The college, which kept detailed reports tracking a long history of disturbing behavior, is facing scrutiny following the shooting in Tucson last week, as some raise the question of what the college should have done with the information it had.  

Illnesses like schizophrenia typically appear between the ages of 17 and 26 — college age. That age, and an intense scrutiny on mental health services following the shooting in Tucson, has led to questions about the adequacy of college resources for the mentally ill. 

"There were people who knew he wasn't okay," said Mark Gale, the second vice president of the National Alliance on Mental Illness's California chapter.  "When people become convinced that someone needs help, they should have a way of reporting that – that's a discussion that needs to happen."

Around 80 percent of U.S. universities have started programs to keep tabs on potentially dangerous students, in light of the Virginia Tech massacre of 2007, USA Today reported Friday. The programs, sometimes called threat assessment teams, evaluate whether a student's unusual behavior could be dangerous for others.

But instead of keeping an eye on students, NIMA wants to see a better relationship between colleges and the mental health system, Gale said. 

"If the identification of these illnesses is going to become apparent in an age when someone would be in college, why aren't our colleges better prepared to identify and offer assistance to people?" Gale said.

A major snag, Gale said, is privacy: HIPAA (the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act) requires permission for the healthcare provider, like the college health center, to share patient information with anyone, including parents or mental health professionals.

For example, had Loughner sought medical treatment, his parents would not have known about it without his consent. There are a few exceptions to that, according to the Bazelon Center for Mental Health: school administrators may be able to share mental health information and anything they observe with individuals who have a “legitimate educational interest” in the information. 

Reach reporter Laura J. Nelson here. Follow her on Twitter: @laura_nelson.