University leadership, via internal reallocation, will commit an additional $367,000 in fiscal year 2005 for graduate assistant health insurance, to take effect during the insurance plan year that begins Aug. 16, 2004. The reallocation of these funds represents the outcome of a collaborative, serious effort to enhance graduate assistant health benefits.
“Graduate students are vitally important to the research and scholarship of Washington State University,” said Howard Grimes, dean of the Graduate School. “Erosion of health insurance benefits negatively impacts our current students and our ability to recruit outstanding scholars. Because of this, the Graduate School is committed to pursuing all available mechanisms to reverse the erosion of graduate student health benefits.”
Graduate students and GPSA leaders, working with the Student Health Advisory Committee (SHAC), will be involved in the utilization of these funds. SHAC, in coordination with the Graduate School and the Office of Benefits staff, will creatively explore opportunities to use these increased funds as leverage to maximize the benefit package for graduate assistants.
For more information use the following link to go to Graduate Assistant Health Insurancehttp://www.gradsch.wsu.edu/healthinsurance.html
