In response, colleges and universities throughout Illinois have formed programs and services to help students cope. "Stress varies from student to student and . . . at various times of the year," said Mary Desler, vice president of enrollment management and student affairs at North Central College in Naperville. "Some handle it pretty well; others really struggle."

On campus, [Jan] Kraft is an honors student majoring in English for secondary education. She is a member of the University Ambassadors, a group that represents the student body at social functions and high school recruitment fairs and last fall designed the costumes for a student-produced opera. Kraft said she hopes to find a job as a high school teacher.

Northeastern, which does not have residence halls, has a high percentage of adult students, [John] Hoeppel said. Some return to complete a degree they started years earlier, and others-such as Kraft-are starting college after being out of school for years. Others are launching new careers. At the same time, they may be juggling family responsibilities and full-time jobs.