USG provides you with a wide array of benefits, as well as tools to help you make the most of those benefits and save money.

• 2024 USG Comparison Guide
• 2025 USG Comparison Guide

Eligibility for benefits is determined by the number of hours worked and Full-Time Equivalent (FTE) status. There are three categories of benefits eligibility:

1. Full Benefits Eligible
   Employees working 30 or more hours per week, or with an FTE of 0.75 or higher, are eligible for full benefits. This applies to regular faculty and regular staff. Full benefits include all benefits as defined by the University System of Georgia (USG) Board of Regents policy.
2. Partial Benefits Eligible
   Employees working between 20 to 29 hours per week, or with an FTE between 0.5 and 0.74, are eligible for partial benefits. This applies to regular faculty and regular staff. Partial benefits include retirement contributions and prorated leave.
3. Non-Benefits Eligible
   Employees working 19 hours or fewer per week, or with an FTE of 0.49 or lower, are not eligible for benefits. This category includes regular faculty and regular staff who do not meet the minimum hours for benefits eligibility, as well as temporary faculty, staff, and student employees. Temporary employees are limited to working no more than 1,300 hours in a 12-month period. Students cannot be classified as regular employees.

Healthcare and Other Voluntary Benefits
The benefits effective date for newly hired or newly benefits-eligible faculty and staff is based on the hire date. Benefits will be effective on the first day of the month following the hire date, unless an employee is hired on the first of the month; then benefits are effective on the date of hire (i.e. first day of the month), regardless of the enrollment date.

Employees have 30 days from their hire date to enroll in benefits. Please note that employees are responsible for any retroactive premiums, which are based on your benefits effective date.

For example: If the hire date is November 1st and the employee makes benefit elections on November 30th, the benefits will be effective starting November 1st. The employee will be responsible for paying retroactive premiums as of November 1st.