Mental Healthcare. Many universities will have free or inexpensive counseling services. Some schools, to prevent the waste of a counselor’s time, will charge a small fee (such as five dollars) for appointments where the student does not show up. The counselors you are working with may be regular certified counselors who are donating their time, or who are hired as a full-time employees of the university. Otherwise, they may be graduate students who are finishing their degree, and use their time counseling students to complete their required clinic hours.
First Aid Healthcare. Most, if not all, colleges, no matter how small, will offer some sort of first aid healthcare. This could mean that they provide diagnoses for minor problems and provide free cough medicine and ibuprofen, or it could be that they have a full-time physician who can prescribe medication. Large universities can even offer free emergency care for anything from a fractured bone to a cut in need of stitches. Be sure to check with your university to make sure that you are not missing out on the healthcare benefits that are made available to you.
Student Insurance. Some colleges do not provide student insurance, but can recommend a place where you can get it. Other colleges offer insurance not only for you, but also for your spouse and even children. The premiums and details of these insurance programs can vary widely, so be sure you contact your school or your insurance company for more information.
While you may bet be aware of all the free or inexpensive healthcare amenities provided for you, you should take advantage of them while you can. You have already paid for them through your tuition, and this is one area where your university can give it back to you and provide for you.
