Federal stops-and-starts on mental‑health funding and new longitudinal research are prompting colleges to reassess student supports. The White House briefly cut, then restored, $2 billion in mental‑health grants tied to school‑based prevention programs — a reversal that left K‑12 and postsecondary partners scrambling and raised questions about program efficacy. New longitudinal research from Michigan State finds most college students recovered psychologically in the four years after the pandemic, reporting higher life satisfaction and less loneliness, but the study notes uneven outcomes. Campus leaders must weigh short‑term grant volatility against evidence on which interventions actually improve student outcomes.