be billed automatically. If you cancel coverage, it will not be reinstated automatically. You have 31 days following your return to MIT to re-enroll.
Supplemental Life Insurance	You must continue your coverage. Contributions will be deducted upon your return to pay status.	You may continue or cancel your coverage. If you continue coverage, you will be billed automatically. If you cancel coverage and wish to reapply when you return to MIT, you must submit Evidence of Insurability satisfactory to the insurance company. Contact the MIT Benefits when you return for forms and details.
Flexible Spending Accounts Health / Dependent Care	Contributions do not continue. Upon return your remaining deductions are evenly divided over the pay periods remaining in the year.	Contributions do not continue.
Tuition Assistance	You will be reimbursed for eligible courses only when you return to work at MIT.	You will be reimbursed for eligible courses only when you return to work at MIT.
Adoption Assistance	You must be on an approved unpaid leave at the time expenses are paid and the adoption is finalized.	You must be on an approved unpaid leave at the time expenses are paid and the adoption is finalized.
Backup Child/Adult Care (Care.com)	You will continue to be eligible during an approved unpaid leave of absence.	You will continue to be eligible during an approved unpaid leave of absence.
Childcare Scholarship Program	You will continue to be eligible during an approved unpaid leave of absence.	You will continue to be eligible during an approved unpaid leave of absence.

Eligibility for Postdoctoral Fellows

Some MIT benefits plans are available to postdoctoral fellows who have fellowship appointments of three consecutive months or longer.

All Postdoctoral Fellows

All postdoctoral fellows are eligible for the following plans.

Plan	Length of Appointment	Enrollment Schedule	Enrollment Form
Student Health Insurance Plan (SHIP)	3 consecutive months or longer	Enroll within 31 days of the start of your fellowship.	Student Health Insurance Plan (SHIP)
Dental	3 consecutive months or longer	Enroll within 31 days of the start of your fellowship.	Postdoctoral Fellow Dental & Vision Enrollment/Change Form
Vision	3 consecutive months or longer	Enroll within 31 days of the start of your fellowship.	Postdoctoral Fellow Dental & Vision Enrollment/Change Form
Backup Child/Adult Care (Care.com)	3 consecutive months or longer	Pre-register at any time	Backup Child and Adult Care Pre-Registration Form
Childcare Scholarship Program	3 consecutive months or longer	After child is enrolled in one of the Technology Children's Centers (TCC)	Request information from TCC Director.

Some Postdoctoral Fellows

Postdoctoral fellows who were eligible and participating in an MIT group plan before their fellowship began are eligible to continue coverage under the following plans.

Plan	Length of Appointment	Enrollment Schedule	Enrollment Form
Health	3 consecutive months or longer	Enroll within 31 days of the start of your fellowship to continue your coverage.	Notice of Continuation of Health/Dental/Vision Enrollment
Student Health Insurance Plan (SHIP)	3 consecutive months or longer	Enroll within 31 days of the start of your fellowship to continue your coverage.	Student Health Insurance Plan (SHIP)
Dental	3 consecutive months or longer	Enroll within 31 days of the start of your fellowship to continue your coverage.	Notice of Continuation of Health/Dental/Vision Enrollment
Vision	3 consecutive months or longer	Enroll within 31 days of the start of your fellowship to continue your coverage.	Notice of Continuation of Health/Dental/Vision Enrollment
COBRA	Not applicable	Enroll within 60 days of notification by MIT of loss of coverage or date you lose coverage, whichever is later.	Election Form mailed by MIT COBRA Plan administrator

What Else You Should Know

Have you had a change in a dependent's eligibility? Learn about MIT's policy regarding coverage for dependent children.