CONWAY, SC (WMBF) – Coastal Carolina University’s mental health and wellness services received national recognition earlier this month.

The university was one of only 16 schools named to The Princeton Review’s 2025 Mental Health Services Honor Roll.

The achievement comes as CCU officials told WMBF News that the university has been working hard to expand its mental health services in recent years.

Lee Carter, assistant vice president for mental health and wellness at CCU, said the university partnered with an app called TimelyCare during the COVID-19 pandemic. She said the app provides telehealth and counseling to students at all hours of the day.

Carter also said the school aims to address the mental health crisis holistically by focusing on both response and prevention. The Princeton Review acknowledged this “collective approach” in its evaluation of CCU.

She said the university’s LiveWell program works to educate students about the resources available to them as early as freshman orientation.

“It really gives the students an understanding of a common language right from the beginning,” she said.

Kaitlyn DiGiovanni, a junior at CCU, said health professionals have also visited her sorority to check in with students.

“We’ve had LiveWell come and talk to our association about mental health a couple of times,” DiGiovanni said. “Knowing that these resources are available to everyone is great.”

And while DiGiovanni said she hasn’t had to consult with the university’s counseling and psychology staff individually, she said her friends have had positive experiences.

“The people there have just been so welcoming and so understanding about different issues that they might have, whether it’s burnout or depression,” she said.

CCU shares the honorary role with several top academic institutions, including Columbia University, Princeton University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and the University of North Carolina at Greensboro also did list.

Carter said she hopes CCU’s continued efforts will help end the stigma surrounding mental health.

“Being able to see a peer say they went to a counselor can actually say a lot to someone who really needs that resource and is a little hesitant to reach out,” she said.

Stay with WMBF News for updates.

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