WSU EMPLOYEE BENEFITS
A Guide for New and Prospective Employees
CONTENTS
- State Employee Health Plan
- HealthQuest Wellness Incentive Program
- Retirement Plans
- Tuition Assistance and Educational Benefits
- Group Life Insurance
- Vacation & Sick Leave
- Paid State Holidays
- Shared Leave
- Long-Term Disability
- Paid Parental Leave (PPL)
- Employee Assistance Program (EAP)
- Employee Discounts
- Resources
STATE EMPLOYEE HEALTH PLAN
The State of Kansas Employee Health Plan (SEHP) is a comprehensive health plan offered to all benefits-eligible State of Kansas employees, including employees of Wichita State University. All coverages are elected independent of one another for employees and their eligible spouse/dependents.
Coverage for new state hires will be effective on the first day of employment. However, new WSU hires with current coverage through SEHP as the spouse or dependent of an active member, internal transfers from a non-benefits eligible position to a benefits-eligible position, or direct transfers from another state agency may have an earlier coverage effective date.
Aetna/BCBS Medical Insurance
Members can choose between Aetna or BlueCross/BlueShield of Kansas as the carrier for their medical insurance. Both carriers offer the same plan options and premiums, but each has a unique network of contracting providers.
Four plan designs provide flexibility in deciding how to pay for healthcare. Each plan offers a different combination of premium cost, deductible, coinsurance, and out-of-pocket maximum. See chart below.
| In-Network | A | J | C | N |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Deductible | $1,000/$2,000 | $500/$1,000 | $2,750*/$5,500 | $2,750*/$5,500 |
| Coinsurance (Network) | 20% | 25% | 10% | 35% |
| OOP Maximum (Network) | $5,250/$10,500 | $7,350/$14,700 | $4,500/$9,000 | $6,650/$13,300 |
| Annual Employer HSA/HRA Contribution (Full-Time) | N/A | N/A |
Employee -$1,000 EE+Children-$2,000 EE+Sp/Family - $2,000 |
Employee -$500 EE+Children-$1,000 EE+Sp/Family - $1,125 |
*For employee+dependent coverage, deductible is $3,400 for 1st family member and $2,100 for additional family members
Delta Dental Insurance (Enhanced)
| Features | PPO Network | Premier Network |
|---|---|---|
| Bi-annual Preventive Cleaning/Exam | Covered in full | Covered in full |
| Restorative Deductible | $50 person/$150 family max | $50 person/$150 family max |
| Basic Restorative | 80% | 60% |
| Major Restorative | 50% | 50% |
| Annual Benefit Maximum | $2,000 per person | $2,000 per person |
| Lifetime Orthodontic Benefit Maximum | $1,500 per person | $1,500 per person |
Surency Voluntary Prescription Eyewear Insurance
| Features | Basic | Enhanced |
|---|---|---|
| Standard Spectacle Lenses | $25 copay | $25 copay |
| Frames | Up to $100 | Up to $150 |
| Progressive Lenses | Not Covered | Up to $165 |
| High-Index Lenses | Not Covered | Covered in Full |
| Polycarbonate Lenses | Up to $40 | Covered in Full |
| Scratch Coating | Up to $15 | Covered in Full |
| UV Coating | Up to $15 |
MetLife Supplemental Insurance
Three supplemental insurance policies are available on a guaranteed-issue basis to employees, provided by MetLife. Policies available are Accident Insurance, Hospital Indemnity, and Critical Illness. These policies are not intended to replace regular medical insurance. For coverage details, visit https://sehp.healthbenefitsprogram.ks.gov/voluntary-benefits-current
Full-Time Coverage Rates
The rates below are for employees in a full-time position. Part-time employee rates can be found here (p.38):
https://sehp.healthbenefitsprogram.ks.gov/benefits/py2026-enrollment-resources
| SEMI-MONTHLY | Plan A | Plan J | Plan C | Plan N | Dental | Basic Vision | Enhanced Vision |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Employee Only | $40.70 | $53.61 | $35.90 | $23.72 | $0.00 | $1.94 | $3.88 |
| EE + Children | $129.09 | $93.10 | $66.32 | $44.80 | $8.24 | $3.61 | $7.12 |
| EE + Spouse | $242.02 | $156.45 | $126.16 | $85.99 | $10.30 | $3.99 | $7.89 |
| EE + Family | $423.71 | $268.05 | $212.50 | $153.17 | $18.57 | $5.57 | $11.04 |
| Monthly | MetLife Accident | MetLife Hospital (L) | MetLife Hospital (H) | MetLife Illness |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Employee Only | $2.46 | $4.61 | $9.21 | Online (Age Based) |
| EE + Children | $4.11 | $8.79 | $17.57 | Online (Age Based) |
| EE + Spouse | $3.86 | $9.53 | $19.06 | Online (Age Based) |
| EE + Family | $6.47 | $14.34 | $28.68 | Online (Age Based) |
HEALTHQUEST WELLNESS INCENTIVE PROGRAM
State of Kansas employees and their spouses covered by SEHP medical insurance can participate in the HealthQuest Wellness incentive program. Participants are awarded points for completion of simple wellness activities. These points count toward two incentive programs:
Premium Discount
When an employee earns 40 credits in a plan year, they become eligible for a $20/paycheck discount for the remainder of the current plan year and the following plan year ($480 annually). This discount must be earned annually through participation in the HealthQuest Wellness program.
HRA/HSA Reward Dollars
In addition to any premium discounts earned, employees on plans C, J, and N also receive $12.50 per credit in HealthQuest Rewards deposited into their HSA/HRA, up to the maximum of $500 per plan year.
RETIREMENT PLANS
Kansas Board of Regents (KBOR) 403(b) Mandatory and Voluntary Plans
Employees in faculty and unclassified professional positions are enrolled in the KBOR 403(b) Mandatory Retirement Plan, subject to the fulfillment of a one-year wait period. This wait period may be waived for employees with prior service under KPERS, KBOR, or another US institute of higher education. To find out if your prior service qualifies for a waiver of the wait period, contact TotalRewards@wichita.edu. (All benefits-eligible employees hired on or after 11/24/2024 are KBOR except University Police, who are KP&F.) Contributions to the mandatory plan are made on a pre-tax basis and are equal to 5.5% of the employees’ biweekly gross pay. The employer match is 8.5% of the employee’s biweekly gross pay. All funds are fully vested upon contribution.
The KBOR Voluntary 403(b) Retirement Plan allows contributions to start or change at any time and does not include an employer match. There is no wait period required for contributions to the voluntary plan, and contributions are 100% vested as of enrollment. Annual contributions are imposed by the IRS, but are separate for each account, which allows employees who wish to contribute heavily the option to diversify their contributions to maximize their annual contributions.
KPERS 457 Plan
The IRS 457 Plan is available to all employees, including students and non-benefit eligible employees. Contributions to this plan are managed directly by KPERS as the administrator. Employees do not need to be in a KPERS covered position to be eligible for the KPERS 457 Plan. There are no employer contributions to this plan.
Employees can start, stop or change contributions at any time through the online portal at the KPERS 457 website.
KP&F Retirement Plan
Employees in University Police positions are enrolled in the KP&F retirement plan, which is through KPERS. Contributions to this plan are made on a pretax basis and are equal to 7.15% of the employee’s biweekly gross pay. This contribution is automatic. Employees earn interest based on their membership date. Employees hired after 7/1/1993 earn a 4% interest rate on contributions. Lifetime service is tracked by quarters and after 15 years of service, employees are vested.
Age Based Catch up Provisions
Employees who are aged 50 or older by the end of the calendar year have the option to contribute additional age based catch up contributions to their KBOR Voluntary 403(b). An additional “special” catch up provision exists for employees who are age 60-63 by the end of the calendar year. If you have questions about whether these catch-up provisions apply to you, please reach out to Total Rewards for more information.
Secure 2.0
The Secure 2.0 Act of 2022 (Secure 2.0) changed the rules for age based catch up provisions. Beginning in January 2026, employees who are age 50 and older, and who earned more than $150,000 in FICA wages in the prior calendar year, are required to make the Age 50+ catch-up or the Age 60+63 special catch-up contributions as ROTH contributions. This applies to both KBOR Voluntary 403(b) and the KPERS 457 plans.
TUITION ASSISTANCE AND EDUCATIONAL BENEFITS
Employee Tuition Assistance
Eligible employees enrolled as a student at Wichita State University can apply for tuition assistance for both degree-bound and non degree-bound programs. The maximum award is 7 hours of undergraduate credit per semester or up to $5,250 for a graduate program course per calendar year paid in full up to the base cost of resident tuition and campus infrastructure fees.
Spouse/Dependent Tuition Assistance
An eligible employee’s spouse and/or dependent(s) who are enrolled as a student at Wichita State University can apply for tuition assistance for the first undergraduate or first graduate degree. The amount of assistance provided for undergraduate courses is limited to 50% of the cost of resident tuition up to a maximum of fifteen (15) credit hours of courses per semester. The amount of tuition assistance provided for graduate courses is limited to 50% of the cost of the resident tuition up to a maximum of $5,250 in tuition assistance per calendar year.
Other Educational Benefits
Under University policy, employees and their family are eligible for resident tuition rates in all academic terms beginning after the employee’s date of hire. Additionally, employees’ Student Activity fees are waived as part of the comprehensive fee structure. Questions on these policies can be directed to Student OneStop at 316-978-3909.
Employees are responsible for all tax consequences. Tuition assistance for graduate courses for an employee’s spouse and dependents may be included in the Employee’s gross income as wages are subject to income tax consistent with federal and state tax laws.
GROUP LIFE INSURANCE
Basic Group Life Insurance
All benefits-eligible employees, except KP&F retirement plan participants, are automatically enrolled in a basic group life insurance policy valued at 1.5x their annual gross pay. Coverage is effective on the first day of employment, at no cost to employees.
Optional Group Life Insurance (OGLI)
Benefits-eligible employees, including KP&F retirement plan participants, may purchase additional employee life insurance coverage up to $400,000, spouse coverage up to $100,000, and child coverage up to $20,000. Monthly premiums are paid by the employee.
VACATION & SICK LEAVE
Vacation Leave (12-month positions)
Full-time Accrual: 6.77 hours per biweekly pay period (22 days accrued per year) Part-time Accrual: Prorated by FTE/hours per pay period
Accrual Cap: 304 total accrued hours
Sick Leave
Full-time Accrual: 3.7 hours per biweekly pay period (12 days accrued per year) Part-time Accrual: Prorated by FTE/hours per pay period
Sick Leave accrual is not capped.
PAID STATE HOLIDAYS
There are nine standard paid holidays each year. These holidays are: New Year’s Day, Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, Memorial Day, Juneteenth, Independence Day, Labor Day, Veterans Day, Thanksgiving, and Christmas Day.
Employees must be in pay status the working days immediately before and after the holiday to be eligible for holiday pay. In some circumstances, additional paid holidays may be declared by the governor.
Annual Winter Break
Most University offices are closed during this period. During the Winter Break, employees who would normally be scheduled to work may use accumulated leave and paid holidays or take leave without pay.
SHARED LEAVE
The Shared Leave Program was enacted by the State of Kansas to allow eligible employees to request paid leave at their regular rate of pay. Shared Leave may be granted for a limited period of time upon request, for an employee’s own or a family member’s serious, extreme, or life-threatening condition.
LONG-TERM DISABILITY
All benefits-eligible employees are automatically enrolled in a long-term disability plan upon their date of hire. This policy pays out up to 60% of the employee’s usual gross pay, up to a maximum of $5,000 per month.
PAID PARENTAL LEAVE (PPL)
In accordance with Kansas Board of Regents (KBOR) policy, Paid Parental Leave provides eligible State of Kansas employees with paid leave at 100% of their base rate of pay following the birth or adoption of a child.
PPL may be granted for use in the first twelve (12) weeks following a qualified birth or adoption of a child (“Benefit Period”). Employees designated as a Primary Caregiver may receive up to eight (8) weeks of PPL during the Benefit Period. Employees designated as a Secondary Caregiver may receive up to four (4) weeks of PPL during the Benefit Period.
EMPLOYEE ASSISTANCE PROGRAM (EAP)
The EAP is a service provided for State of Kansas benefits eligible employees and their dependents. The EAP provides short-term counseling, financial and legal advice, and referrals from licensed professionals.
EMPLOYEE DISCOUNTS
Campus Discounts
Campus employees have free access to Ablah Library, discounted membership to Heskett Campus Recreation Center, and discounted tickets to select Wichita State University Athletics and Fine Arts events.
Shock Stop Discounts
Many local restaurants, retailers, and entertainment venues in Wichita offer discounts to employees of Wichita State University. Simply show your Shocker ID at these establishments.
STAR Discounts
State of Kansas employees also receive valuable discounts from national retailers, financial institutions, insurance companies, and even major cellular service providers.
Professional Development
Employees have access to a wide variety of professional development opportunities at discounted or no cost through WSU resources, partners of WSU, and other state affiliations. These resources can be found through WSU myTraining, Center for Management Development, Universal Class, Pryor Learning Solutions, and the Workforce, Professional & Community Education.
RESOURCES
State Employee Health Plan Home Page: https://sehp.healthbenefitsprogram.ks.gov/
Kansas Board of Regents (KBOR) 403(b) Mandatory Retirement Plan: https://www.kansasregents.org/about/regents_retirement_plans/mandatory_retirement_plan
K P & F Retirement Plan: Kansas Public Employees Retirement System (KPERS): https://kspers.gov/ or call 1-888-275-5737.
Tuition Assistance: www.wichita.edu/TuitionAssistance
Life Insurance: https://www.wichita.edu/services/humanresources/Total_Rewards/Benefits/Other_Benefits/Life_Insurance.php
Leave Policies: https://www.wichita.edu/Leave
Shared Leave: https://www.wichita.edu/SharedLeave
Employee Assistance Program (EAP): https://sehp.healthbenefitsprogram.ks.gov/benefits/healthquest/eap:
Please send questions to the HR Total Rewards team at TotalRewards@wichita.edu.