Research has made clear that students are experiencing heightened stress—particularly academic stress—and burnout as the pandemic continues. And with the Delta variant thwarting colleges’ plans for a near-normal campus experience this fall, those stressors could compound student mental-health concerns that have been on the rise for years.

But is the pandemic actually creating a new wave of mental-health crises? The emerging picture of COVID-19's effects on student well-being is more complex. 

The once-in-a-lifetime COVID pandemic with its economic shutdowns and disruptions drove Congress and two presidential administrations to approve an unprecedented $69 billion in aid for higher education. 

Some campus leaders immediately directed aid to their neediest students; others are taking a more wait-and-see approach as they monitor the unpredictability of the ongoing pandemic.

A redesign of developmental education by the Alabama Community College System has not only been effective at keeping more students on-track to gain degrees, but also is proving to save students money and time. Plus, it's helping educators better identify students who need additional support. 

Those lessons—in broad, systematic change over several years as well as suggestions for individual educators assisting individual students—will be crucial in helping both returning and first-time college students navigate another fall semester during the pandemic.