Student Employee Benefits
Ohio State is proud to provide access to high-quality medical and retirement plans that can help support your health and financial goals. When determining your student health and retirement options you must make a decision by the specified deadline. If no action is taken, you will be automatically enrolled in a default plan.
- Default Medical: Student Health Insurance
- Default Retirement: OPERS Traditional Pension Plan for most student employees (STRS Defined Benefit Plan for Graduate Teaching Associates with a prior STRS account)
You should be aware of the following plan provisions:
- Exempting from the Ohio Public Employees Retirement System (OPERS) is an option for student employees.
- If you do not opt out within 30 days of your start date, you will automatically be enrolled in a state retirement system.
- Exempting from OPERS retirement is an irrevocable decision for the entire period that you are continuously employed and working as an eligible student employee at Ohio State.
- Graduate Teaching Associates who previously contributed to an STRS account may need to file both STRS and OPERS exemption forms in order to be exempt from state retirement.