Life Events
If you experience a change in your personal life such as getting married, having a baby, adopting a child, getting divorced, experiencing a death in your family or a change in health coverage, you may qualify for a special enrollment period, allowing you to update your benefit selections outside of the regular Open Enrollment window.
Note: If you have a Family Status Change/Life Event, the documentation needs to be uploaded and approved by HR prior to updating your plan elections online. Please take this into consideration when your deadline is approaching as HR is closed on weekends, holidays and in the evenings.
The completion of your online Family Status Change/Life Event is required within 30 calendar days from (and including) the date of the event. Any changes made will be effective as of the date of the event.
If you experience a qualifying Family Status Change/Life Event, follow these steps to update your benefits:
Step 1 Access the myBGSU portal. You do not need to be on campus to complete this process.
Step 2 Under Benefits Information on the left-hand side menu, select Family Status Change/Life Event
Step 3 Choose the Family Status Change/Life Event that applies to your situation (e.g., marriage, birth, adoption, divorce, death, loss of coverage), enter the exact date the Life Event occurred and upload documentation as proof of the Life Event (e.g., marriage certificate, birth certificate, death certificate, change/loss of coverage letter). If the birth certificate is not received yet, please provide a copy of the bassinet/crib card or documentation from the hospital/birthing center that indicates the date of birth and gender of the baby.
Step 4 Once submitted, a notification is sent to Human Resources (HR) and HR will review your documentation. You’ll receive an email letting you know whether your Life Event has been approved, denied, or requires additional information.
Step 5 After HR approval, return to the Family Status Change/Life Event section in myBGSU to proceed with updating your benefits. Complete all required steps and select ‘Submit’ when done. Be sure to print a confirmation statement for your records.
Updated: 10/17/2025 03:03PM