Health and Wellness Access for Students Living Outside of Alberta

Taking care of your physical and mental health is important, and our Health and Wellness teams are here to support you. If you reside outside of Alberta, there are Health and Wellness services available to you through the U of A. However, due to professional and legal restrictions, some of these services might look a bit different. Below is a chart to help you navigate these services.

Health Services for Out-of-Province Students (within Canada):

STUDENT HEALTH PLANS

Service

Description

Who Can Access

Outside Edmonton

Outside Alberta

Outside Canada

Undergraduate EmpowerMe (StudentCare Plan)

Free Counselling services

Undergrads who have not opted out of the plan

✔️

✔️

✔️

Graduate Student Assistance Program 

Free Counselling services

Graduate Students

✔️

✔️

OTHER FREE OR LOW-COST HELP

Sunlife Lumino (free and paid services)

Counselling

All (students, faculty, staff)

✔️

✔️

❌(Online Health Guides only)

Crisis Services Canada

Portal for local crisis supports

All (students, faculty, staff)

✔️

✔️

Hope for Wellness Hotline

Online support for Indigenous students

Indigenous students and staff

✔️

✔️

✔️ (text)

Wellness Together Canada

Portal to general wellness services

All

✔️

✔️

Unclear, likely no

Kids Help Phone

Online support, crisis

Students

✔️

✔️

AHS Virtual Mental Health Peer Support 

Online Peer Support

All (students, faculty, staff)

✔️


Health Services Available to Out-of-Canada Students

STUDENT HEALTH PLANS

Service

Description

Who Can Access

Outside Canada

Undergraduate EmpowerMe (StudentCare Plan)

Free Counselling services, some limitations may apply

*If a phone number is not available for your region, email callcenter@optimaglobalhealth.com to request support.

Undergrads who have not opted out of the plan

✔️

International SOS

Free 24/7 counselling (up to five sessions) for all students travelling abroad on academic programs and university business- call +1 215.942.8478 worldwide

Students

✔️

OTHER HELP

Local Emergency Numbers for Countries

A listing of local emergency number for each country

All

✔️

Suicide.org

Suicide hotline for the USA, multiple languages

USA

✔️

Beijing Suicide Research and Prevention Center Hotline

Suicide helplines 

Students in China

✔️

CCS Self-Help handouts

Self-help for many common mental health issues

Anyone

✔️


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