Editorial | We’re sick of Penn’s student health services

In 2025, 65% of college students reported experiencing mental and emotional issues to the point where they needed help. Penn students are no stranger to this reality, yet the University frequently falls short in providing equitable, confidential, and helpful resources to those who need them most. Wellness at Penn — the umbrella organization for all student health services — is great at sending emails and posting flyers on Locust Walk, but when it comes to serious mental health issues, there are significant barriers and complications that mean students are forced to navigate on their own.

Penn has long been criticized for its bureaucratic tendencies, and this segmented structure extends to student health services in problematic ways. While Penn markets Student Health and Counseling as one unit, it is made up of two distinct divisions: Medical Care and Counseling. The two services were originally entirely separate, and remain functionally independent of each other in all aspects other than the shared name. The Medical Office and Counseling Office are in different buildings, have different phone numbers, and are staffed by different teams. 

Integrated medical and psychological services are shown to be more effective both in typical environments and on college campuses. Incorporating mental health providers into medical settings improves continuity of care, increases service utilization, and reduces stigma. This approach — practiced at many of the top schools for mental health services — emphasizes student wellbeing as holistic and multidimensional. 

Students looking for psychological support have to call to make an appointment, often to get told it will be weeks or months before they can come in. Student Health and Counseling also provides only short-term counseling. While the offered self-care workshops and peer wellness coaching are valuable resources, they are no substitute for regular sessions with licensed therapists. Student Health and Counseling relies heavily on referrals for specialized treatment, prioritizing acute crisis management over long-term, preventative care.  

Seeking external care also poses the additional burden of dealing with insurance. Whether students are on their own plan or the Penn Student Insurance Plan, it can be difficult to find an in-network provider in the area. PSIP is also mandatory for students who cannot prove that their current insurance meets Penn’s requirements, which poses additional burdens for students on Medicaid or with out-of-state plans. For plans that do not meet the requirements, students must pay out of pocket for PSIP, costing $4,622 annually.

If Penn does deem a student’s mental health issue serious enough that it can’t be solved by drop-in counseling, it does not hesitate to involve Penn Police as crisis responders. This is a frightening step to take for a student who is looking for support, and only reinforces the stigma associated with seeking help.

Penn’s health services also have a history of responding poorly to students seeking care related to sexual assault. Student Health and Counseling doesn’t always inform students about support centers that offer critical services and procedures for victims, including education for how to file reports of sexual assault on campus. Penn doesn’t prioritize efficiency with these cases, and it can take months for a student to be connected with Title IX resources or even a specialized counselor on campus. With the immense trauma and emotional weight that victims of sexual assault have to carry, they should not have to be burdened with the bureaucratic nightmare that is Student Health and Counseling. 

In times of sickness, desperation, and anxiety, students don’t need empty gestures like flyers or emails — they need genuinely supportive and accessible resources. In such a stressful stage of life, students shouldn’t have to worry about appointment availability or potential police intervention. They shouldn’t have to wonder about whether their insurance will transfer or if their sexual assault report will be handled with care. Students should be able to trust that this institution will keep them protected and in good health, but without reform and improvement to the system Penn has created, they can’t. 

Editorials represent the majority view of members of The Daily Pennsylvanian Editorial Board who meet regularly to discuss issues relevant to the Penn community. This body is led by Editorial Board Chair Jack Lakis and is entirely separate from the newsroom. Questions or comments should be directed to letters@thedp.com.