How to enroll

How to enroll [1]

Can't see recent portal updates? Clear your cache [2].

Step 1: Log in to the portal

Access your campus portal at my.cu.edu [3], select your campus, and enter your username and password.
If you need a login and password credentials, please see campus-specific assistance with your user ID and password [4].

[5]

Step 2: Find the Open Enrollment tile

Once you have logged in to the portal, select the CU Resources tab. (If you do not see a CU Resources tab, it is your homepage.)
On your homepage, select the Open Enrollment tile.

Medicare Open Enrollment Tile

Select Click Here to Begin Your Enrollment.

Medicare Open Enrollment Start Enrollment tile

Step 3: Authenticate your identity

When you try to access a protected page in the portal's CU Resources area, a page like the one below will appear. You will be asked to authenticate your identity.

Authentication page

You will have authentication twooptions: Receive a phone call or receive a text message with a passcode.

Option 1: Receive a phone call

From the Device drop-down menu, select the phone number where you wish to be contacted.
Click the Call Me button.
Answer the call, then press any key on your phone to log in. The protected page will open.

Option 2: Receive a text message with a passcode or enter a passcode

From the Device drop-down menu, select the phone number where you wish to be contacted.
Click the Enter a Passcode button.
A blue bar will appear on the screen. Press the Text me new codes button.
You’ll receive a text message from CU with a passcode or you can open your DUO app and find a passcode there. Enter the passcode and press the Log In button. The protected page will open.

Step 4: Follow the steps on the activity guide

Navigate through each section of the enrollment tool to select and finalize your benefits.
Note: You'll need to read and accept the Acknowledgement before you can begin selecting your benefits.

Open Ernollment activity guide

Step 5: Choose your plans

All benefits plans for which you are eligible will be listed. On each tile, click the Review link to see your options, enroll, change or waive benefits plans.

Benefits Enrollment Tool

Changing any of these benefits is simple. For example, if you select the Medical tile, you will reach a page where you can elect your plans and enroll any dependents you want covered.
The first section you'll see on the Medical enrollment page is the Enroll Your Dependents section.
Click Add/Update Dependent to reach a page where you can add dependents or update the information for any dependents or beneficiaries already listed on your plan.

Below the dependent enrollment section, you can choose among the options available.
If you would like to see charts of the costs for each plan type and coverage level (individual, individual + spouse, etc.), click the Overview of All Plans button and a popup window will open.

Once you've finished making any elections or updates you wish to make on any given plan page, be sure to click Done in the upper right-hand corner of the enrollment page.

Step 6: Click Submit Enrollment

Review the page and verify that you have made all of your benefits selections.
To complete your enrollment, click the Submit Enrollment box on the bottom of the page.

Submit Enrollment

A message will appear that all benefit choices have been successfully submitted to the Employee Services benefits department.

Submit enrollment sucessful

Step 7: Review your benefits

Once you submit your enrollment, you'll recieve an email confirmation.
In the enrollment tool, your Enrollment Summary status will show as Submitted.

Image of Submitted enrollment status

You may review your selections through the portal's Benefits Summary on the next business day.
To access your Benefits Summary: Select the Open Enrollment tile on your homepage then select Benefits Summary.
To view your new elections, enter "1/1/2026" in the date field and press the Refresh button.

What do you want to do?

I want to enroll in benefits.

The benefits enrollment tool allows you to enter your benefit elections online for the plan year starting Jan. 1 and ends Dec. 31. Access it through the employee portal [6]. See our step-by-step instructions on how to enroll on the first tab of this page.

Once you're logged in, you can view your current benefits (if you have any) and enroll in plans for the upcoming plan year. Once you've completed your enrollment, you can view your new enrollment elections right in the portal. This is your confirmation of enrollment.

Need the paper form?

The fastest way to complete your enrollment is by using the benefits enrollment tool, but for some tasks you will need a paper form. For a qualifying life event [7], complete one of benefits enrollment/change forms below to request your changes.

Retiree [8]
Surviving Spouse [9]

To check your benefits:

Once you've logged in to the employee portal, click on the CU Resources tab. (CU System employees can skip this step.)
You can find your benefits summary by clicking on the Open Enrollment tile, then selecting Benefits Summary.
To see your benefits for the current year, enter your benefits effective date (for example: "1/1/2026") and press Refresh.
You will then see an updated version of your benefits.

Retiree portal access

If you are a retiree who has never enrolled online, please review these instructions to get your portal username and password [10].

I want to add a dependent.

Eligible dependents include:

Spouses, common-law spouses, civil union partners and domestic partners
Dependent children up to age 27
Qualified disabled children over age 27

Complete the Dependent Eligibility Verification [11] and submit it with the documentation listed upon completion of your self-service elections. Documentation must be received by Employee Services by your enrollment deadline or within 31 days of a qualifying life event [12].

Dependents only have to be verified once; verification carries over year-to-year.

I want to change benefits as part of a qualifying event.

Qualifying life events [13] include marriage, divorce, birth, gaining/losing other coverage, gaining/losing eligibility, change in employee residence and changes in dependent care needs.

For a qualifying event, complete a Benefits Enrollment/Change Form to make benefits changes that are effective before Jan. 1.

I want to increase my employee or spouse optional life coverage.

To apply to increase your coverage, you must submit a Medical History Statement Form [14] to The Standard Insurance Company as evidence of insurability (EOI). If you are approved, Standard will notify CU, and you will be enrolled in the approved amount on the first of the month following the date of your approval.
If you want to remain enrolled, but would like to decrease your coverage, you may do so using the Benefits Enrollment tool within the employee portal [6].

This table shows the plan(s) in which you will be automatically enrolled if you do not take action during the enrollment period.

Start by locating your current plan(s) in the left column.

2026 Auto-Enrollment What happens if retirees or surviving spouses takes no action
2025 Enrollment Status	Eligible Participant	2026 Default
Medical Plans
Waived medical coverage	All members	Waived coverage continues
CU Health Plan - Medicare	Medicare eligible retirees and surviving spouses	Same plan and coverage level (Note: High Deductible enrollees will participate in spring Open Enrollment.)
CU Health Plan - Medicare/High Deductible	Retirees and surviving spouses when at least one member is Medicare-eligible
Alternate Medicare Payment (AMP)	Medicare-eligible retirees and surviving spouses
Dental Plans
Waived dental coverage	All members	Waived coverage continues
CU Health Plan - Premier	Medicare-eligible retirees and surviving spouses	Same plan, same coverage level
Life Plans
Waived Optional Life coverage(s)	All members	Waived coverage continues
CU Optional Term Life - Employee and Retiree	Retirees	Same plan, same coverage level, same rate level (smoker/nonsmoker, if applicable) as long as you remain enrolled in Optional Life plan

Groups audience:

Employee Services