DeKALB | Students who completed an opt-out waiver for NIU’s student insurance during a previous semester may have been surprised to find a charge for student health insurance on their most recent bursar bill.

The Student Insurance office has reinstated the annual waiver process for opting out of the university’s provided insurance.

The main goal of the new policy is to ensure all students have health coverage, said Regina Crosby, supervisor of Student Insurance. She said NIU found a good number of students were walking around campus without any insurance at all.

In order to combat the problem of students lacking insurance, the Student Insurance Office decided to go back to the annual waiver, meaning students will now have to annually opt out of NIU’s provided insurance if they choose to use their own or a parent’s insurance. Before opting out, however, students should compare their own insurance to NIU’s policy and make sure that it is of equal or greater value than NIU’s plan.

For $327 each semester, NIU’s health insurance plan covers up to 80 percent of eligible medical expenses incurred outside Health Services, 24 hours a day, anywhere in the world.

Matt Siems, a freshman pre-sociology major, uses NIU’s health insurance plan as well as maintaining his parents’ insurance. He said he thinks it is much more convenient to use NIU’s health insurance plan in this area, and finds the cost is relatively cheap considering what the plan covers.

“[NIU’s plan] is much more affordable than if I had to get insurance on my own,” Siems said.

Caitlyn Glazkiewicz, a senior family social services major, is covered under her parents’ insurance and chooses to opt out of the student insurance plan. She thought the student insurance waiver process was simple and “took about two minutes” to complete.

About half the student population has opted out of student insurance; however, NIU’s plan is designed to cover students in the DeKalb area, Crosby said.

“I’ve found that in the DeKalb area [NIU’s insurance] covers better than [a student’s] parent’s insurance,” Crosby said.to ensure the term of their loan is the same.

The Deficit Reduction Act also contains a provision that no longer allows students to place their loans in repayment early in order to consolidate their loans and lock them in at the lower repayment rate.

Students then would avoid immediate repayment by getting an in-school deferment.

Jennifer Meier of Sycamore has been trying to consolidate her student loans and has met many obstacles.

“It is very difficult to do if you do not do it during your grace period,” Meier said.

Currently, the Western Illinois graduate has five federal loans at 5.5 percent but if she does not consolidate, the rate will increase to 6.8 percent July 1. This could cost her hundreds of dollars due to increased interest payments.

“This has been the most confusing and frustrating process ever,” Meier said despite her expertise working in the financial industry.

Meier is not very confident she can get her consolidation done despite the several e-mails and calls she has made.

As the deadline approaches, Meier described the situation as nerve-racking.