what does my college health service offer?

01 What seven colleges say they offer and charge

Each line is from the college’s own student health pages. Fees can change during the year, so check the page or ask when you book.

• Trinity College Dublin. “Student consultations are free of charge with modest charges for additional services.” Its clinics include student clinics, STI clinics and physiotherapy. GP clinics are booked by phone, 9am to 5pm. Medical card holders also get free prescriptions.

  Sources: Trinity College Dublin: College Health Service; Trinity College Health: medical cards. Checked 29 October 2026.

• UCD. A doctor appointment, urgent or routine, is €30 and a nurse consultation €20, paid on the day. The service offers appointments “supplementary to your own GP”. It has no GMS contract, so it cannot take medical cards.

  Sources: UCD Student Health: charges; UCD Student Health: doctors and nurses appointments. Checked 29 October 2026.

• UCC. “General appointments are free of charge” with a doctor, nurse or psychiatrist. It offers care for physical and mental illness, contraception, STI screening and treatment, and physiotherapy (€50). It is not a medical card practice, so prescriptions from it are not on the medical card.

  Sources: UCC Student Health: fees; UCC Student Health: services. Checked 29 October 2026.

• University of Galway. “Consultations with the Student Health Doctor and Nurse are usually free but there are charges for some of the services offered.” It is “not intended as a replacement for your GP” for ongoing conditions.

  Source: University of Galway Student Health Unit: services and fees. Checked 29 October 2026.

• University of Limerick. A standard doctor consultation is €30. Some nurse appointments are free. STI screening is free, with a €10 charge if you need treatment. A medical card covers prescriptions only.

  Source: University of Limerick Student Health Centre: consultation fees. Checked 29 October 2026.

• DCU. A GP visit is €25, including one review within a week for the same condition. A nurse consultation is free. STI testing with a nurse is €20. It does not accept medical or GP visit cards.

  Source: DCU Student Health Service: charges. Checked 29 October 2026.

• TU Dublin. General consultations with the doctors and nurses are free at Aungier Street and Grangegorman, and there is no charge to see the nurse or GP at Blanchardstown or Tallaght. STI screening is free at Aungier Street and Grangegorman. It does not run a medical card practice.

  Source: TU Dublin Student Health Centres: clinic charges. Checked 29 October 2026.

02 What it is not

Several services say they work alongside your own GP rather than replace it. UCC says it “is not resourced to provide a GP service”, and it does not give social welfare sick certs: for those it sends you to your own GP. Need a cert for a missed exam? What colleges ask for.

Sources: UCC Student Health: services; UCD Student Health: doctors and nurses appointments; University of Galway Student Health Unit: services and fees. Checked 29 October 2026.

03 Free, wherever you study

• Medical card, 16 to 25. If you depend on a parent or guardian who has a medical card or GP visit card after a financial assessment, you also get one, but you must apply yourself. If you are financially independent you can apply on your own income.
• Contraception, 17 to 35. Free under the HSE scheme. Who qualifies
• STI test, 17 and older. A free HSE home kit by post. How it works
• Someone to talk to. Samaritans on 116 123 and Text About It on 50808 are free, any time. More free support

Sources: HSE: Medical card applications for 16 to 25 year olds; HSE: Free contraception; HSE: Order a free home STI test; Samaritans Ireland: contact us; Text About It. Checked 29 October 2026.