Mandatory Health Insurance Requirement
Health insurance coverage is mandatory for every international student on an F-1 or a J-1 visa enrolled at Eastern Kentucky University (EKU), except those who meet the waiver criteria below. All international students will be automatically enrolled in the Eastern Kentucky University’s health insurance plan at the time of class registration. The charge for coverage will be automatically added to your bill each semester.
- Unlike many other countries, the United States does not provide free health care; individuals are responsible for all costs of their health care.
- Health care in the United States is very costly. The cost of medical treatment and hospitalization in the U.S. can cost hundreds or thousands of dollars.
- Having health insurance will help to minimize the costs and cover any medical expenses that may impact your ability to complete your studies while attending EKU.
Eligibility
Very limited waivers may be granted to international students who satisfy one of the criteria listed below:
- EKU student athletes whose health insurance is covered by the EKU Athletics Department.
- Government-sponsored students whose home governments pay for their tuition and provide them medical insurance.
- Students financially sponsored (including tuition, living expenses, medical expenses, etc.) by a select international organizations (such as Fulbright, International Institute of Education (IIE) etc.).
- Students receiving health insurance coverage through their U.S. employers’ parent or spouse.
Request
To apply for a waiver you must fill out the Health Insurance Waiver Form and submit proof of insurance coverage before the semester deadline to be considered for the waiver. You will be notified via email about approval or denial of your application.
If insurance coverage is not valid for the entire academic year, then you must submit a new Health Insurance Waiver Form each semester. Please note that submitting a waiver application does not guarantee that a waiver will be granted.
Deadlines
- Fall Semester: August 19th
- Spring Semester: January 13th
- Summer Semester: May 18th
Note: If you fail to submit the waiver form by the deadline, it will be denied and insurance charge will be added to your account. Therefore, you must apply for the waiver as soon as possible!
Required Documents
Submit the following documents to be considered for a waiver. Failure to submit these documents can lead to denial of your waiver request.
- Health Insurance Waiver Form
- Copy of your health insurance ID card (or written verification of coverage from the insurance company or employer)
- Copy of insurance policy or insurance plan booklet in English.
- Copy of Scholarship Letter showing coverage for health insurance
You are strongly encouraged to buy health insurance for your dependents (i.e. spouse and children). If you are currently enrolled in the EKU sponsored health insurance, you may be able to add your dependents in the same plan.
However, your dependents will not be automatically enrolled in the plan. You must contact the Office of International Student and Scholar Services on how to add your dependents and pay their insurance charges directly to the ISO International Student Insurance.
EKU Health Insurance for international students is now provided by ISO International Student Insurance.
For more information about ISO insurance plan, policy and procedure, please visit: ISO International Student Insurance Website.
Below is the cost for the 2023 – 2024 health insurance rate. Please note that the cost for health insurance will be added to your student tuition and fee bill each semester.
**Even if, you are not taking summer classes, if you are staying in the U.S., we advise you to enroll in the summer health insurance, to ensure you have continuous health insurance coverage during your stay. Please contact the Office of International Student & Scholar Services how to enroll and pay for the summer insurance charge.
Upon enrollment, ISO will send an email with insurance card attachment to every student who is enrolled in the insurance plan.
Sometimes, EKU international students do not receive their health insurance cards via email. This often happens when students do not check their EKU emails.
The best way to ensure that you will receive your EKU health insurance card is to check your EKU emails regularly including junk mails. You may also contact the Office of International Student and Scholar Services if you don’t receive your insurance card.
Basic Health Services are available to all enrolled EKU students at EKU Student Health Services located in Rowlett Building, Room 103. Many of these services are FREE for all EKU students. To learn more, visit the EKU Student Health Services website.
| SEMESTER | INSURED | COVERAGE PERIOD | COST |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fall | Student | 8/15/2023 to 1/3/2024 | $365 |
| Spouse | $2,218 | ||
| Child | $864 | ||
| Spring | Student | 1/4/2024 to 5/13/2024 | $336 |
| Spouse | $2046 | ||
| Child | $797 | ||
| Summer** | Student | 5/14/2024 to 8/14/2024 | $235 |
| Spouse | $1436 | ||
| Child | $559 |
Therefore, if you are sick or need medical consultation, first visit EKU Student Health Services before you visit other healthcare centers that will charge you fees for every visit you make.
Driver’s License
In order to drive in Kentucky, students and scholars must have a valid driver’s license. According to Kentucky law, all non-U.S. citizens may drive in the state on their valid foreign license and International Permit for up to one year from the date of admission into the U.S. provided their home country is part of the Foreign License Reciprocity. If you are from a non-Foreign License Reciprocity Country, you must obtain a Kentucky license within 30 days to drive in Kentucky.
Students, scholars and their dependents who do not plan to drive in Kentucky may apply for the State Identification (ID) Card. A State ID Card allows you to identify yourself without showing your passport. Therefore, by having a State ID card, you will not have to carry your passport around with you all the time. The State ID card is accepted at banks, stores,and other businesses where name and age identification is required.
You do not need to pass a driving test, as you will for a driver’s license, to receive this identification card but it holds equal value.
To apply for a Kentucky driver’s license, permit or ID card, you must follow these steps:
Step 1: Gather and Obtain the Required Documents
A non U.S. citizen must present these immigration documents as well as other supporting documents to Driver Licensing Officials:
- USCIS School Compliance – Form TC 94-159 from EKU International Office and must be dated within the last 30 days
- Passport with Homeland Security Stamp and visa (unless you are from a visa exempt country like Canada)
- Latest I-94, Arrival/Departure Record available from Get Most Recent I-94
- Social Security Card if you have one or obtain “Ineligibility Letter” from the Social Security Administration Office located at: 1060 Gibson Bay Drive, Richmond, KY 40475, Phone: 800-772-1213, Hours: Monday – Friday, 9:00 am – 4:00 pm
- Form I-20 or DS-2019
- Proof of Address (Residency): Present at least two of these documents in your name and address issued within the last 30 days:
- Utility bill (phone, gas or electric bill etc.) or
- Housing agreement (lease) or
- Bank statement or any other bill that shows your current address or
- Postmarked envelope
- Non-U.S. Citizen Application – Form TC 94-152 available from here. If you don’t obtain and fill out the form in advance you will be given one to fill out during your visit at the Licensing Office
- $30.00 Application Fee in the form of money order only
- Foreign Driver’s License (if you have one) and a notarized translation of that license (if it is not in English)
Step 2: Obtain The “Blue Letter”
A non U.S. citizen must present these immigration documents as well as other supporting documents to Driver Licensing Officials:
Request
Go to the Driver Licensing Regional Field Office below with ALL the above mentioned original documents.
Madison Hall of Justice
351 W. Main Street, Room 316
Richmond, KY 40475
Phone Number: 859-624-2797
Hours: Tuesdays, 8:00 am -12:00 pm
After verifying your immigration documents, you will receive a “Blue Letter” in the mail several days after your visit.
Step 3: Apply For Your Driver’s License, Permit or ID Card
After receiving the “Blue Letter” take it along with all the documents you have gathered and obtained in Step 1 above to the Circuit Court Clerk’s office located at:
Courthouse Annex Building
135 West Irvine St., Suite 101
Richmond, KY 40475
Hours: Monday – Friday, 8:00 am -4:00 pm
If this is your first time applying for a Kentucky Driver’s license or permit, you are required to take a written and road test to obtain a permanent Kentucky Driver’s license. A vision test may also be required. No test is required to obtain an ID card. Below are the hours and process to take necessary test and obtain the required document:
For Driver’s License or Permit and ID Card
- Written Tests Hours: Tuesday – Friday, 12:30 pm – 3:00 pm
- Road Tests: Tuesday – Friday, 8:30 am – 11:00 am (by appointment only). Road tests must be scheduled one week in advance by calling Kentucky State Police License Examiner at: (859) 624-4715, Tuesday – Friday, 12:30 pm – 4:00 pm for appointment
For ID Card
No test is required to obtain an ID card so you should be able to get it right away.
You are strongly encouraged to buy health insurance for your dependents (i.e. spouse and children). If you are currently enrolled in the EKU sponsored health insurance, you may be able to add your dependents in the same plan.
However, your dependents will not be automatically enrolled in the plan. You must contact the Office of International Student and Scholar Services on how to add your dependents and pay their insurance charges directly to the ISO International Student Insurance.
EKU Health Insurance for international students is now provided by ISO International Student Insurance.
For more information about ISO insurance plan, policy and procedure, please visit: ISO International Student Insurance Website.
Below is the cost for the 2023 – 2024 health insurance rate. Please note that the cost for health insurance will be added to your student tuition and fee bill each semester.
**Even if, you are not taking summer classes, if you are staying in the U.S., we advise you to enroll in the summer health insurance, to ensure you have continuous health insurance coverage during your stay. Please contact the Office of International Student & Scholar Services how to enroll and pay for the summer insurance charge.
Upon enrollment, ISO will send an email with insurance card attachment to every student who is enrolled in the insurance plan.
Sometimes, EKU international students do not receive their health insurance cards via email. This often happens when students do not check their EKU emails.
The best way to ensure that you will receive your EKU health insurance card is to check your EKU emails regularly including junk mails. You may also contact the Office of International Student and Scholar Services if you don’t receive your insurance card.
Basic Health Services are available to all enrolled EKU students at EKU Student Health Services located in Rowlett Building, Room 103. Many of these services are FREE for all EKU students. To learn more, visit the EKU Student Health Services website.
| SEMESTER | INSURED | COVERAGE PERIOD | COST |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fall | Student | 8/15/2023 to 1/3/2024 | $365 |
| Spouse | $2,218 | ||
| Child | $864 | ||
| Spring | Student | 1/4/2024 to 5/13/2024 | $336 |
| Spouse | $2046 | ||
| Child | $797 | ||
| Summer** | Student | 5/14/2024 to 8/14/2024 | $235 |
| Spouse | $1436 | ||
| Child | $559 |
Therefore, if you are sick or need medical consultation, first visit EKU Student Health Services before you visit other healthcare centers that will charge you fees for every visit you make.
Tax Information
If you were physically in the U.S. in F or J status anytime between January 1 – December 31, you’re obligated to send one form, Form 8843, to the U.S. tax agency IRS (Internal Revenue Service), even if you had no income. For the tax season, if you earn over $0 of US source income, you may need to file a federal tax return with the IRS. Depending on your individual circumstances, you may also need to file a state tax return(s).
Generally, most international students and scholars who are on F, J, M or Q visas are considered non-residents for tax purposes. International undergraduate students on J1 and F1 visas are automatically considered non-resident for their first 5 calendar years in the US, whilst Scholars/Researchers on J visas are automatically considered non-residents for 2 out of the last 6 calendar years in the US. If you’ve been in the US for longer than the 5 or 2 year periods, the Substantial Presence Test will determine your tax residency.
We have teamed up with Sprintax to provide you with easy-to-use tax preparation software designed for non-resident students and scholars in the U.S. We (and all other university staff) are not qualified or allowed to provide individual tax advice.
After you login to Sprintax, it will ask you a series of questions about the time you have spent in the United States and in which immigration status, looking back over a period of years. Sprintax will then determine your tax status. If it determines that you are a “nonresident alien” (NRA) for federal tax purposes, you can continue to use it to respond to a series of guided questions. Sprintax will complete and generate the forms you need to print, sign, and mail to the IRS (Internal Revenue Service). If it determines you are a resident alien for federal tax purposes, you won’t be able to continue using the software.
Step by Step guide on How to File Your Non-Resident Tax Forms (F and J)
1) Gather the documents you may need for Sprintax
| Document | Description | |
|---|---|---|
| ✔ | Passport | |
| ✔ | Visa/Immigration information, including form I-20 (F status) or form DS-2019 (J status) | |
| ✔ | Social Security or Individual Taxpayer Identification Number (if you have one) | This is not needed if you had no income and the 8843 is the only form you have to file. |
| ✔* | W-2 | This form reports your wage earnings if you worked. If you had more than one employer you should get a W-2 from each employer. It is issued by the end of January for the previous year. Make sure all employers from last year have an up-to-date address for you. |
| ✔* | 1042-S |
This form is used to report:
If you received this type of income, the 1042-S will be mailed to you by March 16th by the payer. Note: Only NonResident Aliens receive this form. If your tax status changes to a Resident Alien you will not get a 1042-S. Login to Sprintax to check your tax status if you’re not sure. |
| ✔ | U.S. entry and exit dates for current and past visits to the U.S. | In addition to passport stamps, you can review or print your U.S. travel history here |
| ✔* | 1099 | This form reports miscellaneous income. Can be interest on bank accounts, stocks, bonds, dividends, earning through freelance employment |
| ✘ | 1098-T | This form is NOT needed and can NOT be used for a nonresident tax return because NRAs are not eligible to claim education expense tax credits. |
2) Create a Sprintax Account:
You will receive an email from the international student office providing you with a link to Sprintax to set up your account as well as your unique code to use on Sprintax. This unique code will cover the costs of the federal tax return and 8843 at no cost to you. Open your new Sprintax account by creating a UserID and password or if you have an existing account on Sprintax you can log in using your existing credentials.
3) Follow the Sprintax instructions
If you had No U.S. Income: Sprintax will generate a completed Form 8843 for you and each of your dependents (if you have any).
With U.S. Income: Sprintax will generate your “tax return documents”, including either a 1040NR-EZ or a longer form 1040NR, depending on your circumstances.
4) (With U.S. income only) If required, complete your state tax return
After you finish your federal return, Sprintax will inform you if you need to complete a state tax return. If so, they will give you the option to use Sprintax for an individual fee. However, it is your choice to use them or to do the state tax return on your own.
5) Mail your completed federal and/or state forms to IRS and/or state tax authorities
Remember to read the mailing instructions that Sprintax provides. If you have dependents, each one must mail their 8843 in a separate envelope.
Need Sprintax Support?
If you need help while using Sprintax, contact them:
24/7 Live Chat Help
Refer to their FAQs
Email at hello@sprintax.com
Sprintax Educational Tax Videos and Blog:
You also have access to the Sprintax YouTube account where there are a number of educational videos on non-resident taxes to provide further clarity on the subject of using Sprintax and non-resident tax. There is also a Sprintax Blog which go through tax related topics and can be of use to you.
DISCLAIMER: International Student and Scholar Services (ISSS) and the school are NOT permitted to assist any student/scholar with any IRS tax form preparation or tax related questions. The information provided is intended for your benefit. Any questions or concerns should be directed to Sprintax, a certified tax preparer or a local IRS field office.