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Far From Home

UCSB Health, Safety and Local Resources for Parents

Student Health Service handles routine care on weekdays, and after hours UCSB points students to a nurse line, Cottage urgent care clinics in Goleta and Goleta Valley Cottage Hospital. Mail goes through the UCen Post Office.

Private group for UCSB parents and families

If it's an emergency

In an emergency call 911. For a mental health crisis call or text 988.

UCSB counseling: Counseling & Psychological Services (CAPS), (805) 893-4411.

If your student is sick

Our checklist for when your student gets sick far from home covers insurance cards, telehealth and what to ask.

Pharmacies

Campus police & safety

Mail & packages

  • University Center (UCen) Post Office

    Address
    Lower level, University Center, UC Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA 93106
    Hours
    Mon to Fri 9am to 4pm (per source)

    Handles U.S. Postal Service mail and products only. Students in the main campus residence halls (Anacapa, Manzanita Village, San Miguel, San Nicolas, San Rafael, Santa Cruz) collect USPS mail here and get an email when a package arrives, per Campus Housing. FedEx, UPS and OnTrac deliver to the residence halls directly.

    Source: Services, University Center (UCen), UCSB

  • Santa Catalina Package Pick Up Room

    Address
    Package Pick-Up Room #1435, North Tower, Santa Catalina Residence Hall, Isla Vista
    Hours
    Email ucen-sancatpostoffice@ucsb.edu for current hours (per source)

    Package pickup for Santa Catalina and Sierra Madre/San Joaquin residents, per Campus Housing.

    Source: Mail, UCSB Campus Housing

Groceries & essentials

Care packages

Check the UCSB mail and package details above for the address format, then see our guide to sending care packages that arrive well.

If your student gets sick

Start with Student Health Service, (805) 893-3371. It is open Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday 8am to 4:30pm and Wednesday 9am to 4:30pm, closed from noon to 1pm and on weekends. Appointments are booked through the MyHealth portal, and the pharmacy inside keeps the same hours.

When Student Health is closed, its after hours page lists:

  • Nurse advice line: 1 (877) 351-3457
  • Cottage Urgent Care, Hollister Village: 7070 Hollister Ave, #103, Goleta, (805) 324-9270
  • Cottage Urgent Care, Calle Real: 5652 Calle Real, Goleta, (805) 879-4239
  • Sansum Urgent Care: 215 Pesetas Ln, Santa Barbara, (805) 563-6110
  • Emergency room: Goleta Valley Cottage Hospital, 351 S. Patterson Ave., (805) 967-3411. Cottage Health says its emergency department is open around the clock.

Students on UC SHIP have free 24/7 video visits through LiveHealth Online, and Student Health notes that ambulance costs are waived for UC SHIP members.

In an emergency call 911. For a mental health crisis call or text 988. UCSB Counseling & Psychological Services (CAPS), in Building 599, answers (805) 893-4411 around the clock. Student Health also lists UCSB Sexual Assault Services at (805) 893-4613.

Pharmacies

Most options sit along Calle Real and Hollister Avenue in Goleta: CVS at 5875 Calle Real (805) 967-5677, Walgreens at 5900 Calle Real (805) 967-3798, CVS at 7030 Hollister Ave. Bldg. E (805) 562-1480, and Costco at 7095 Marketplace Dr. (805) 685-4141, where Student Health notes membership is not required for the pharmacy.

Campus police and getting home safely

The UCSB Police Department is in Public Safety Building 574; its non emergency line is (805) 893-3446. Student CSOs provide personal safety escorts on campus and in Isla Vista, and the escort line is (805) 893-2000. Encourage your student to save both numbers. Students are enrolled in UCSB Alert, the campus emergency notification system, through their email, and can add a cell phone number at alert.ucsb.edu to get texts. Residence halls have self locking doors, front desk staff and on call professional staff after hours.

Mail and packages

Residence hall mail goes to a PO box, not the room. Use this format:

First and Last Name
Residence Hall and Room Number
UCSB
PO Box Number
Santa Barbara CA 93107

Housing's address lookup tool gives each student's exact box. In the main campus halls, USPS mail and packages are picked up at the UCen Post Office on the lower level of the University Center, Monday to Friday 9am to 4pm, and students get an email when a package arrives. FedEx, UPS and OnTrac deliver to the halls directly. Santa Catalina and Sierra Madre/San Joaquin residents use the Package Pick Up Room, #1435, in Santa Catalina's North Tower. Hall desk staff accept only flowers, cakes, RHA approved packages and airline luggage.

Groceries, banking and care packages

The Isla Vista Food Coop at 6575 Seville Road is the community owned grocery in Isla Vista, and MTD Lines 24x, 27 and 28 all reach Camino Real Marketplace. We could not confirm a current list of on campus ATMs from an official page, so have your student ask at the UCen Information Desk, open weekdays 10am to 4pm near the Rotunda. The UCen also hosts the campus Food Bank on its second floor.

For care packages, ship nonperishable snacks and small comforts, and skip anything that needs cooking; hall rooms do not allow microwaves or hot plates.

Health, safety and local questions

What is my UCSB student's mailing address?

Use: name, residence hall and room number, UCSB, PO Box number, Santa Barbara CA 93107. Students in the main campus halls pick up USPS mail at the UCen Post Office, weekdays 9am to 4pm. Santa Catalina residents collect USPS packages at the Package Pick-Up Room in Santa Catalina's North Tower.

Source: Mail, UCSB Campus Housing
Where should my student go if they get sick at night?

Call the after hours nurse advice line at 1 (877) 351-3457. Student Health lists Cottage Urgent Care in Goleta and Goleta Valley Cottage Hospital for emergencies; in an emergency call 911.

Source: Emergency / After Hours Care, Student Health Service, UCSB
Does UCSB have a 24 hour counseling line?

Yes. Counseling & Psychological Services (CAPS) answers (805) 893-4411 at any hour. For a mental health crisis you can also call or text 988.

Source: Counseling & Psychological Services (CAPS), UCSB
Is there a safety escort at UCSB?

Yes. Student CSOs provide personal safety escorts on campus and in Isla Vista; call (805) 893-2000. The police non emergency line is (805) 893-3446.

Source: UCSB Police Department

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