Student Health Fee Survey
ASUW and GPSS are exploring the creation of a Student Health Fee to support, sustain, and improve health and well-being services at the University of Washington–Seattle.
This proposed fee would help fund student services at the Counseling Center, the Husky Health Center, and LiveWell: Health Promotion & Prevention.
Counseling Center
The UW Counseling Center is a mental health resource where currently enrolled students can receive assistance with adjustment issues, depression, anxiety, relationship concerns, and a variety of other challenges.
- Individual Counseling & Group Therapy
- Workshops and Presentations
- Crisis Services
- Therapy Dogs
- Husky Helpline
- Consultation and Outreach
- Limited Psychiatry Services
- Connections to ongoing mental health providers
Husky Health
At Husky Health Center, we provide exceptional medical care to our diverse student body as well as established non-student patients. Through all of our services, we work to promote lifelong well-being, achievement, and resilience.
- Primary Care & Same-Day Care
- Physical Therapy
- OB/GYN Services
- Nurse Advice Line
- Travel & Sports Medicine
- Nutrition Consultations
- Immunizations
- Room 101 Health Supplies
LiveWell
LiveWell: Health Promotion & Prevention supports student well-being through confidential advocacy for survivors, substance use education, suicide prevention initiatives, peer wellness coaching, basic needs navigation, skill-building workshops, and engaging wellness events.
- Alcohol & Other Drug (AOD) Consultations
- Confidential Advocacy for Survivors
- Wellness Events & Peer Health Education
- Peer Groups & Peer Wellness Coaching
- Suicide Intervention Program (SIP)
- Student Needs Navigation
What is the Student Health Fee?
The Student Health Fee is would be charged quarterly per student, assessed to all enrolled UW–Seattle students and included within tuition and standard student fees, starting in the academic year 2027-2028 (at the earliest).
This fee is not health insurance.
It’s an investment in accessible, student-centered care available to all Huskies, regardless of insurance status.
Why a Student Health Fee?
Demand for health and well-being services continue to grow and has outpaced existing funding sources. The fee would:
- Provide stable, long-term funding
- Sustain current services
- Allow improvements to better meet student needs
- Address historical underfunding across health units and ongoing financial challenges
Who would oversee the fee?
The fee would be overseen by a committee comprised of students with subject matter expertise on health and well-being needs and services at the UW-Seattle, and advised by university leadership and student health and well-being staff.
What is the proposed cost of the fee?
In consultation with the health and well-being units, ASUW and GPSS are exploring a Student Health Fee of $125 per student, per quarter.
Currently, the health and well-being units are allocated $69 per student per quarter from the Services and Activities Fee (SAF). The $125 Student Health Fee would replace the current $69 SAF allocation entirely, for a net increase to health and well-being student services of $56 per student per quarter.
This amount is based on research, service requests by students, and budget needs to maintain current services and make the improvements listed below in the current financial climate.
With a $125 fee per student per quarter…
For the Counseling Center:
- Reduce wait times for $0 out-of-pocket cost individual and group counseling
- Expand low-barrier “Let’s Talk” consultation with a therapist
- In-person mental health crisis same-day services
- Hire more staff to reflect the diverse student body, and to expand the range of expertise to meet students’ unique needs
- Continue workshops and groups that teach students skills to cope with issues like attention and sleep difficulties
- Maintain 24/7 access to a counselor through Husky Helpline
- Consultation with faculty, staff, and families
For the Husky Health Center:
- Additional physician and medical providers
- Shorter appointment wait times than the surrounding community, with consistent access year-round
- Improved care for uninsured and underinsured students by decreasing HHC’s reliance on billing private insurance
- More services such as insurance navigation, care coordination, and counseling on reproductive and sexual health
For LiveWell:
- More programming and resources for students struggling with housing insecurity and food instability, including better coordination and expansion of support for the Food Pantry
- Additional advocacy services for students experiencing sexual assault, relationship violence, and stalking, including support groups
- Broader suicide prevention programming on campus
- Alcohol and drug services, including recovery support
- Supplies and prevention kits on various health topics
- A fully funded Peer Wellness Coaching program that offers one-on-one, student-to-student support
- Workshops and trainings for students that are dynamic and tailored for the student communities like bystander intervention programming, sexual assault prevention, and suicide response and prevention training.
How do we compare?
Other Washington State colleges charge health fees ranging from $100 to $190 per quarter, with the highest at WSU Pullman ($190.34 per quarter, adjusted from its semester rate). As shown in the graph below, even at the proposed $125 per quarter, UW students would still pay less than students at most comparable institutions nationwide.
*Big 10 universities not included have bundled health fees or tie to health insurance
Most universities nationwide have student health fees. Adopting this initiative at the University of Washington Seattle would provide the health and well-being units with the resources needed to continue to deliver high-quality, accessible, student-centered care now and for generations of Huskies to come.
Your health. Your well-being. Your voice.
Starting November 12, 2025, ASUW will launch a student survey to gather feedback on the proposed Student Health Fee.
FAQ
The proposed Student Health Fee would apply to all matriculated, tuition-paying students at the University of Washington–Seattle, similar to other mandatory student fees. This includes undergraduate, graduate, and professional students.
Students who do not pay the Services & Activities Fee (SAF)—such as non-matriculated students or those in certain fee-exempt programs—may not be charged. If approved, the Student Health Fee would be treated like other student fees for financial aid, waivers, and assistance programs.
A Health and Well-Being Student Advisory Committee—made up of students and advised by university representatives—would provide guidance and oversight to ensure funding decisions are transparent, equitable, and aligned with student needs.
A key priority is to strengthen services that are available to students at no additional cost, such as counseling, crisis response, advocacy, peer wellness coaching, and basic needs support—especially for students who may be struggling.
Without additional funding, many health and well-being services could be limited or reduced. Examples include:
Counseling Center
- Longer wait times and fewer available counseling appointments
- Reduced crisis support and “Let’s Talk” consultations
- Limited ability to hire diverse and specialized clinicians
Husky Health Center (Hall Health)
- Fewer medical providers and appointments
- Longer wait times and reduced year-round access
- Less support for uninsured or underinsured students
LiveWell
- Reduced advocacy and support for students experiencing violence or trauma
- Limited suicide prevention, recovery support, and wellness programs
- Fewer resources such as prevention supplies, peer coaching, and basic needs support
The goal of the fee is to prevent reductions and ensure students continue to have access to no-cost, on-campus services—especially those who are most in need.
Yes. If approved, the Student Health Fee would be included in the Cost of Attendance (COA) used to calculate financial aid. This means:
- Financial aid packages (grants, scholarships, loans) may help cover the fee.
- Graduate assistantships, stipends, or fee waivers may also apply, depending on departmental or program policies.
Because the fee is designed to expand no-cost services like counseling and crisis care, it aims to improve access—not create new financial barriers—for students who are struggling.
Informational Brochure
Learn more about the proposed Student Health Fee in this printable brochure. It provides an overview of the fee, the services it would support across the Counseling Center, Husky Health Center, and LiveWell, and highlights how funding would help support, sustain, and improve health and well-being services for students.