Making Mental Health Funding Work:
Practical Guidance for Higher Ed Leaders
Key Takeaways
- Federal funding is shifting, but opportunities remain, especially in workforce and mental health support.
- Quick-turnaround grants are emerging as agencies push to spend before deadlines.
- Institutions without a grants office can stay competitive by coordinating internally, preparing early, and telling a compelling story.
- Additional funding may be available through state programs, private foundations, and designation-specific grants.
At TimelyCare, we believe every student deserves support that meets them where they are, especially when it comes to mental health. For the professionals on the front lines, the biggest challenge often isn’t identifying the need, it’s finding the funding to meet it.
Our recent webinar with experts from McAllister & Quinn explored this complex landscape, offering clarity and compassion. Whether you serve at a community college, private university or a large public university, here’s what you need to know to keep your mental health programs funded and thriving.
What’s Changing with Federal Funding?
Federal agencies are currently operating under level funding from the previous fiscal year, but changes are underway. The FY26 budget process has begun. While political gridlock may result in another continuing resolution, new priorities are emerging, especially around workforce development and student mental health.
Key Insight:
Even when budgets stall, new opportunities can emerge. Initiatives like the proposed “Administration for a Healthy America,” which may consolidate HRSA and SAMHSA, could unlock funding for mental health, substance use, and workforce training.
What Are the Campus-Level Impacts?
Institutions are already feeling the pressure. Some grants, particularly those tied to DEI and environmental justice, have been canceled. Others have been delayed after approval.
Despite this, there’s reason for optimism. Federal agencies are now pushing to obligate funds before fiscal deadlines, creating quick-turnaround opportunities. Agencies are signaling this movement through:
- Technical assistance webinars
- Q&A sessions
- Inquiries about pending proposals
Action Step:
Stay alert, informed, and prepared to move quickly when these windows open.
What Grants Are Available Now?
Here are key opportunities currently available or anticipated:
- Title V for Hispanic-Serving Institutions: Up to $3 million over 5 years. Due July 3. Supports student retention and mental health services.
- DOJ Campus Grant: $300,000 over 3 years. Primarily focused on violence prevention, but can support mental health services.
- SAMHSA Garrett Lee Smith Campus Suicide Prevention Grant: $306,000 over 3 years. Directly supports suicide prevention. Expected Spring 2026.
- Congressionally Directed Spending (Earmarks): Often overlooked, these allow for large, flexible funding. Can support peer programs, suicide prevention training, or TimelyCare access.
Private foundations like The Jed Foundation, Wellcome Trust, and Robert Wood Johnson Foundation are also strong allies in student mental health funding.
What If You Don’t Have a Grants Office?
Many institutions lack a full-time grants team. Here’s how to stay competitive:
- Build Internal Bridges: Engage Advancement, Academic Affairs, Institutional Research, and Finance.
- Start Early: Begin collecting data and framing proposals well in advance.
- Tell a Clear Story: Use data to show need, and elevate student voices to illustrate impact.
- Leverage Existing Resources: Review successful past proposals, collaborate with peer institutions, and use evidence-based frameworks.
- Plan for Sustainability: Even when not required, showing how a program can be sustained increases your credibility with funders.
Where Else Can You Look?
Federal funds aren’t the only option. Some states, like Pennsylvania and Texas, offer robust mental health funding programs. Private foundations and donors also play a key role, especially when your programs align with strategic institutional goals.
If your institution is a Minority-Serving Institution or serves rural populations, those designations can unlock additional funding channels.
Support That Doesn’t Stop
To every mental health counselor, health center director, dean of students, and student affairs professional: we see you. We hear you. The funding maze is real, but so is your impact.
At TimelyCare, we’re here to help you stay in the game. Mental health doesn’t take a day off, and neither should our support for it.
Contact us to learn how we can help your campus thrive.
