Student Health & Wellness

UCLA supports your student’s health and safety through several connected resources: the Ashe Center for medical care, UC SHIP for insurance, CAPS for counseling, the Center for Accessible Education for accommodations, campus recreation for fitness, and a campuswide emergency alert system. This page explains what each one offers and how your student reaches it.

In an emergency: for a life-threatening situation, your student should go to the Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center Emergency Room, (310) 825-2111. For an ambulance, call 911 or campus UCPD at (310) 825-1491.

Campus safety

UCLA is one of the safest large public campuses in the country, supported by the UC Police Department (UCPD), the Office of the Dean of Students, and the Office of Emergency Management (OEM). It is also part of a large urban community, so students play a role in keeping themselves safe.

Sign up for BruinAlert

BruinAlert is UCLA’s emergency notification system. Students with a ucla.edu address are enrolled automatically and can add text alerts through MyUCLA. Family members can sign up by texting BRUINALERT to 888777. Updates are also posted on the Bruins Safe mobile app (App Store, Google Play) and via @UCLABruinAlert.

Talk through a safety plan with your student

• Know the emergency notification channels, listed on the OEM family page.
• Discuss common Southern California events, including earthquakes and wildfires, and a plan to reconnect after an emergency.
• Keep an emergency kit with a radio, flashlight, and water, and know the exits at your student’s residence.
• Review the OEM’s individual emergency readiness guidance.

Campus safety services

UCPD is located on Westwood Boulevard and maintains campus safety around the clock. Useful numbers for your student:

• Campus emergency: (310) 825-1491. Worth programming into their phone.
• Evening walking escort: (310) 794-WALK. Call about 15 minutes before leaving a late class or study session.
• Evening Van Service: (310) 825-9800. Safe transportation around campus after dark.

UCPD also publishes campus safety tips for residence halls, parking structures, libraries, and nighttime travel.

Arthur Ashe Student Health & Wellness Center

The Arthur Ashe Student Health & Wellness Center, in Bruin Plaza at the center of campus, is where students go for medical care. All currently enrolled students are eligible to use it. Students with UC SHIP can use most services free of charge; students who have waived UC SHIP can use services for a fee or reduce costs with BruinCare. See the Ashe Center fees and eligibility for details.

Services at the Ashe Center

The Ashe Center offers a broad range of in-house care, including:

• Primary care, specialty clinics, and immunizations
• Gynecology and women’s health and lactation services
• Lab services, radiology, and physical therapy
• Pharmacy, dentistry, and optometry
• Acupuncture and massage and a travel clinic
• Telehealth visits and a secure online patient portal

Care after hours

The Ashe Center’s 24/7 NurseLine means health questions don’t have to wait. Your student can call (310) 825-4703 and select Option 2 to reach in-house RN triage during the day; after hours, calls roll to an outside NurseLine staffed by registered nurses at any hour. A range of after-hours and immediate care options is available for students with and without UC SHIP.

Student health insurance (UC SHIP)

Health insurance is mandatory for all registered UCLA students. The UC Student Health Insurance Plan (UC SHIP) is a comprehensive plan covering medical, prescription, counseling, vision, and dental care. Students with UC SHIP seek non-emergency care at the Ashe Center and can be referred to network providers as needed.

Students with other qualifying coverage may waive UC SHIP by submitting a waiver application with documentation during a waiver period. Waiving is an annual process and must be completed each academic year to avoid automatic re-enrollment.

Students who waive UC SHIP can buy BruinCare for $60 per quarter. It gives unlimited access to Ashe primary care and specialist visits, core lab tests, and core x-rays, and waives the $12 visit fee. BruinCare is not insurance and does not cover emergency room care.

Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS)

Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS) offers individual therapy, psychiatric care, group therapy, and wellness workshops. Students can consult an on-call clinician 24 hours a day, seven days a week, at (310) 825-0768.

If you’re concerned about your student or want to refer them, you can call the same number for guidance, even when your student isn’t the one reaching out. CAPS is open Monday through Friday, 8 a.m.–5 p.m., on the west side of the John Wooden Center, and offers resources for parents along with an online mental health screening and workshops and trainings.

Center for Accessible Education

The Center for Accessible Education (CAE) supports students seeking accommodations or disability services. Students should register with the office as early as possible to work with a Disability Specialist. To begin, a student makes an appointment, completes an intake form, and presents current documentation of their disability. The CAE is in A255 Murphy Hall, (310) 825-1501.

Related campus resources include BruinAccess paratransit, the Disabilities and Computing Program, library services for users with disabilities, and adaptive recreation programs.

Fitness and recreation

Membership in the John Wooden Center, in the heart of campus, is included in every enrolled student’s Student Activities Fee. The center has gyms, strength and cardio equipment, fitness and dance studios, courts, a games lounge, locker rooms, and a rock wall. UCLA Recreation extends across campus with fields, gyms, and pools, and runs several ways for students to stay active:

• Intramural Sports: casual, organized leagues with more than 7,000 participants a year. Nominal fees apply.
• Club Sports: more than 54 student-led clubs competing against other universities. Club dues may apply.
• Adaptive recreation: therapeutically based programs for people with cognitive and physical disabilities.
• Outdoor Adventures: experiential outdoor education and trips.

UCLA Blood & Platelet Center

Your student or your family can donate at the UCLA Blood & Platelet Center to support patients at Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center. Donations are accepted at the Ackerman Student Union Donor Center (308 Westwood Plaza, A-Level) and the Westwood Village Donor Center (1045 Gayley Avenue, 2nd Floor), both reachable at (310) 825-0888.