Arizona Makes College Therapy Free, Students Respond

College students at the University of Arizona no longer have to choose between eating and getting mental health support.

For the first time this year, all counseling services are free for students. The change is already working: 600 to 650 students now visit the counseling center every week, a jump of up to 25% from last year.

The timing matters. About 15% of University of Arizona freshmen don't return for their second year, often because they can't access basic support when life gets hard.

Senior Deeksha Reddy knows the old math well. "Being a student, I don't think you would want it to add to your expenses," she said about therapy costs.

Aaron Barnes, who directs the campus counseling center, puts it more bluntly. "If a student has to choose between eating or going to a counseling visit, they're going to choose to eat every time."

Students seek help for anxiety most often, followed by depression and suicidal thoughts. Some just need someone to talk to about breaking up with their high school sweetheart or adjusting to college life.

Senior Christopher Carr watched friends leave school not because they didn't love their major, but because they didn't know where to turn. "It's kind of tough because I know they're passionate about the stuff that they're studying," he said.

When asked if free counseling might have helped them stay, Carr didn't hesitate. "I think so. I really do think so."

The Ripple Effect

The Arizona Board of Regents just released its 2026 Student Essential Needs Report, praising the free counseling program as part of a bigger picture. Universities across the state are rethinking how they support students with housing, food access, and mental health care.

The message is simple: when students get what they need to thrive, they stay in school. They finish degrees. They build the futures they dreamed about.

The counseling center now runs at 95% capacity, proof that students will reach out when money isn't standing in their way.

More students staying in school, getting help when they need it, and graduating ready to chase their dreams.