Mental Health and Wellbeing Fee – Spring 2025 FAQ

    $92.00/semester to enhance mental health and wellbeing support services for students. 

    Since the mental health and wellbeing fee passed, there will be a reduction to the Student Services Fee, which creates a net total fee increase of only $62.00/semester.

    • Understanding that mental health support is CRUCIAL for college students, a new fee was proposed and approved to align areas that support students’ mental health with the best practice standards recommended for college student support. 
    • The CU Denver Mental Health and Wellbeing Fee, is in line with what many institutions have enacted around the country and in Colorado. 
      • CU Denver: $92 per semester
      • UCCS: $132.54 per semester
      • Metropolitan State University: $107.50 per semester
      • Boulder: $97.40 per semester
    • This fee is being used to increase staffing. It also funds the continuation of the 24/7 counseling app, programming efforts, and improved timeliness of response. 
    • This new fee has, first of all, helped cover the staffing levels needed to serve our student body.  Currently, we are not up to national best practice standards or accreditation standards regarding the ratio of our staff members in mental health support areas to students. There will be new counselors in the Counseling Center, a total of 4.5 FTE.  Six positions in the Office of Case Management/Office of Student Conduct and Community Standards which are on temporary funds will be made permanent.  There is one position in DRS which is on temporary funds which will also be made permanent. 
    • Second, this will bolster operating expenses to help us meet our students’ needs.  An example is that DRS uses technology to accommodate students with disabilities and this fee will help support that access to technology. 
    • Third, this fee will cover Certifications for members of the community around mental health awareness, bystander intervention, violence prevention, threat assessment, behavioral intervention, cultural competence, suicide screening, gambling screening, restorative justice, etc. 
    • Fourth, will fund the TELUS health app which gives students 24/7 counseling support, even over breaks when classes are not in session. 

    Because Mental Health Matters in College: 

    • 75% of mental illnesses have the first onset by a person’s mid-20s, so it often happens while students are here. 
    • There is a growing body of research demonstrating a connection between mental health and college degree completion. 
    • Based on a 2021 Healthy Minds Survey of CU Denver Students, an estimated 58.6% are experiencing symptoms of at least one significant mental health problem.  That equals 7911 students if we use the numbers for this current semester.  Of that, 45.7% of students have not accessed mental health services…which amounts to 3615. 
    • Students with mental health problems are two times more likely than their peers to leave their institution 
    • Students who leave the institution without a degree, earn significantly less over their career than those with a degree, in the 2021 study, that earning amount estimated from the students who could leave because of mental health issues was $14,381,592 

    Because CU Denver students need additional support (based on CU Denver NCHA data, 2024): 

    • 30.3% say that ANXIETY impacts their academics 
    • 23.0 % say that DEPRESSION impacts their academics 
    • 38.7% say that STRESS impacts their academics 

    These are generally in line with national averages:

    • 35.1% of CU Denver students have been prescribed medication for a mental health condition compared to 28.6% nationally 
    • 44.9% of CU Denver Students have had counseling for a mental health condition compared to 37.2% nationally 
    • 40.7 % of CU Denver Students have received psychological or mental health services within the last 12 months compared to 32.9% nationally 

    These are higher than the national averages:

    • 31.4% of CU Denver students were positive for suicidal ideation compared to 26.3 nationally - A 5.1% increase over national averages 

    Because Gen Z mental health trends indicate that needs are increasing: 

    • Depression - The number of teens and young adults with clinical level depression doubled between 2011-2021 
    • Self-harm – has increased exponentially among girls and young women between 2009-2020 
    • Suicide – teen suicide rate doubled between 2007-2019, and the suicide rate for those in their 20s went up 41% in that time. 
    • 65% of Gen Z sees terrorism as the leading critical threat to the U.S. 
    • Gen Z is “speaking up about their mental health, and they are not shy about it.” 

    For less than the cost of one counseling session, you are supporting and funding many of the offices and services that support student mental health and wellbeing at CU Denver.

    The CU Denver Student Government Association supports the proposal and is facilitated a student body vote on this fee in Spring 2025, in which the fee was passed.

    Yes, this is a common fee in institutions of higher education. It is a fee that UCCS has put in place ($132.54), Metro State University of Denver has put in place ($107.50/semester) as well as Boulder (97.40/semester) to name a few.

    The Wellness Center fee is a fee that maintains the Lola and Rob Salazar Student Wellness Center.  That fee is $13.26 per credit hour capped at $198.00 for a full-time student. The Mental Health and Wellbeing fee supports multiple areas of CU Denver that support the mental health and wellbeing of all students (Counseling Center, Office of Case Management, Disability Resources and Services, Student Conduct and Community Standards and the Dean of Students Office).