Graduate students in good or satisfactory academic standing who are supported by a stipend are eligible for Parental Relief for the care of a newly born infant or adopted child under 16 years of age. Doctoral students beyond year 6 are not eligible for Parental Relief. Graduate students may request Parental Relief up to two times during their tenure as a student at Brown. In instances in which co-parents are both graduate students at Brown, both parents are eligible for Parental Relief. The relief provides a stipend for one semester or a summer.

Brown University’s Child Care Subsidy helps pay for child care expenses for degree-seeking students by granting awards of up to $5,000 per year, per child (up to 3 children) for those whose total household adjusted gross income is less than or equal to $100,000 per year. The Subsidy covers child care for dependents between the ages of 0 to 6 and will vary from family to family and year to year depending on a family's financial need and a range of other factors. The subsidy helps you explore options and find creative solutions to some of the child care challenges you may face.

Learn More about the Child Care Subsidy

All graduate students have a free premium membership to Care.com, an online family care platform that offers services for finding, managing and paying for care.  Care.com can provide options for vetted in-home or in-center child care for when your child’s regular school or daycare is closed, when your child is sick or under the weather, to cover holidays or any other time a quality caregiver is needed. (Non-degree students are not eligible.) 

Learn more about Backup Child Care

• Dependents of graduate students may be enrolled in SHIP at an additional cost.
• Doctoral and MFA students who receive health coverage through their financial support packages from the University receive a 75% subsidy on the cost of enrolling dependents in the Student Health Insurance Plan (SHIP).
• Eligible dependents include a legal spouse or domestic partner, children up to the age of 26, or a newborn infant born while the student is covered by SHIP. A spouse or partner is generally expected to be living with the covered student in order to be eligible for coverage.
• Please note that dependent coverage expires concurrently with that of the insured student.

Enrollment Period

Dependents can be enrolled during the annual open enrollment period (June 15, 2023 - September 1, 2023) through the HF&C website, or within 30 days of a qualifying life event by contacting HF&C at student@haylor.com or 1-866-535-0456.

Qualifying Events

Qualifying life events that allow for enrollment outside of the annual window include:

• Birth of child (this allows for enrollment of the child - not a spouse)
• Loss of coverage under another insurance plan
• Marriage
• Divorce
• Spouse entering the US for the first time

• Dependents of graduate students may be enrolled in Delta Dental or Delta Vision coverage at an additional cost.
• Doctoral and MFA students who receive dental coverage through their financial support packages from the University receive a 75% subsidy on the annual premium cost of enrolling a dependent in Delta Dental coverage.
• Eligible dependents include a legal spouse or domestic partner, children up to the age of 26, or a child born while the graduate student is covered by the Delta Dental or Delta Vision plan. A spouse or partner is generally expected to be living with the covered student in order to be eligible for coverage.

Learn more about Brown's Graduate Student Insurance