Help When You Need It: The Role of Student Support Services in College

“Can I really do this on my own?”

That's a question many potential students ask themselves when considering how they’ll balance coursework with jobs, family responsibilities and daily demands. But with student support services, they won't be alone, at all — and if you're considering going back to school, neither will you.

“Although preparation and self-accountability are crucial factors in success, so is external support and having a community,” said Hope Mohrland, an admission counselor at Southern New Hampshire University (SNHU).

Resources including tutoring, advising, wellness and mental health resources and career development are there to help you manage challenges while working toward your degree. The best part? In most cases, they’re available any time you need them.

Academic Advisors: Your First Point of Contact

When you need support or resources, the first place you can turn to is the person who knows the system best: your academic advisor.

The main role of an academic advisor is to help students persist, according to Jennifer Bauchner, a director of academic advising at SNHU. “Academic advisors aren’t course content experts, but they are university experts,” she said.

Bauchner said advisors support students by helping them move toward their goals as they work toward earning a degree. “Advisors are the heart of this work we do at SNHU,” she said. “Quite literally the heart — the central function in the organization connected with every other area of the university, and through the heart work we do with our students each day.”

According to Bauchner, an advisor’s work often includes:

• Checking in and helping you stay focused
• Connecting you with resources and support across the university
• Guidance during any changes, like switching majors or returning to school
• Helping you plan classes and set goals
• Support for career planning and next steps after graduation

For SNHU graduate Candace Boyer ’25, who earned her bachelor's in psychology with a concentration in child and adolescent development, regular check-ins from her advisor helped her stay focused during difficult periods.

“There were some times where my grades were slipping a little bit, and she would always check in and just say, ‘Hey, what's going on? Is there anything you need from me?’” Boyer said. “I definitely felt super, super supported by my advisors here, for sure.”

Tutoring and Academic Support: Make the Hard Work Manageable

A tough assignment, a confusing math problem or a paper that just won’t come together — that’s what academic and tutoring support can help with. These services assist with breaking down the material, strengthening your subject knowledge, improving your writing and making the work more manageable.

At SNHU, for example, the Academic Support Center offers several ways to get help. Through the center, students can access:

• Academic coaching



• Drop-in tutoring 24/7
• Live online workshops and on-demand recordings
• Writing support, including personalized feedback on drafts

Mary Broderick '25MSN, who earned her Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) from SNHU, said she found academic support services to be hugely beneficial throughout her degree program.

“You could just drop in and get a one-time tutor,” she said.

Broderick noted that you can also submit your papers to the writing center at SNHU to receive feedback before you turn in your work for grading, which she found helpful as well.

Read more about how academic support can help you to get better grades in college.

Career Services: Prepare for What Comes Next

While academic and personal support can help you stay focused, Career Services can help prepare you for what comes next.

“As a career advisor, I provide support to students looking to align their programs of study with a career path,” said Jennifer Langley, a career advisor at SNHU.

At SNHU, the career team helps with all sorts of career-related preparation, all of which you can take advantage of from day one. According to Langley, these conversations can set you up for success long before graduation. “We love talking to students about their ideas and dreams, both big and little,” she said.

Career advisors support students through:

• Career assessments, goal exploration and graduate school planning
• Internship and job search strategies
• Interview preparation, mock interviews and salary negotiation support
• Networking, professional communication and social media presence
• Resume and cover letter development

“Sometimes my role is just listening and helping a learner as their sounding board,” said Langley. “Each student, each call, each email are always unique to the learner and meeting them with where they are at.”

For many students, that support becomes transformative — Langley herself included. When she returned to college at SNHU as an adult learner, she sought out the help of the Career Services team. “I had come back to school in my 30s to change my career options, just to learn that a new degree did not change the fact that I was not fulfilled in my career and needed a change,” she said. “My career advisor guided me through the process.”

The experience was so important to Langley that she spoke about it in her 2016 Commencement speech. But it didn’t stop there. “I knew I wanted to do what (my career advisor) did for me for others, and he helped me make a plan, write a resume and encouraged me all along the way,” she said.

And that’s how she ended up back at SNHU, in the exact role that changed her life. “I moved into a career that not only aligned with my education and career history, but that has filled my soul every single day for almost five years,” said Langley. “Each day I get to listen to how truly strong and perseverant our students are and how fortunate we are to have such a wonderful institution that is bringing us together.”

Mental Health and Wellness: Support for the Whole Student

For students, mental health and wellness can influence every part of the college experience.

“Good emotional or mental health is an indispensable ingredient to a student’s ability to succeed academically and progress towards their personal and professional goals towards a life of wellbeing and fulfillment,” said Felix Pizzi, assistant vice president for student health and wellbeing at SNHU.

Many colleges offer services for unexpected situations, and SNHU is no exception. “I think it’s important for students to know that SNHU has resources for them if there is a major concern or crisis in their life,” Pizzi said.

While some students may think they only need support during a crisis, preventative services are just as important, according to Pizzi. “Similar to physical health, if something breaks, we can help fix it, but students can also build their emotional strength to sustain them through the inevitable challenges of life,” he said.

That's why SNHU partners with Mantra Health, a virtual mental health and wellbeing platform that offers services and resources to help support mental health and wellness.

According to Pizzi, SNHU offers access to support in the following areas:

• Basic Needs Support: Through Single Stop, you might connect with resources like food, housing or financial aid.
• Coaching: You'll have access to one-on-one support focused on emotional wellness or productivity.
• Peer Mental Health Support: Visit a 24/7 anonymous peer community moderated by professionals.
• Self-Care: Complete short, self-guided wellness courses on stress, communication and mental health skills.
• Therapy: You'll have access to virtual counseling sessions with licensed therapists, including in-the-moment support that doesn’t require an appointment.

“By cultivating possible mental health, students can prevent significant crises in their lives and limit the negative impact of stress and challenges on their life,” said Pizzi.

Read more about why mental health is important.

A Network of Resources

Many colleges also offer additional resources beyond those listed above to help you stay well and on track.

For example, at SNHU, additional support services include:

• Accessibility Services: Visit SNHU's Online Accessibility Center (OAC) or Campus Accessibility Center (CAC) for information about how to receive accommodations.
• Events and Webinars: Discover opportunities to build skills, explore interests and connect with the campus or online community.
• Financial Services: Receive guidance on financial aid, budgeting and managing the cost of education from the Student Financial Services (SFS) team.
• Library Services: Find digital collections, academic tools research assistance through SNHU's Shapiro Library.
• Student Involvement Opportunities: Get involved as an online student or on campus through clubs, groups and leadership experiences.

Boyer’s advice to students wondering how you'll manage alone: “Everybody at SNHU, they have an open-door policy, so it's easy to reach out to somebody,” she said. “Don’t feel like you’re going to go into it super unsupported. Even if you don't have family to support you, you have a whole team behind you if you decide to go to SNHU.”

Rebecca Cahill '26 is a content marketing assistant and writer at Southern New Hampshire University (SNHU), where she recently completed her bachelor’s in creative writing and English and is now pursuing a Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing. Based in Ohio, she also writes for FreshWater Cleveland and serves on the board of Literary Cleveland. When she’s not writing, you’ll find her with a good book, dogs at her side, and surrounded by way too many houseplants. Connect with her on LinkedIn.