The short answer: Use CAPS for brief care and routing; use the separate TimelyCare allowance when you need a predictable session count. Graduate copay funds exist, but each has narrow eligibility rules that must be checked before spending.¹

Start with Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS)

Book it: Call CAPS on weekdays or visit Vaden Health Center; the front desk routes you to an initial visit, urgent care, referral help or a group. The current phone number is 650-723-3785. Open the official service page →¹

Who can use it: Undergraduate and graduate students assessed the Campus Health Service Fee; defined enrollment exceptions apply. What it costs: Brief therapy, crisis care, groups and referral support have no copay. Cardinal Care charges a $35 copay for CAPS psychiatry medication-management visits.¹

The limit that matters

CAPS describes brief therapy without a fixed public count. Enrolled students in the United States also receive up to 12 no-cost scheduled TimelyCare therapy visits per academic year. 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 650-723-3785 for same-day urgent access. After hours: The same number reaches a crisis specialist 24/7, including evenings and weekends.²

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

Medication and longer-term therapy

Psychiatry: CAPS psychiatry medication management is fee-for-service; the current Cardinal Care copay is $35. When campus care is too short: A CAPS Referral Coordinator and Welltrack Connect help students find outside therapy or psychiatry and understand insurance benefits.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 Stanford University 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. Stanford CAPS — Clinical services, read 2026-08-24.
  2. Stanford Vaden — Health Fee eligibility, read 2026-08-24.
  3. Stanford CAPS — Fees, read 2026-08-24.
  4. Stanford OGE — Mental Health Support, read 2026-08-24.