Therapy at UC San Diego: what's free and what's covered

TherapyCalifornia Editorial

Updated August 25, 2026 · Sources cited below

UCSD students start at CAPS, which is "confidential and FREE of charge to currently enrolled students who have paid their registration fees" — with a $20 late-cancellation fee and no insurance test.¹ There is no published session cap; CAPS describes itself as handling what "can be managed with brief treatment" and referring longer work out, so the intake question is about the referral plan rather than a number. The college structure is real and useful: CAPS runs 15 offices across campus, including one at each of the seven undergraduate colleges, graduate housing, the Student Health Center and the campus community centres.¹ The 24/7 crisis line is 858-249-0030 (option 2 after hours), and the Triton CORE mobile team runs 858-534-HELP from 10am to 10pm on weekdays. Two practical notes: the Let's Talk drop-in is capped at two sessions a term, and CAPS moved in July 2026 to the new Triton Health and Wellness Building, so older directions are wrong.¹

UC SHIP gives you an off-campus route. Widen the search beyond La Jolla to Clairemont, Hillcrest and North Park, or to anywhere in California by video →. Do not substitute a San Diego price band for a real quote: ask each practice for its full fee, expected UC SHIP cost, cancellation charge and lowest sliding-scale opening. CAPS referral coordinators and the 5-day method → work well together.

Parent's-plan students: the confidential-communications request → keeps billing paperwork off the kitchen table. Lean-budget students and grads: Medi-Cal eligibility runs on current income → — San Diego County's access line is (888) 724-7240 — and financial aid doesn't count against it. International students: therapy is confidential, full stop, and CAPS is used to visa-stress presentations.

Choose the right UC San Diego door

First visit: call CAPS at 858-249-0030. Counseling is free for eligible students; late cancellation can cost $20.
Urgent or after hours: call the same number and choose option 2. Triton CORE is 858-534-HELP on weekdays, 10 a.m.–10 p.m.
Campus access: ask for the nearest of CAPS’s 15 locations.
Longer care or medication: ask a referral coordinator to explain the insurance route and whether psychiatry starts at CAPS or Student Health.

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

Sources: 1. UC San Diego CAPS counselling, crisis, locations and appointments pages — caps.ucsd.edu, read 18 August 2026. Note that the counselling page still lists an older intake number (858-534-3755) while every other page gives 858-249-0030 · UC SHIP — ucop.edu · San Diego County BHS access line (888) 724-7240 (verified Aug 2026).

Who this covers

Undergraduate and graduate students

Undergraduates

Currently enrolled undergraduate students can use the campus counseling service under the eligibility and fee rules above.

Graduate students

Currently enrolled graduate students can use the campus counseling service under the eligibility and fee rules above.

Official eligibility source →

Money check

Help paying therapy copays and other costs

These routes are different. A reimbursement fund repays an eligible cost. Emergency aid is reviewed case by case. Insurance pays only under its plan rules.

Medical and emergency aid

Medical assistance fund and Basic Needs Emergency Grant

Who: Students with qualifying UC SHIP balances or acute, urgent costs

What it may pay: UC San Diego directs UC SHIP medical expenses to its assistance fund; its separate emergency grant can consider unexpected medical costs.

What to do: Ask the program whether your mental-health expense qualifies before spending when possible. Expect a case-by-case review and gather the bill, proof of what insurance paid or denied, and any financial-hardship documents the form requests.

Open the official program page →

Official college material checked 2026-08-25. Recheck due 2026-11-23. Aid is never guaranteed: confirm the program is open and approves the cost before relying on it.