The short answer: Campus care needs no reimbursement; no separate outside-copay fund was verified.¹

Start with Personal Growth and Counseling Center (PGCC)

Book it: Call PGCC to begin counseling. The current phone number is 831-582-3969. Open the official service page →¹

Who can use it: All enrolled undergraduate and graduate CSUMB students. What it costs: Services are free with no referral or insurance required.¹

The limit that matters

CSUMB states there is no limit rather than leaving it unsaid: "PGCC uses a short-term, goal-focused therapy model. While there’s no fixed session limit, counselors may also recommend workshops, group therapy, or referrals to other resources if longer-term or specialized support is needed." No number, and none is being withheld — but short-term is the model, so ask early what a referral would look like. 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 PGCC for crisis intervention. After hours: Call 831-582-3969 after hours to connect with a crisis counselor.²

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

Medication and longer-term therapy

Psychiatry: Routine medication management is not promised on the current public service page. When campus care is too short: PGCC helps students identify care outside its short-term model.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 →.

Choose the right California State University-Monterey Bay door

What you need Start here What to say or ask
Help today Call PGCC for crisis intervention. “I need urgent support today.” If you may be in immediate danger, call 911.
A first counseling visit Call PGCC to begin counseling. Ask whether intake counts toward the session allowance and when the first clinical visit can happen.
Evening or weekend support Call 831-582-3969 after hours to connect with a crisis counselor. Ask whether this is crisis-only, one-time support or a route that can schedule recurring care.
Medication Routine medication management is not promised on the current public service page. Ask whether a referral is required, what a visit costs and who handles refills between terms.
Weekly, specialized or longer-term therapy PGCC helps students identify care outside its short-term model. Say what matters: specialty, identity, location, telehealth, language, insurance and maximum price.

Before you spend money outside campus

Campus counseling and outside insurance are separate. Before booking an outside therapist, ask:

  1. Is this clinician in-network for my exact plan—not just the insurance company?
  2. What will I owe before and after my deductible?
  3. Does the plan require a campus referral or prior authorization?
  4. If the clinician is out-of-network, will they provide a superbill and where do I submit it?

If you use a parent’s plan, ask the insurer how to request confidential communications before the first claim. An explanation of benefits can otherwise show that care was used.

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 California State University-Monterey Bay page. The session-limit facts were re-read on 24 September 2026. Core access facts are due for re-check by 2026-11-23. A missing number is reported as “not published,” never filled from an old catalog or another campus.

Sources

  1. CSUMB — PGCC, read 2026-08-25.
  2. CSUMB — Counseling, read 2026-08-25.
  3. CSUMB Personal Growth and Counseling Center — Counseling, read 24 September 2026 — "PGCC uses a short-term, goal-focused therapy model. While there’s no fixed session limit, counselors may also recommend workshops, group therapy, or referrals to other resources if longer-term or specialized support is needed."

Correction, 24 September 2026: this page said no numerical cap is published. CSUMB goes further and says there is no fixed session limit at all, which is the more useful fact and is now what the page reports.