Nevada colleges and universities extend a helping hand so you can focus on your education instead of financial or emotional stress.
Higher education doesn’t come cheap, but Nevada colleges and universities offer a variety of free resources to help students.
Whether you suffer from food insecurity, can’t afford textbooks, or simply need help preparing for your future career, these free resources will alleviate your financial stress so you can focus on your education.
From free counseling services to tech support, here are some of the resources college students may not know are available. This is not an exhaustive list of free services, so be sure to check directly with your institution of higher learning.
Open Educational Resources (OER)
Textbooks can cost a fortune, but many higher education institutions provide access to free digital textbooks, e-books, and journals. These Open Educational Resources (OERs), such as the OER Commons, a public digital library of OERs, are legally available for anyone to access.
Community College of Southern Nevada (CSN), for instance, provides access to educational resources, including the CSN Library’s OER at CSN and the Open Textbook Library, supported by the Open Education Network. The Open Textbook Library has more than 1,000 openly licensed textbooks, organized by subject, all licensed by authors and publishers for free use and adaptation. You can download, edit, and distribute them for free.
In addition to access to OERs, CSN offers a Textbook Assistance Program (TAP) that loans textbooks to students in need.
If you’re struggling with the cost of textbooks or simply want to save money, check with your school directly to see what OER repositories it offers.
Free campus food pantries
Roughly 1 in 3 U.S. college students experiences food insecurity, according to Feed America. Fortunately, more than 800 colleges and universities in the U.S. run campus food pantries, including a handful in Nevada.
Food pantries offer free perishable and non-perishable food items, so students can focus on their studies and participate in campus life without the stress of hunger. Some pantries also have school supplies and hygiene products,
The University of Nevada, Reno’s Pack Provisions food pantry serves about 175 university students, staff, and faculty members each week through community partnerships. To access the food pantry, you must be a current member of the Wolf Pack and show your Wolf Card (student or staff ID).
Nevada State College in Henderson has a full food pantry with non-perishable goods and essential hygiene items, as well as a Grab ‘N’ Go Mini Food Pantry with options for quick meals and snacks. You don’t have to apply or qualify to access the food pantries; just show up.
The college accepts donations of unopened and unexpired non-perishable food, drinks, and hygiene items to distribute in the pantries. A list of other food pantries in Nevada is available on the college website.
CSN has offered the Coyote Cupboard at its Henderson, Charleston, and North Las Vegas campuses since 2019. It was originally funded by grants, but continues to operate thanks to donations. Current CSN students, faculty, and staff with a valid CSN ID may take home a bag of groceries every two weeks (while supplies last).
To donate items to the food pantry, check out the Coyote Cupboard wishlists for its three main campuses online.
Free mental health assistance
According to a study by Johns Hopkins Children’s Center, depression symptoms have steadily increased for students over the past 15 years. Fortunately, many Nevada colleges offer access to free or low-cost medical clinics and crisis support for the emotional well-being of students, including:
- Nevada State University offers counseling services for students who are struggling with mental health concerns. Enrolled students have access to seven free counseling appointments to be used any time between the Fall and Spring semesters, plus five free sessions for the Summer term.
- Great Basin College in Elko provides its enrolled students with access to up to five free telehealth counseling sessions with a licensed counselor through BetterMynd. The program is funded partly by a donation from the Elko Federal Credit Union.
- The Counseling Center at Truckee Meadows Community College provides free counseling services to students and staff through professionally trained, skilled counselors.
- CSN and UNLV use Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS) for short-term, solution-focused mental health services.
Free career services
College students seeking gainful employment after graduation face a competitive job market. Most colleges offer free career services to help students prepare, such as resume reviews, mock interviews, and even professional clothing closets.
The Career Services Center at Nevada State College provides unlimited career advising to currently enrolled students by appointment or on a drop-in basis, while UNLV offers career and professional development, including career coaching, career assessments, interview support, and job boards.
Career Services at Western Nevada College in Carson City prepares students for job interviews with resume-building workshops, interview preparation, academic advising, mentorship programs, and more.
Free transportation
Colleges provide free and low-cost transportation options to ensure that students without cars can get to class. They also often provide shuttle services on and off campus for various activities.
Free Regional Transportation Commission (RTC) bus passes are available for students at Southern and Northern Nevada colleges, including CSN, UNLV, Nevada State College, UNR, Desert Research Institute (DRI), Truckee Meadows Community College, and Western Nevada College.
At CSN, current students are allowed one free RTC bus pass as long as they are enrolled in at least one class. The Free College Transit Pass Program at UNLV, sponsored by RTC’s Club Ride, provides free bus passes to students each semester.
UNR students and staff with a student or employee ID can ride RTC’s fixed-route transit for free. Students can also request the Connect Shuttle for free transportation to civic and community engagement projects. During the Spring and Fall semesters, UNR students can also use the Pack Rides mobile app to request safe, on-demand rides to and from campus for academic activities, or to WinCo and Walmart shopping centers.
The Scorpion Shuttle is a free, ADA-equipped shuttle service for Nevada State University students. The shuttle stops at locations across campus and even goes to the CSN Henderson campus. It is open year-round, though hours vary.
Additional free resources
College students have access to a variety of other free resources, including tutoring, library services, software and tech access, disability support, financial literacy, and legal advice. Here are some examples:
- At CSN, students have access to free tools, including a 90-day free membership to access Apple products, Logic Pro X, and Final Cut Pro X.
- UNR students can use the student-run ASUN Legal Services for guidance on an off-campus legal problem, though attorneys cannot represent them in court.
- UNLV offers a wide variety of free academic support on its UNLV Student Resource Hub, including tools, guides, and learning strategies. Students can access research materials, get personalized librarian support, and develop their research skills through Lied Library Online. Additional free resources at UNLV include writing support, tutoring services, academic advising, success coaching, technology loaners, and tech support.
For more free resources, check out the Nevada System of Higher Education website or contact your institution of higher learning directly.
