Health and Well-Being
Student health isn’t limited to medical care. Health insurance, medical consultations, mental health support, substance abuse prevention, sexual health, and support during difficult times: many organizations offer resources and professionals to inform you, listen to you, and support you.
Whether you’re a French or international student, you’ll find essential information on this page to help you understand your rights, access services tailored to your needs, and take care of your physical and mental health on a daily basis.
Health Insurance
In France, to be eligible for mandatory health insurance, also known as “Sécurité sociale” (Social Security), you must be enrolled with the Caisse Primaire d’Assurance Maladie (CPAM). This enrollment covers a portion of your healthcare expenses (doctor visits, medications, tests, etc.). To supplement these reimbursements and reduce—or even eliminate—out-of-pocket costs, you can purchase supplemental health insurance.
Depending on your situation (French student, international student, first-time enrollment in higher education, newly arrived in France, etc.), certain steps may be necessary to ensure your health coverage.
Your Services
The Service de Santé Étudiante (Student Health Service, SSE) supports students throughout their academic journey by providing free, confidential access to healthcare professionals with no upfront costs. You can receive medical consultations, psychological support, social services, as well as advice on prevention and well-being. The SSE is also here to guide you toward the resources best suited to your situation and help you take care of your health on a daily basis.
Located on the Toulouse Capitole University campus, the SSE is open from 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday, on the 4th floor of the Rempart building.
Composed of general practitioners, among others, the SSE offers a number of services—all provided confidentially and with no upfront costs. In addition, a nursing reception service is available to you, allowing you to schedule an appointment for a consultation, advice, assistance with any health issues, nursing care, and emergency care.
Beyond the SSE, a doctor—known as a primary care physician—can coordinate your medical care as part of a patient care pathway. Once you’ve registered a primary care physician, you’ll be eligible for better coverage of your healthcare costs through the national health insurance program.
General practitioners, gynecologists, sexologists, and midwives from the "Centre de Planification ou d’Éducation Familiale" (Family Planning or Family Education Center) are also part of the SSE. This allows all students to receive help with topics like:
- Contraception;
- Prescriptions for oral contraceptives;
- Insertion of devices (implants, IUDs);
- Medical follow-up (lab tests and Pap smears);
- Requests for abortion.
The SSE also organizes numerous informational and fun activities focused on prevention and health promotion around various topics, particularly sexual health.
If you or a loved one needs help with an addiction (tobacco, marijuana, alcohol, etc.), there are organizations and professionals here to support you.
First, the SSE offers addiction counseling sessions led by a professional. At the first signs of a problem, you can make an appointment with their teams to get information, assess the situation, and receive guidance if necessary.
Additionally, the Interministerial Mission to Combat Drugs and Addictive Behaviors has been offering a wide range of resources and advice for several years.
Stress, sleep disturbances, depressive thoughts, or emotional difficulties? There are solutions available to help you during your studies.
The “Santé Psy Étudiant” program, implemented nationwide, provides access to 12 free consultations per year with a psychologist, with no upfront costs, and is renewable annually.
For more information on this program, visit the dedicated government website (in french). A directory of partner professionals is also available. It allows you to identify psychologists based on various criteria, including languages spoken, to facilitate access to care for international students.
Your Student Health Service (SSE) can assist you in accessing this support and offers tailored psychological counseling. Professionals are there to welcome you, listen to you, and, if necessary, refer you to appropriate support. Consultations are offered directly in some facilities.
Non-French-speaking Master and PhD international students can also receive psychological support from the institution’s partner professionals as part of dedicated mental health consultations.
Toulouse Capitole University pursues a proactive policy regarding the support of students with disabilities. Whether it involves academic accommodations, accessibility of teaching facilities, or student life, your health condition or disability should not hinder your academic progress or your student experience.
CARE Anti-Harassment Committee
The TSE & IAST reporting and response system allows anyone affected by violence, discrimination, or harassment to be heard in a safe environment.
It consists of two complementary units: the CARE listening unit, dedicated to providing guidance and support, and the processing unit, responsible for analyzing reports and proposing appropriate measures.
Have you been a victim of or witnessed harassment, discrimination, or gender-based and sexual violence? The members of the CARE listening unit are here to hear you out and support you.
Contact
Accueil étudiants - Bâtiment TSE, Bureau T.035