With a student identification card, college students can access any health and wellness center their college may operate. Universities are likely to have one; community colleges may not. Most of these centers operate for free or at reduced fees, thanks to charity, administration and foundation support. Most colleges and universities offer these amenities to promote wellness on campus, and most include a staff of nurses and physicians to provide services like primary care, STD testing, sports medicine, basic OB/GYN care, mental health and sometimes, depending on the size of the school, specialist services at a discount.
If you aren't included on a parental healthcare plan, purchasing a student health insurance plan can help alleviate your fears of contracting a serious illness or becoming seriously injured. If your college's student health clinic isn't as fully staffed as others, a student health plan is even more likely to rescue your finances someday. These plans range in price depending on the breadth of coverage; some maintain as much as $500,000 in emergency coverage.
Not every city has a free clinic. Some, like Cleveland or Washington, D.C., have several. If your college is in a fairly populated area and you lack insurance or a viable option on campus, see if there's a free clinic in your region (see "Resources") to fill your particular need. Like the student health centers, these services offer basic care; obtaining specialized care will be more of a challenge.
Due to the presence of team sports, physical education classes and an overall emphasis on wellness and betterment, community college and university campuses both have evolved to offer fitness centers for student use -- usually for free, or for a nominal membership fee. Though the fit will need health insurance just as much as the unfit, the health benefits of exercise long ago passed academically from theory to fact.