[Editor’s note]: As students move in and prepare for the start of another school year, the Daily Nexus has compiled a list of free resources available to all UC Santa Barbara students throughout the year. We’ll be updating the list over the course of the next few days; if you know of a resource we haven’t already listed, send us an email at news@dailynexus.com with “Free Resource” and the name of the resource in the subject line.
Free Printing: UCSB students can print up to 200 sheets of paper per quarter in black and white for free at four locations around campus: Phelps 1521, Humanities and Social Sciences Building 1203, Psychology East 1804 and Music Room 1400. Hours are available on the PrintSpot website.
Associated Students Food Bank and Miramar Food Pantry: The A.S. Food Bank, currently located on the second floor of the University Center, provides fresh fruits, vegetables, pasta, bread, canned goods and toiletries. You must be a registered undergraduate or graduate student who makes under $14,484 per year — excluding “family income, spousal income, financial aid, scholarships, TA-ship, and fellowships” — to use the food bank. The food bank is open Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays from 9:30 a.m. to 6 p.m during the school year.
The Miramar Food Pantry, which provides similar resources to the food bank, is located in the Sierra Madre Villages and is open Monday, Tuesday and Thursday from 4 to 7 p.m.
Microsoft Office 365: All UCSB students have free access to Microsoft Office applications, including Word, PowerPoint, Outlook, OneDrive, Excel and more, through the university for the duration of their college career. For more information on how to download these applications, click here.
Food Security/Supporting Orgs: UCSB students have created a public Facebook group where students or organizations putting on events with free food will share information about their events.
Condoms: Students can get free condoms at these locations around campus:
Santa Cruz | Lobby Women’s Restroom Rm. 1013
Anacapa | Lobby ADA All Gender Restroom Rm. 1015
Santa Rosa | Lobby Men’s Restroom Rm. 1018
San Nicolas | Lobby All Gender Restroom Rm. 1014
San Miguel | Lobby All Gender Restroom Rm. 1040
Manzanita Village | Restroom Rm.1011 in De Anza Building
San Rafael | Lobby All Gender Restroom Rm. 1175A
Santa Catalina North | All Gender Restroom Rm. 0429
Santa Catalina South | All Gender Restroom Rm. 023
Sierra Clinic (Silver Hallway) | All Gender Restrooms A & B
Granada Clinic (Green Hallway) | All Gender Restroom
Student Health Front Desk
Health & Wellness Office
Student Resource Building (SRB) | 1st Floor Men’s & Women’s Restrooms
SRB | Women’s Center Front Desk
SRB | RCSGD Main Hallway
Menstrual Products in Residence Halls: The Residential Housing Association (RHA) funds a Period Pantry program that stocks period products in “all female-identified and gender-neutral restrooms” in each residence hall.
MATLAB: UCSB students have access to MATLAB, a programming platform “designed specifically for engineers and scientists” that allows you to analyze data, develop algorithms and create models and applications. For more information on how to download Matlab, click here.
Counseling and Psychological Services (C.A.P.S.): All registered UCSB students have access to counseling services on campus. C.A.P.S. typically offers students short-term counseling – providing three to four sessions – with a session every two to three weeks. For students who are looking for long-term counseling, C.A.P.S. can provide referrals to other counseling services in the area. They also facilitate a Mental Health Peer program where students can speak with other students who “are trained to help students develop tools to better manage stressors related to school as well as relationships to family, friends, romantic partners, and roommates.”
Campus Learning Assistance Services (CLAS): CLAS is a tutoring service provided to undergraduate and graduate UCSB students for free, both through small tutorial classes that “supplement large introductory courses by helping students understand key concepts, develop methods for independent work, and prepare for exams” and drop-in hours. CLAS also provides workshops for the development of academic skills, such as note taking and time management, and individual assistance with essays through the Writing Lab. Students can register for CLAS services here.
Associated Students Legal Resource Center: The A.S. Legal Resource Center, located on the second floor of the Pardall Center in Isla Vista at 6550 Pardall Road, provides free legal consultations for students who are in situations “in which legal education would be helpful, unless it involves the university or another UCSB student.” They often help students with matters like landlord-tenant disputes, criminal citations, personal injury matters, immigration and more.
Isla Vista Tenants Union: The I.V. Tenants Union works to educate community members in Isla Vista about their “rights and responsibilities” as tenants and has helped students who were unjustly evicted from their homes with relocation.
CalFresh: CalFresh, known federally as Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (S.N.A.P.), provides students with benefits loaded onto the Golden State Advantage Card, which works like a debit card and allows you to purchase food items at most grocery stores. You can see if you qualify for CalFresh and apply here.
UCSB Sexual Violence Survivor Fund: UCSB provides assistance to student survivors of sexual assault or violence, domestic violence and stalking, including but not limited to: “changing classes, housing, or a work location, obtaining counseling, academic support and guidance, or other remedies to enhance safety,” through the UCSB Sexual Violence Survivor Fund. The fund is donor-supported and student survivors do not need to engage in an official reporting process in order to request the funds.
Sexually Transmitted Infections (STI) Testing: Student Health offers periodical free STI testing. More information about STIs as well as free testing can be found on their website.
UCSB Library: In addition to free study space, the library includes free subscriptions for online databases to all students. Students can go to the library website to search for articles by title or by subject to find extensive databases of peer-reviewed articles for research assignments.
UCSB Department of Recreation: Facilities at the Recreation Center are free for student use with an Access Card. This includes the main gymnasium, the Multi-Activity Court (MAC), Robertson Gymnasium, multiple swimming pools, locker rooms, three major grass and turf fields, sand volleyball courts and tennis courts. Find more details about workout services offered on their website.
Bus Service: Santa Barbara Metropolitan Transit District offers free busing for students with a valid Access Card. There are lines both in Isla Vista and on campus, which travel throughout Santa Barbara county. Visit their website for information on different lines and bus times.
Associated Students Book Bank: The A.S. Book Bank provides free quarterly textbook rentals. Go to their website to check book availability on the online catalog and fill out a checkout form. Students can then head to their office, located in the A.S. Annex across from Storke Tower, to pick up your textbook. At the end of the quarter, return your textbook to the office or another drop-off box.
Career Services: The Career Services office, located in the Counseling and Psychological Services Building, helps students prepare for life after college, be it employment or graduate school. Career Peer Advisors and counselors are available by appointment or drop-in basis to answer questions or go over your resume. Career Services also manages Handshake, an online database of jobs and internships available to all students.
Associated Students Media Center: Located in the A.S. Annex across from Storke Tower, the A.S. Media Center provides cameras and other media equipment to check out for free. The center also has computers with Adobe Creative Cloud and other software available to use, and studio space for photo and video shoots. Besides equipment use, the center also offers free LinkedIn photo shoots twice a month and hosts Workshop Wednesdays from 3 p.m. to 4 p.m. to educate students on various media technology and software.
Campus Advocacy, Resources & Education (C.A.R.E.): Services are available to students, staff and faculty who have experienced sexual assault, dating/domestic violence or stalking. CARE offices help with academic, housing and medical needs, as well as information on reporting options and connection with other resources. Advocates also assist in mitigating the financial impacts of interpersonal violence through the UCSB Sexual Violence Survivor Fund.
Food Not Bombs: This organization collects fresh produce and other donations, and each week cooks a free vegan meal in Little Acorn Park at 5 p.m. for anyone who is hungry. More information can be found on their Facebook page.
This article will be updated.
Update [Sept. 18, 11:37 p.m.]: This article was updated to include additional resources.
