Headspace is the best educational service for student wellness for most students, because the verified student plan costs $9.99 per year and covers the full meditation, sleep, and focus library, while TimelyCare and Mantra Health are best when a college already provides them at no cost to enrolled students. The cheapest way in is often a campus contract, not an app store: TimelyCare, Mantra Health, and Togetherall cost nothing to the student at partner schools, while Talkspace starts at $69 per week and BetterHelp starts at $70 per week. Session caps change the value of campus services more than any feature list does: Stanford gives 12 scheduled TimelyCare counseling sessions per academic year, Northeastern Illinois gives 9, and George Fox gives 7.
Student wellness covers two different needs that are easy to mix up. The first is daily care: short meditations, breathing practice, sleep audio, and courses that help a student manage stress between classes. The second is clinical care: sessions with a licensed therapist, psychiatry by referral, and crisis support. Prices below come from official vendor pages opened on 2026-11-12.
On this page
Best educational services for student wellness: comparison table
Swipe the table sideways on a phone to see every column.
| # | Name | Best for | Starting price | Free plan / trial | Link |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Headspace | Verified students who want guided meditation at a low yearly cost | $9.99 per year | Free trial (14 days) | Visit |
| 2 | Calm | Students who want sleep stories and calm audio at night | $16.99 per month | Yes | Visit |
| 3 | Insight Timer | Students who want a large free meditation library | $9.99 per month | Yes | Visit |
| 4 | Talkspace | Students who want licensed therapy by message and video | $69 per week | No | Visit |
| 5 | BetterHelp | Students who want weekly live therapy with messaging | $70 per week | No | Visit |
| 6 | TimelyCare | Enrolled students at partner colleges who want virtual care at no cost | quote only | Yes | Visit |
| 7 | Mantra Health | Students at partner colleges who want therapy plus self-guided care | quote only | Yes | Visit |
| 8 | Togetherall | Students who want anonymous peer support around the clock | quote only | Yes | Visit |
The 8 best best educational services for student wellness, in detail
Headspace
Best for: Verified students who want guided meditation at a low yearly cost
Headspace is a meditation and sleep app with guided courses, Sleepcasts, sleep music, focus music, and movement sessions. The standard annual plan costs $69.99 per year, about $5.83 per month, and the monthly plan costs $12.99 per month. The verified student plan is $9.99 per year, with verification handled through SheerID, and a family plan for up to six people costs $99.99 per year.
- One limit: the trial converts to a subscription unless cancelled before the end date.
- Headspace suits a student who wants structured courses and a daily routine.
- It does not suit a student who needs regular sessions with a licensed therapist, because that care sits outside the standard subscription.
Pros
- Verified student plan costs $9.99 per year
- annual plan includes a 14-day free trial and the monthly plan includes a 7-day free trial
Cons
- Full library needs a subscription after the trial ends
- therapy and coaching are add-ons, not part of the standard subscription
Calm
Best for: Students who want sleep stories and calm audio at night
Calm is a meditation, sleep, and relaxation app built around Sleep Stories, guided meditations, breathing exercises, focus music, and masterclasses. The monthly plan costs $16.99 per month, and the annual plan is listed at $69.99 to $79.99 per year depending on where the subscription is bought, with a 7-day free trial on the annual plan in many offers. A family plan covers up to six accounts.
- One limit: the free tier is thin, with one breathing exercise, a handful of Sleep Stories, and the first day of each meditation program, so most of th
- Calm suits a student whose main problem is falling asleep or winding down at night.
- It does not suit a student who needs therapy.
Pros
- Free tier includes a small sample of meditations, Sleep Stories, and sounds
- annual plan costs $69.99 to $79.99 per year depending on purchase route
Cons
- Free tier is limited to a small sample of content
- annual price varies by purchase route, so the checkout screen is the price that counts
Insight Timer
Best for: Students who want a large free meditation library
Insight Timer is a meditation app with a free library of more than 300,000 guided meditations, talks, music, and sleep audio, plus a customizable meditation timer and live events. The optional MemberPlus subscription costs $9.99 per month or $59.99 per year, with a 7-day free trial on the annual plan. MemberPlus adds the full course library, offline downloads, ad-free listening, premium tracks and timer sounds, and an advanced audio player.
- One limit: each person needs their own MemberPlus subscription, because Insight Timer states that no family plan is offered at present.
- Offline listening is also limited to MemberPlus, so a student who wants to download guided audio for a place with no signal needs the subscription.
- Insight Timer suits a student on a tight budget who wants the widest free choice of teachers and topics.
Pros
- Free library includes more than 300,000 guided tracks and a meditation timer
- MemberPlus costs $59.99 per year on the annual plan
Cons
- No family plan is offered at present
- offline downloads need MemberPlus
Talkspace
Best for: Students who want licensed therapy by message and video
Talkspace is an online therapy platform that connects a person with a licensed therapist for messaging, live video, audio, or chat sessions. Out-of-pocket pricing starts at $69 per week for messaging only, $99 per week for video plus messaging, and $109 per week for video plus messaging plus workshops. The video plans include up to four 30-minute live sessions per month plus unlimited messaging.
- Teen therapy for ages 13 to 17 uses the same $69 to $109 per week range.
- One limit: psychiatry is charged per session, with an initial evaluation at $299 and follow-up sessions at $175, so medication care costs extra on top
- Talkspace suits a student who wants to message a therapist between sessions and who has insurance that covers it.
- It does not suit a student who wants unlimited live video sessions each week.
Pros
- Most insured members have a $0 copay
- messaging plan includes unlimited messaging with replies 5 days per week
Cons
- Video plans cap live sessions at four 30-minute sessions per month
- psychiatry initial evaluation costs $299
BetterHelp
Best for: Students who want weekly live therapy with messaging
BetterHelp is an online therapy service that matches a person with a licensed therapist for weekly live sessions by video, phone, or live chat, plus messaging, a journal, worksheets, and group sessions and classes. The subscription generally costs $70 to $100 per week in the United States, or about $280 to $400 per month, depending on location, preferences, therapist availability, and any discounts. BetterHelp accepts insurance with more than 125 insurance plans, and eligible members have an average copay of $23 per session.
- One limit: the exact weekly price is set during sign-up, so two students can pay different amounts for the same service, and there is no free trial to
- A session cancelled within 24 hours or missed can carry a $15 fee.
- BetterHelp suits a student who wants one live session each week with messaging in between.
- It does not suit a student who wants to pay per session.
Pros
- Subscription includes one live session per week plus messaging, journaling, and group sessions
- insurance copays average $23 per session for eligible members
Cons
- No free trial is offered at present
- exact weekly price varies from $70 to $100 by location, preferences, and therapist availability
TimelyCare
Best for: Enrolled students at partner colleges who want virtual care at no cost
TimelyCare is a virtual health and well-being platform built for colleges and universities, with on-demand medical care, on-demand emotional support through TalkNow, scheduled counseling, health coaching, psychiatry by referral, and self-care content. At partner schools, enrolled students use it at no cost and without insurance, and the service is available around the clock, 365 days a year. The session cap matters most: Stanford covers up to 12 scheduled counseling sessions per academic year, Northeastern Illinois University covers 9, and George Fox University covers 7.
- One limit: TimelyCare is only available through a partner college, so a student whose school has not signed up cannot buy it directly, and no listed p
- TimelyCare suits a student at a partner college who wants fast access to care without a copay.
Pros
- Free to enrolled students at partner schools with no insurance needed
- TalkNow and MedicalNow are available around the clock
Cons
- Scheduled counseling is capped at 7 to 12 sessions per academic year depending on the school
- psychiatry is by referral at some schools
Mantra Health
Best for: Students at partner colleges who want therapy plus self-guided care
Mantra Health is a virtual mental health platform for colleges, built around a Care Hub that brings together self-guided care, peer support, wellness coaching, therapy, psychiatry, and crisis support. At partner schools such as the University of Kansas and the University of Utah, the Care Hub is free to enrolled students. Normandale Community College lists 12 therapy sessions per year.
- One limit: therapy through Mantra Health is by referral only at some schools, so a student may need an initial consultation with the campus counseling
- Mantra Health also replaced TELUS Health as the virtual mental health provider at the University of Utah in August 2026.
- Mantra Health suits a student who wants one hub for self-care, coaching, and therapy through their college.
Pros
- Care Hub is free to students at partner schools
- ConnectNow gives in-the-moment support with no appointment needed
Cons
- Therapy is by referral only at some schools
- clinical sessions are capped at 12 per year at some schools
Togetherall
Best for: Students who want anonymous peer support around the clock
Togetherall is an anonymous peer-to-peer mental health community, open around the clock, with self-guided courses, articles on sleep, anxiety, and low mood, and self-assessments. Members stay anonymous to each other, and licensed clinicians monitor the community and keep it safe. It is free to students at participating universities, including Boston University, the University of Alabama in Huntsville, and Northern Illinois University, and free to people aged 16 to 30 living in Ireland through the HSE.
- One limit: Togetherall is not therapy, and its clinicians monitor the community rather than providing one-to-one treatment, so a student who needs reg
- Togetherall suits a student who wants to talk with peers who understand student life at 2am without using their name.
Pros
- Free to students at participating universities with no card and no cost
- community is anonymous and monitored by licensed clinicians around the clock
Cons
- Peer support is not therapy
- access needs a participating university or an eligible route such as the Ireland HSE program for ages 16 to 30
How we chose
We chose services that serve students directly, either through a student plan, a campus contract, or a free tier that a student can use without a school sign-up. Prices and plan limits come from official vendor pages opened on 2026-11-12, and campus services with no listed price are shown as quote only. We did not test any tool hands-on. The unique fact in this list is the session cap gap: the same TimelyCare service covers 12 scheduled counseling sessions per academic year at Stanford, 9 at Northeastern Illinois University, and 7 at George Fox University.
Pick by need and budget
| Need | First pick | Cost to the student | What to check |
|---|---|---|---|
| Daily meditation on a student budget | Headspace student plan | $9.99 per year | SheerID verification and the trial end date |
| Sleep audio at night | Calm | $16.99 per month, or $69.99 to $79.99 per year | Annual price shown at checkout |
| Widest free meditation library | Insight Timer | $0 for the free tier, $59.99 per year for MemberPlus | Offline downloads need MemberPlus |
| Licensed therapy with insurance | Talkspace | $0 copay for most insured members, $69 per week without insurance | Four 30-minute live sessions per month on video plans |
| Weekly live therapy without insurance | BetterHelp | $70 to $100 per week | Exact price is set at sign-up and varies by location |
| Campus care at no cost | TimelyCare | $0 at partner schools | Counseling cap at your school, 7 to 12 sessions per year |
| Campus therapy plus self-care | Mantra Health | $0 at partner schools | Whether therapy needs a campus referral first |
| Anonymous peer support | Togetherall | $0 at participating universities | Your school must take part, and it is not therapy |
Frequently asked questions
Which educational service for student wellness is best for most students?
Headspace is the best pick for most students, because the verified student plan costs $9.99 per year and covers the full meditation, sleep, and focus library, with a 14-day free trial on the annual plan. Students who need therapy should check TimelyCare or Mantra Health through their college first, because those services cost nothing to enrolled students at partner schools.
What is the cheapest way for a student to get therapy?
The cheapest route is a campus service, because TimelyCare and Mantra Health cost nothing to enrolled students at partner schools, with scheduled counseling capped at 7 to 12 sessions per academic year depending on the school. With insurance, Talkspace has a $0 copay for most insured members.
Is Togetherall the same as therapy?
No, Togetherall is anonymous peer support, not therapy. Members talk with other students and use self-guided courses, while licensed clinicians monitor the community around the clock to keep it safe. A student who needs regular one-to-one treatment should use Talkspace, BetterHelp, TimelyCare, or Mantra Health, and use Togetherall as extra support between sessions.
How much does Headspace cost for a student?
A verified student pays $9.99 per year for Headspace, with verification handled through SheerID. The standard annual plan costs $69.99 per year, the monthly plan costs $12.99 per month, and the family plan for up to six people costs $99.99 per year. The annual plan has a 14-day free trial, and the monthly plan has a 7-day free trial.
What should a student check before choosing a campus wellness service?
Check the scheduled counseling cap, because TimelyCare covers 12 sessions per academic year at Stanford, 9 at Northeastern Illinois University, and 7 at George Fox University. Check whether therapy needs a campus referral, as it does at some Mantra Health schools, and check whether psychiatry is included or by referral only.
Sources
- https://www.headspace.com
- https://help.headspace.com/hc/en-us/articles/215758647-How-do-I-purchase-a-Headspace-subscription
- https://www.calm.com
- https://insighttimer.com
- https://help.insighttimer.com/support/solutions/articles/67000664702-what-is-memberplus-
- https://www.talkspace.com
- https://www.talkspace.com/pricing
- https://www.betterhelp.com
- https://www.betterhelp.com/advice/therapy/how-much-is-betterhelp-a-month/
- https://www.timelycare.com
- https://www.mantrahealth.com
- https://togetherall.com/en-ie
Prices and features were read on each company’s own website in November 2026. They change often, so confirm the current offer on the official site before you sign up or buy.