Mental health on campus takes a hit due to the limited funding at the Counseling and Testing Center at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette. The center lost three counselors and, until recently, has not been able to fill those positions because of the University’s hiring freeze.
Uwill, a virtual counseling program provided by the University, is also set to expire in February 2026, and without available funds, the center is unable to renew the contract for another term.
The initial funding for the program came from the Department of Health and Hospitals, which provided a one-time gift to universities within the UL System to be used towards mental health. This funding was secured by the Board of Regents.
Uwill acts as an extension of the center by providing 24/7 virtual mental health services to participating students for free. According to Dr. Kristi Fusilier, the assistant director of the center, as of Oct. 21, 906 students are registered with the Uwill service. Though the service is set to expire, in an email, Fulsier said they are exploring options to continue using the service.
The program was launched at UL Lafayette in May 2024 and Fusilier said it has been an effective resource for students. “I like to think of Uwill as an extension of the Counseling Center. Students can meet with a counselor immediately as well as scheduling appointments as their schedule allows,” she said.
Scheduling includes being able to select counselors based on gender, race and specialty area. Through Uwill, students can also access a 24/7 crisis line that is answered by mental health professionals. Fusilier said, “Students rate their overall satisfaction with Uwill a 9/10.”
Whether the Uwill program expires permanently or not, students still have the Counseling and Testing Center, which includes an unlimited number of free counseling sessions and a counselor on call 24/7 for emergencies that can be accessed via University Police.
Fusilier explained that since losing three counselors ahead of the 2025-26 school year, for the first time in the history of the department, they have a waitlist at the center. Due to the hiring freeze the University is under, the center is unable to hire someone new.
The staff is currently down to three mental health professionals. The center averages just over 1000 different people receiving services. Recently, the center did receive approval to hire one counselor, so they are conducting interviews.
One of the staff members the center lost was responsible for the administration of local and national standardized assessments and the center’s psychological assessments.
With the current staffing, Fusilier explained the center can no longer continue after-hours testing, which includes participating in national ACT testing dates.
In order to address any added stress from the current financial uncertainty at the University, Fusilier suggested students focus on what they can control in their own lives. “In times of uncertainty over things outside one’s control, it is important to turn your focus onto things within one’s control. In this case focusing on reducing stress by paying it forward by doing acts of kindness and service towards others, practicing forgiveness and engaging in prayer/meditation.”
According to the National Library of Medicine (NLM), in 2023, they found elevated levels of anxiety, depression and loneliness in all students since the COVID-19 pandemic.
The study found that LGBTQ+ and low-income students faced the highest levels of psychological distress, due to compounded stressors such as family rejection, unsafe home environments and financial insecurity.
Racial and ethnic minority students reported increased experiences of discrimination and reduced access to culturally competent mental healthcare. International and migrant students were disproportionately affected by travel restrictions, legal uncertainties and social disconnection.
According to their website, Uwill was founded in 2020 to “assist campus counseling centers as they faced overwhelming demand for mental health support.”
They are able to facilitate immediate appointments with licensed professionals.
In 2021, Uwill introduced Uhelp, a direct crisis connection, which allows individuals facing trauma to connect with a licensed therapist trained in crisis, any time they are in need.
They also decided to extend mental health services beyond higher education, now serving early education and employer markets. They now support more than four million people in every U.S. state and 40 countries.
For more information about the Counseling and Testing Center, visit them within the Saucier Wellness Center in O.K. Allen Hall, at 220 Hebrard Blvd.