Summer Open Enrollment
Plan Year 2027
ERS Summer Insurance Enrollment Phase
July 6 – July 17 is your annual opportunity to make changes to your insurance benefits without experiencing a qualifying life event.
Summer Insurance Enrollment changes must be made by 5 p.m. central time 7/17/2026.
Summer Insurance Enrollment Events
ERS will be hosting a series of summer enrollment webinars. While there will not be an in-person ERS fair this year, employees can attend webinars to better understand their summer enrollment options.
Webinars will include general benefit overviews, as well as plan-specific sessions for dental, vision, and other insurance options.
Employees may visit the ERS Summer Enrollment Events Page to view available webinars and add them to their calendar.
The South Texas College Benefits Department will be available throughout Summer Enrollment to provide presentations, answer questions, and assist employees with their enrollment changes.
Online Presentation for All Employees
| Date | Time | Meeting Link |
|---|---|---|
| July 6, 2026 | 10 a.m. - 11 a.m. | Join Now |
Summer Enrollment In-Person Campus Visits
| Campus | Date | Time | Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| Technology | July 7, 2026 | 9 a.m - 12 p.m, 1 p.m - 5 p.m | Bldg B, Room 509 |
| Health Science Professions | July 8, 2026 | 9 a.m - 12 p.m, 1 p.m - 5 p.m | Bldg B, Room 2-102 |
| Pecan | July 9, 2026 | 9 a.m - 12 p.m, 1 p.m - 5 p.m | Bldg G, Room 212 |
| Starr | July 13, 2026 | 9 a.m - 12 p.m, 1 p.m - 5 p.m | Bldg E, Room 1.116 |
| Mid Valley | July 14, 2026 | 9 a.m - 12 p.m, 1 p.m - 5 p.m | Bldg G, Room 162 |
| Pecan | July 15, 2026 | 9 a.m - 12 p.m, 1 p.m - 5 p.m | Bldg G, Room 212 |
- How To Make Changes
Employees may make changes by:
- Log in to your ERS Online account and select "Benefits Enrollment" ( view detailed guide) OR
- Call ERS at 866-399-6908 (TTY: 711) 7:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. CT, Monday through Friday OR
- Complete a Summer Enrollment Form and return to the Benefits team in person or via email for processing.
Please reach out to the HR Benefits team at 956-872-4448 or hr_benefits@southtexascollege.edu for processing assistance.
- Reminders
- If you are not planning to make any changes to your current benefits, no action is required during Summer Enrollment. Your current elections will continue into Plan Year 2027, unless otherwise required by ERS.
- Employees wishing to add, change, or cancel coverage must complete their elections during the Summer Enrollment period. A confirmation will be emailed to you the next business day after your change has been entered in ERS Online. If no email address is on file, the confirmation notice will be mailed to your home address. If you don’t receive a confirmation email or letter with your changes, you did not complete the process correctly. Try again or call ERS.
- Evidence of Insurability will be required to add (or increase coverage) to the following benefit plans:
- Optional term life insurance
- Dependent term life insurance
- Short-term disability
- Long-term disability
- If you are adding a new dependent to your plans this year, you'll be required to submit documentation to verify your dependent's eligibility for coverage with the State of Texas. You won't have to submit the documentation when you add your dependents, but you will receive follow-up communication with instructions on how to submit your documents. You must complete this step in order for your dependents to remain on coverage. If you fail to submit the documents, they will be dropped from coverage and will not be able to be added again until next summer enrollment or if you experience a qualifying life event. You can find more details, including the documents you'll need to submit, on the ERS Dependent Eligibility Verification page.
- What's New This Summer Enrollment?
Plan Year 2027 includes several important updates, including premium changes, a new dental insurance administrator, updates to TexFlex Flexible Spending Accounts (FSAs), and changes to health insurance out-of-pocket maximums. Click here to learn more.
- ERS: News About Your Benefits
Visit the ERS Website to sign up for ERS related newsletters. Find out about insurance changes, summer enrollment reminders, and more.
- Helpful Contacts
- Contacts for all plans through ERS
- HR Benefits Office: 956-872-4448 or hr_benefits@southtexascollege.edu
- Login/Password Issues
- ERS Online Login - make your Summer Enrollment changes online (closes at 5 p.m. on 07/16/2026).
- How to request your ERS password – enter in the ERS username you created.
- How to request your ERS username – verify your personal information and ERS will email it to you. If you have not created an ERS username, you will need to register your account.
