Laurels & lances: Financial aid and fire

Laurel: To taking some time. There is no reason universities can’t take steps to make up for problems that affect their students.

The Free Application for Federal Student Aid — or FAFSA — system was updated last year. While “update” might seem like a good thing, the process is creating delays that have pushed back by more than a month when colleges could receive data. That then pushes back when schools will be able to send financial aid offer letters to students.

You might think that automatically would push back when those colleges would expect students to decide on where they will study, but you would be wrong. Many aren’t adhering to the normal May 1 deadline.

But now Pitt is joining Penn State and the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education schools (state-owned colleges including PennWest, Indiana University of Pennsylvania and Slippery Rock) in giving applicants another two weeks to weigh their options.

Every school should do this. For many students, this is their first real decision as an adult. Some aren’t even 18 yet. They should not be hustled to make a decision with lifelong consequences and financial implications on a tight deadline because of bureaucracy.

Lance: To a sad end. Neo the alligator spent months in the Kiski River before being retrieved in January and taken to Nate’s Reptile Rescue in South Park. It was an odd story of survival in a climate he shouldn’t have been able to endure.

Neo was one of more than 70 animals confirmed dead Monday because of a fire at the center.

It’s sad when any animal dies unnecessarily. But in this case, there is a larger issue.

Nate’s Reptile Rescue had become the home of a number of animals that were dumped in an inhospitable climate for the species. Neo was the 11th from Kiski Township alone, director Nathan Lysaght said Feb. 11.

There were about 100 animals at the rescue at the time of the fire: 11 alligators; 14 red-eared sliders and some other turtles survived. Chomper, another Kiski River gator refugee, is a survivor.

The saddest part is that recent history shows us more reptiles will be in need of rescue, and now this option has gone up in smoke.