Ensuring the sustainability of the University Mental Health Charter

Since its beginning in 2019, the work of the University Mental Health Charter (UMHC) has been a journey of continual improvement, learning, and development. We have seen the number of UMHC Programme Members grow from 42 in its first year to an incredible 113 members in September 2024. There are currently a total of 15 universities that have achieved the UMHC Award, with many more their journey towards achieving it. 

These institutions have joined a social movement that is driving meaningful change. Through the UMHC Programme, universities like yours are on a journey together to improve your communities by adopting a whole-university approach to mental health and wellbeing. Our UMHC Award-holding universities are ambassadors for the whole-university approach to mental health and wellbeing, recognised for their commitment to continuous improvement and embedding the Principles of Good Practice in the UMHC Framework at their institutions. Whatever stage in this journey an institution is at, this represents a commitment to do the meaningful work required to embed the approach, coming together to learn from one another, to share insights and work with Student Minds and each other to tackle common challenges. 

The development and delivery of the UMHC Framework, Programme and Award over the last five years would not have been possible without support from grants such as our recent support from the Office for Students (OfS), the UPP Foundation and supplementary investment from Student Minds’ unrestricted income. 

In our most recent Development and Continual Improvement Report, launched in December 2024, we highlighted the need to ensure that the work of the UMHC is financially viable and sustainable in the long term. During the last year, OfS funding has enabled Student Minds to scale our work to meet the increased membership of the UMHC Programme, develop our systems and overhaul the Award Assessment process. As our funding from the OfS draws to an end, we are no longer able to supplement the work through unrestricted funding and must ensure that fees for both the UMHC Programme and UMHC Award Assessment cover the essential costs of running these services. 

Changes to fees

As a not-for-profit organisation with a mission focused on improving the lives of university communities, we have always sought to keep any fees for our programmes affordable and subsidized wherever possible. Since transitioning from pilot to full-scale delivery, we now understand the true cost of supporting universities as they move from engaged UMHC Programme Members to Award holders. After careful consideration and detailed preparation, we will be increasing the fees for 25/26 for universities that are UMHC Programme Members and/or who undertake the UMHC Award Assessment. We have taken steps to ensure increases are more equitable, such as introducing a sixth tier in the pricing structure, moving Programme fees to a similar tiered structure as the Award fees, and by implementing more differentiation between the tiers.

As stated, the UMHC Programme and Award are not run for profit. Our fees for Membership and Assessment are calculated to cover the essential costs of delivery and nothing more. They allow us to work with you, and for you to work with each other, to create effective, meaningful and long-lasting whole-university approaches to mental health and wellbeing at your institutions. 

Over the past year, our grant from the OfS has enabled us to further improve our membership offer to ensure it adds real value to your work. Our expanded Communities of Practice work brings together groups of UMHC Programme members to share challenges and best practice through structured thematic sessions. By investing in our online resource Hub we have built a ‘Library of Learning’, a space where we will work with experts from across the higher education sector to create a wide range of resources to support your institution to move forward in your journey toward improving the mental health and wellbeing of your staff and students. 

We will continue to seek additional funding to support the continual development of the UMHC Framework, Programme and Award. 

It is now more important than ever to prioritise a whole-university approach to mental health and wellbeing

We acknowledge that the financial climate is challenging for both institutions within the higher education sector and for charities. We see the acute change universities are experiencing, and for some, they may be questioning if they can commit to various sector initiatives, such as the UMHC Programme, for the time being. For an institution to commit to adopting and embedding a whole-institution approach to mental health and wellbeing is an ambitious undertaking and it requires commitment of a huge number of students and staff to make it a reality. We have seen across our Programme this dedication and commitment transform university communities, and we are more than ever, inspired to keep working with our Programme members to share good practice and improve your students’ and staff mental health and wellbeing.

Investing in the mental health and wellbeing of your whole-university community drives better outcomes for education, research, and staff and student retention. It has never been more important for institutions to sign up for the UMHC Programme and work collaboratively towards embedding a whole-university approach to better mental health for staff and students alike.

​Since its launch in 2019, the University Mental Health Charter has enabled universities to critically appraise their approach to mental health and wellbeing and provide them with a Framework for best practice. I am proud of the leadership and commitment shown by leaders and practitioners across the sector and recognise the efforts of all those who actively participate in the UMHC Programme as part of their journey towards a whole-university approach. At Student Minds we urge universities to commit once again to being members of the Programme and be part of the social movement to shape a future in which everyone in higher education can thrive.
Rosie Tressler OBE, CEO of Student Minds

Registration for the UMHC 25/26 Programme will take place from 12 May 2025 to 4 July 2025 and we look forward to working with institutions that are committed to a process of continuous improvement and reflective practice, utilising the membership offer to actively participate in communities of practice, access insights and learnings to help them in their journey towards a whole-university approach to mental health and wellbeing. For full details about the 25/26 UMHC fees for the Programme (and Award) see the UMHC FAQs.

Existing UMHC Programme members can book UMHC Award Assessments for 25/26 through to 27/28 by contacting [email protected]. 

In the midst of immense challenge and uncertainty, it is imperative that we as university leaders recognise the importance of the whole-university approach to mental health, and commit to actively participating in the University Mental Health Charter Programme. There are, and will continue to be, many difficult decisions to be made, but signing up for the UMHC Programme is not one of them. Prioritising the mental health of students and staff is paramount at this time.
Professor Sue Rigby, Principal and Vice Chancellor Edinburgh Napier University, and Student Minds Chair

It’s essential that we maintain commitment in this climate, and the benefits lead to improved university communities, improving both staff and students' mental health and wellbeing. We are committed to supporting you through this journey and bringing you together to build a collective of institutions prioritising whole-university approaches. Together, we can improve university communities to ensure that no student is held back by their mental health.


(For more information about the UMHC Fees see the UMHC FAQs)