Some students will have an easier time landing internships during the pandemic because they'll be able to work online and not have to move to an expensive big city. That's one of the surprising bits of good news about education that has come to the attention of Delece Smith-Barrow of The Hechinger Report.

In recent weeks, Smith-Barrow has been uncovering some of these more hopeful stories. She's seen signs that online learning may create more access to higher education for some students, and she's also come across stories of colleges pitching in to offer emergency help.

Few college leaders have taken on the most pressing question many campuses face these days: whether COVID-19 will prohibit them from resuming normal operations in the fall. 

The stakes are high. Students wonder whether to pay high-dollar tuition for online courses. Faculty members wonder when they can return to their labs and when their tenure clocks will resume. 

But early this week, two institutions announced their intentions—and they differ markedly.