Health & Counseling Services

Matriculated undergraduate and graduate students may request to make an appointment* with one of SVA's licensed therapists. This service is provided at no cost.

*Currently, our appointments are online only.

SVA does not have any medical services or an infirmary. If a student is feeling sick, there are urgent walk-in clinics around the SVA area. Urgent walk-in clinics do not require an appointment. Please review the Map of Medical Facilities on the bottom of this page, located under 'Resources'.

Students already covered under their own health insurance plan: please take the time to find out if your insurance plan will provide adequate network coverage in New York City.

All students, new and returning to SVA (i.e., sophomore, junior, senior year) are billed annually for the Cigna insurance plan.

The line item on the tuition bill is noted as 'health insurance fee' .

A health insurance waiver must be submitted every academic year in order for the health insurance fee to be removed from the tuition bill.

Once the waiver is submitted by the student/parent/guardian and approved, it may take a billing cycle for the fee to be removed.

The insurance waiver is available at sva.edu/uhp. The deadline to submit a waiver is November 1.

Other important items to note regarding waiving the fee

• Students cannot remove the health insurance by writing to SVA administrative offices (this includes the Health & Counseling office and Student Accounts).

• The insurance fee is not removed by calling SVA administrative offices and requesting to have it removed.

• Crossing off the health insurance line item on the tuition bill does not communicate to Student Accounts or Health and Counseling that you wish to opt out of the insurance.

• If SVA does not have a waiver on file, submitting tuition payment without the health insurance fee will not remove the fee.

NYC WELL is a free mental-health support resource. NYC Well offers English, Spanish or Mandarin speakers and has access for translators in about 200 languages.

• Call 1.888.NYC.WELL (1.888.692.9355)
• Text "WELL" to 65173
• Chat online

The Samaritans organization operates a confidential hotline when you need someone to talk to. Call 212.673.3000.

Crisis Text Line offers free, around-the-clock support. Text "HOME" to 741741.

Students leaving SVA for medical reasons need to inform their Academic Advisor and have the Physician’s Verification of Medical Condition Form, located at the bottom of this page under ‘Resources’, completed within 30 days of the leave. The form may be returned directly to health@sva.edu.

Students looking to return from a medical leave of absence must have a Certificate of Readiness form completed by a licensed clinician, ideally 1-2 months before a student's intended return. The form is available at the bottom of this page under 'Resources'. It may be e-mailed directly to health@sva.edu.

Students (new and returning) are automatically enrolled and billed in the SVA sponsored health insurance plan, Cigna PPO. The insurance runs the full academic year, from August 25, 2020-August 24, 2021.

Wellfleet will be e-mailing students at their SVA account information on how to download their insurance card in August.

The SVA Student Health Form is required of all students looking to register for classes. The form is available on the bottom of this page under 'Resources'.

• Step 1- Meningitis Response - to be completed by the Student.
• Step 2 - Measles, Mumps Rubella vaccinations - to be completed a doctor. If you have a record of your Measles, Mumps, Rubella vaccinations (also known as MMR), you may skip Step 2 and email a picture of your medical record displaying MMR vaccinations.

Students with medical or religious exemptions - please read page 2 of the SVA Student Health Form for further information.

If you have previously attended SVA or submitted a health form for SVA's Pre-College Summer program, please e-mail health@sva.edu to inquire.

All incoming students are billed annually for the Cigna insurance plan.

The line item on the tuition bill is noted as 'health insurance fee' .

Students already covered under their own health insurance plan: please take the time to find out if your insurance plan will provide adequate network coverage in New York City.

If this is the case, a health insurance waiver must be submitted every academic year in order for the health insurance fee to be removed from the tuition bill.

Once the waiver is submitted by the student/parent/guardian and approved, it may take a billing cycle for the fee to be removed.

The insurance waiver is available at sva.edu/uhp. The deadline to submit a waiver is November 1.

Other important items to note regarding waiving the fee

• Students cannot remove the health insurance by writing to SVA administrative offices (this includes the Health & Counseling office and Student Accounts).

• The insurance fee is not removed by calling SVA administrative offices and requesting to have it removed.

• Crossing off the health insurance line item on the tuition bill does not communicate to Student Accounts or Health and Counseling that you wish to opt out of the insurance.

• If SVA does not have a waiver on file, submitting tuition payment without the health insurance fee will not remove the fee.

Graduating students enrolled in the SVA-sponsored insurance plan, Cigna: A 1, 2, or 3 month extension of the current SVA sponsored insurance plan is available through University Health Plans (not SVA), please e-mail info@univhealthplans.com for rates - application submission and payment is due before August 24, 2020 (the date the insurance expires).

Students may request their submitted immunization records (SVA Student Health Form) by completing the Immunization Record Release form at the bottom of this page under “Resources.”

A list of therapists and psychiatrists outside of SVA is available for download at the bottom of this page under “Resources.”

Approximately one month before registering for the semester of a student’s intended return, a Certificate of Readiness Form (available at the bottom of this page under “Resources”) must be completed by the treating healthcare provider and signed by the student.