Mental health as a student is crucial for academic success. A student of any age benefits in the classroom when they have strong mental health. Schools, colleges, and universities have long recognized this importance and have offered services and programs to students to help combat mental, emotional, and psychological disabilities or disorders.  

If you feel that your mental health is preventing you from succeeding academically at school and your college isn't providing the help you need, you should call the Lento Law Firm at 888-535-3686 or send us your information via our online form. 

More College Students Report Trauma 

Most colleges and universities offer mental health, counseling, or psychological services for their students. In the last 12 years, these mental health providers and centers have seen an uptick in the number of students experiencing trauma—from 37.5 percent of students receiving counseling to 46.8 percent. Many colleges and universities are now looking to hire trauma experts who can help students work through Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and other trauma-related issues. 

This focus on trauma-informed care means that students don't have to go off-campus to get the counseling and services they need. It also shows a positive step for higher education, recognizing the importance of mental health for students. 

Mental Health in Higher Education 

As a student, you may have already taken advantage of your school's counseling and mental health services, or you may know someone who has. These services can have a tremendous impact on your academic success. The pressure of maintaining a certain grade point average to keep your scholarship, stress over working part-time while also taking a full course load, or the loneliness that comes from moving away from home can all take a toll. It negatively impacts your academic performance or may prevent you from participating in enriching extra-curricular activities. 

If you're feeling overwhelmed or hopeless about your college education, you should try to deal with it yourself—especially if you've started falling behind in your courses. Many schools have policies concerning academic progress relief, which allows you to slip below the required grade point average temporarily while you deal with your mental health. Other schools also have more lenient course withdrawal policies, which let you withdraw from a course after the typical withdrawal date in the case of extreme and unavoidable emergencies. 

What to Do If Your School Doesn't Give You Academic Relief 

Getting academic relief for your mental health crisis isn't always simple. You may have to go through an extensive appeal procedure and provide proof that your mental health condition isn't adequate to maintain the academic progress that's expected of you. When you're in poor health, the last thing you need is a complex administrative procedure that prevents you from getting the relief you need. 

If you're facing probation or dismissal from your university as a result of academic performance, you should contact the Student Defense Team at the Lento Law Firm. Although colleges and universities know that mental health issues contribute greatly to academic problems, they don't always do what's best for each student based on their unique situation. Our team of attorneys can help you, though. 

We can help you put together a compelling case in your favor to allow your college to give you academic relief on the basis of mental health. We can also attend meetings with college administrators with you. We can be by your side at each step of the process. Call our firm today at 888-535-3686 or submit our online form so we can discuss your case.