The short answer: This is one of the campuses where the existence of a maximum is public but its number is not. Ask one exact question: “What is this year’s maximum, and does my consultation count?”¹

Start with Student Health and Counseling Services

Book it: Call 760-750-4915 or visit SHCS to schedule a 30-minute phone consultation. The current phone number is 760-750-4915. Open the official service page →¹

Who can use it: Undergraduate and graduate students with the prepaid fee; Extended Learning students may opt in for $105 per semester plus a $20 annual facility fee. What it costs: Included for students who paid mandatory fees; the stated Extended Learning opt-in charges apply separately.¹

The limit that matters

Brief counseling with an annual maximum, but the current public service page does not state the number. Ask during the phone consultation. 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 the main line when same-day clinical guidance is needed. After hours: Call 760-750-4915 and press 2 for the contracted 24/7 crisis counselor.²

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

Medication and longer-term therapy

Psychiatry: Confirm current medication access with SHCS during the consultation. When campus care is too short: The phone consultation determines the appropriate campus service or outside treatment route.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 State San Marcos 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. CSUSM Counseling Services, read 2026-08-24.
  2. CSUSM Counseling — Services, read 2026-08-24.
  3. CSUSM Counseling — Phone consultation, read 2026-08-24.