“Physical and mental health may be the most important issue on every college campus across the country,” SUU interim president Mindy Benson said in the press release. “We are committed to serving our students. Those additional resources now allow us to establish an on-campus health clinic and to provide additional student mental health counseling. We thank SUU students for leading on these two vital initiatives.”

Nouman Kante, SUU’s student body president, thanked the Board of Higher Ed and SUU’s administration for creating the student health clinic.

“This clinic will serve current and future T-Birds’ healthcare needs,” Kante said.

With the start of the Fall 2022 semester, students will have an on-campus health clinic, the news release states, adding that medical care will be free for all uninsured, underinsured and low-income students.  

Also beginning in the fall, students will have access to greater mental health counseling. SUU’s counseling and psychological services will hire an additional therapist. In addition, students in SUU’s new Doctorate of Psychology program will provide counseling services as part of their academic training and students will soon have access to mental health counselors via virtual video therapy. 

“We are keenly aware of the physical, social, and mental health challenges being faced by so many of our students,” Dr. Jared Tippets, SUU’s vice president for student affairs, said in the news release. “Our student’s mental health needs to be addressed and to this end, we are working hard to bring more services to serve our students.”

The breakdown of the student fee increase includes:

• $64 per student to create a student health clinic
• $50 per student (from $40) for increased Counseling & Psychological Services
• $2 increase for student tutoring center
• Eliminate $32 per student fee for student computer lab

Student fees will increase by a net of $44 per student starting next academic year.