Health Benefits and Retirement Info

UCSB offers a comprehensive and competitive array of benefit options. As an employee, your eligibility for retirement, health and other benefits depends on the type of job you have, the percentage of time you work and the length of your appointment. If you are represented by a union, your compensation and benefits are governed by your union’s contract.

Use the following index to navigate this page:

New Employees / Family Member Verification / Quick Links / Financial Planning + Savings / Retirement / Benefits Eligibility / Staff & Employee Guides / Personalized Support / Post-Docs

Questions for the Benefits team? Please submit a ticket through HR ServiceNow.

HR ServiceNow

Latest News/ UC Benefit Resources

Journey to Retirement Series by Fidelity and UCSB - August 11-18, 2026 (to be posted soon)
Changes Are Coming to How You Repay your UC 403(b) Plan Loan
UC's 403 (b) and 457 (b) plans now include a Roth In-Plan conversion option. Effective 12/1/2025. Learn more about Roth in-plan conversion
HealthNet Wellness workshops
Farmers Insurance Program Canceled effective 8/1/2025
Benefit roadmaps: Understanding your Benefits

Beneficios y recursos de inscripción abierta

Welcome newly-hired, benefits eligible (temporary/limited staff/faculty) employees!

For information on health and welfare and retirement benefits, please visit the UCnet link: What To Do If You're a New Employee and attend a live UCPath Benefits Webinar.

To enroll in benefits:

Log into UCPath > Health and Welfare > Enroll in Benefits
Or call the UCPath Center 855-982-7284 for assistance

For additional information and resources regarding your health and welfare options, please visit the Compensation and Benefits page on UCnet.

Please use the UCPath live online chat feature or submit your questions by logging in to UCPath and clicking on the "Ask UCPath Center" button.

Call 855-982-7284 (Monday-Friday, 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. PST) to speak with a UCPC associate.

Family member eligibility verification (FMEV) and Reverification

UC resumed this process, which paused during the pandemic. Here’s what employees need to know:

They may receive a packet from UnifyHR (UC’s administrator for the program) asking them to re-verify family members like spouses, domestic partners, stepchildren, grandchildren/step-grandchildren, legal wards and overage disabled dependents
If they miss the deadline, UC will remove their dependents from coverage
Local benefits offices receive a list of impacted employees each month
Contact UnifyHR, not UCPath, for assistance
Helpful link to share: Verifying Family Members’ Eligibility for Benefits | UCnet

Quick Links

Financial Planning + Savings

Retirement

Benefits Eligibility

Benefits Initial Eligibility Chart for Staff and Academic appointees (except Postdocs)

UC offers three benefits packages for faculty and staff — Full, Mid-Level and Core. Here are the rules for each level of eligibility, depending on the type of appointment you have. See chart below. For more detailed information on benefits eligibility and the various medical plans, refer to UCNet.
BENEFit Package	combined appointment % and duration	ucrp Membership required?	Examples
FULL	Appointed at 50% or more and 12 months or more; or Accumulation of 1,000 eligible hours (or 750 hours for Non-Senate Instructional Unit) in a rolling 12-month period for eligible employees.	YES	Blank Assistant 2, appointed indefinitely at 75% time; Manager/Director appointed for 12 full months at 75% time.
MID-LEVEL	Appointed at 50% or more and 12 months or more; or 100% and 3 months or more, but less than one year.	NO	Visiting Professor appointed for 12 full months at 50% time; Lecturer appointed for 3 full months (i.e. 10/01/22 – 12/31/22) at 100%.
CORE	Appointed at 43.75% or more but does not satisfy % and duration of those described above.	NO	Employee appointed for one month at 100% time; Employee appointed at 49% indefinitely; Lab Assistant appointed for 2.5 months at 100% time (less than 3 months).
NO BENEFITS	Appointed at less than 43.75% (<17.5 hours/week).	NO	Student Advisor, 5 hours/week (12.5% time).