The short answer: Campus counseling is free, but outside referrals use insurance and may create copays. No academy fund promising copay reimbursement was verified.¹

Start with Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS)

Book it: Call or visit the Student Health Center; walk-in urgent counseling is offered during posted weekday hours. The current phone number is 707-654-1170. Open the official service page →¹

Who can use it: Currently or concurrently enrolled cadets, including undergraduate and graduate students. What it costs: CAPS counseling carries no additional charge.¹

The limit that matters

Short-term individual and group counseling; the current materials do not publish a numerical cap. This is the fact to confirm again at intake, because staffing and campus rules can change during the academic year.¹

If you need help today

Call and request urgent help or use the weekday crisis/drop-in hour. After hours: Call 707-654-1170 and choose option 1 for an after-hours health professional.²

In crisis? Call or text 988 — free, 24/7.

Medication and longer-term therapy

Psychiatry: CAPS informed-consent materials list psychiatric consultation and treatment for certain conditions. When campus care is too short: CAPS arranges area-provider referrals; outside care is paid through the student’s health insurance.²

If you use a parent’s insurance, billing paperwork can disclose that care was used. Read the student privacy and EOB route →. If money is the obstacle, compare Medi-Cal →, sliding-scale care →, and California-wide telehealth →.

What to ask in the first appointment

  1. What is my individual-session limit this term or year, and does intake count?
  2. If I need weekly or specialized care, who starts the outside referral?
  3. Is psychiatry separate, and does it require a campus or insurance referral?
  4. What can I use while I am waiting: a group, same-day consultation, or virtual care?
  5. Will any charge or insurance explanation be sent to someone else?

Verification record

Every campus-specific statement above was read on an official Cal Poly Maritime Academy page. Core access facts are due for re-check by 2026-11-22. A missing number is reported as “not published,” never filled from an old catalog or another campus.

Sources

  1. Cal Maritime — Student Health Center, read 2026-08-24.
  2. Cal Maritime — CAPS FAQs, read 2026-08-24.
  3. Cal Maritime — Referral information, read 2026-08-24.