Photo: Emily Elconin

As shootings continue to devastate college campuses, survivors are faced with the challenge of returning to spaces that remind them of tragedy. Some students have put pressure on administrators to delay reopening buildings where violence occurred, or to tear them down altogether.

That’s not financially or logistically possible for most colleges. Moreover, it doesn’t square with the impulse to move forward—the heart of the disagreements between colleges and their students.

For many students, the joy of getting into college this year is clouded by the uncertainty of not knowing what it will cost. The root of the trouble is, of course, a glitch-plagued revision to the Free Application for Federal Student Aid.

Meanwhile, the traditional college decision date looms: May 1. At a time of dwindling public confidence in higher education, pushing back a few deadlines to help students in need is the least we can do. And it just might help restore a bit of that lost confidence, writes Nick Anderson of the American Council on Education in this perspective on the FAFSA debacle.

For many students, college represents a home away from home—a place that supports their physical and emotional needs throughout the academic year.

To help students feel a sense of belonging on campus, more colleges and universities are investing in new amenities and facilities that promote student identity and build community.