Univ centers are under tremendous pressure for the last several years due to increasing demand for services and funding cut-backs--as well as some changes and lack of clarity in federal regulations that have potentially increased liability for universities. I would definitely call and inquire. Many school insurance policies allow for a certain number of free sessions, so you could take advantage of that to assess whether they can meet your needs.

I had a great experience at my Univ center, but it was 30 years ago, and the center was APA accredited for internships. So the staff was very highly credentialed: a full-time psychiatrist; several PhD psychologists; many MSW/LCSW therapists in addition to MA and postdoc interns. My T was the director, supervising the interns, and I was able to see him at very low cost for an unlimited time. When I was no longer student eligible, I switched to his private practice. I don't know if such a long-term arrangement would be possible now. If a client was actively suicidal and needed inpatient care, they were referred to the local hospital; but other than that, the severity of a condition wasn't an issue because the staff was large and credentialed.