A compliment indeed! When people around you truly want to support you, they find a way to show it and it sounds like your colleagues want to do that by finding a way for you to stay and study where you are. How wonderful that is!!
I still work on sharing news in my life without betting my emotions on the response. It is a tough lesson for me. I have certain family....like my mom (seems you have a similar mom)...who receives great news by giving a congrats then quickly bringing up all the 'concerns' she has over what the news will mean. Serious killjoy and hard to read true support in it from her. It dampens my spirits over even the best of news.
Seems to me you have the awareness to identify support and seek it out elsewhere when the lack of it wears on you. This is good recovery work!!
CONGRATULATIONS ON YOUR VICTORY!