Photo: Nate Palmer for The New York Times

Devon Simmons spent 15 years in prison. Since 2014, he’s been a free man—one whose trajectory was dramatically rerouted not once, but twice. 

Today, Simmons is on a mission to remake not just his own life, but to reimagine the educational and career opportunities afforded to incarcerated and formerly incarcerated people. Just as important, he hopes to change the way society thinks about that population in the first place. 

Many U.S. military members and veterans who return to college often struggle to get academic credit for what they’ve learned and the skills they’ve mastered in the service.

A new report shows that while some colleges have support processes and resources available to recognize the prior military learning of student veterans, much more can be done to help these men and women leverage their skills and strengths.

College can be a uniquely challenging and stressful experience for minority students, but the past two years have been unlike any before. The twin challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic and America’s racial reckoning have put the mental health of minority students under severe strain.

Mental-health experts weigh in with several recommendations to help.