Free unemployment or medical insurance to continue studying
The UOC offers an enrolment insurance policy, by default and at no cost, to students on courses lasting at least one semester and who reside in Spain (in other words, whose national or foreigner ID cards (DNI/NIE) have a Spanish address).
Thus, if you find yourself in one of the unforeseen circumstances defined in the terms of the insurance after enrolment, the University will help you continue your studies.
The insurance covers students of bachelor¿s degrees, university master's degrees, specializations, postgraduate courses, UOC-certified master's degrees and open courses, and students enrolled in the Centre for Modern Languages. If you enrol on a joint university programme, the insurance covers the part of the enrolment fee that you pay directly to the UOC. Therefore, the part of the enrolment fee that you pay to the other university is excluded.
In order to be eligible for the insurance, you must mark the corresponding box in the enrolment process to assign your data to the UOC.
Employed workers who become unemployed as a result of an unjustified dismissal
You are covered if you are a student aged between 18 and 64 who at the time of enrolment has an employment contract for a minimum of16 hours per week (signed at least six months ago) and if you live in Spain.
Self-employed people who suffer an accident or an illness
You are covered if you are a student aged between 18 and 64 and are self-employed (for at least the last 6 months) when you suffer the accident or illness and live in Spain.
Students without paid employment who are hospitalized due to an accident or illness
You are covered if you are a student aged between 18 and 80 and at the time of enrolment have no paid employment or are self-employed (for at least the last six months) and live in the European Economic Area (see the list of countries), provided that you are hospitalized for at least two weeks.
There is a vesting period of 30 days between the date of enrolment and the date on which the unforeseen situation takes place. In other words, in order to be eligible for the UOC's free insurance coverage, the date of the unforeseen situation must be 30 days after the date of enrolment. However, there is no vesting period for accidents.
In addition, you must notify the UOC within 20 calendar days after the date of occurrence of the unforeseen situation. Once the 20 days have elapsed, you lose entitlement to receive the benefit for unforeseen situations.
The UOC covers the proportional amount of the enrolment fee, depending on how far into the semester you are when the unforeseen situation takes place.
Remember that:
- To calculate the compensation, semesters are considered to have five months and an academic year, ten months. In other words, if you enrol in September, become unemployed in December and enrolment has cost you 1,200 euros, you will receive two payments of 240 euros each (1,200/5), corresponding to the months of January and February.
- In the case of the unemployment benefit, this is paid for each continuous 30-day period of unemployment. No fractions of the benefit will be paid for periods less than 30 days.
- The maximum sum covered is 5,500 euros per student, in other words, 550 euros per month.
-If you wish to continue studying, the cost of the following enrolment fee will also be covered, provided that you do not exceed the limit of 10 monthly payments and the gap between the first and the second enrolment does not exceed one semester. In this case, you will need to enrol as usual and the cost of the second enrolment will be reimbursed to you in the remaining monthly payments.
-In order to be entitled to receive this assistance, the amount of the enrolment fee must have been paid in full, except in the case of payments in instalments (where the instalments must be paid at the same time as the benefit is received).
If you become unemployed or find yourself in any of the three situations envisaged by the insurance policy, you should proceed as follows:
- Read the full text of the conditions of the benefit to confirm that your case is covered by the policy.
- Notify us of the unforeseen situation within 20 calendar days after occurrence.
Using the Help Service, tell us which of the three unforeseen situations envisaged by the insurance applies to you. The UOC will provide you with the contact details for you to request assistance and will monitor your case.
- Send the documentation that you are asked to provide.
You must furnish the documentation that proves your entitlement to the benefit. The UOC will tell you which documents you must scan and send, depending on your case.
- You will receive the decision.
You will receive the insurance company's decision within a period of 10 days by means of a message sent to the mailbox from which the contact has been made.
-You will receive the payment.
If the decision is favourable, the UOC will ask you to give a current account number and will make the payments.
If you have applied for the unemployment benefit on the grounds of unjustified dismissal or temporary disability, payment of the benefit will be distributed over the five months following the unforeseen event (July and August are not counted). You will receive the first payment 30 days after the favourable decision.
If you are still unemployed after you enrol for the second semester, the benefit will be extended for an additional five months.
Each month, you will have to provide the supporting documentation for the benefit you have requested.
If you have requested the benefit for hospitalization, payment will consist of a lump sum paid when you are discharged. Even if you are hospitalized for less than two months, the minimum sum you will receive will be two monthly payments.
Example:
If you enrolled in June and paid an enrolment fee of 1,200 euros and you become unemployed in November, you will receive 240 euros (1,200/5) during three months: December, January and February.