Article by: Nakeria Woods

The recent government shutdown became the longest in the history of the United States. Government shutdowns occur when Congress does not receive the necessary votes for funding bills. All twelve appropriation bills must be approved by Congress by the start of the fiscal year, October 1. This particular government shutdown occurred largely because of discrepancies over healthcare. Democrats wanted to address health insurance subsidies as they are set to expire at the end of 2025 and were using Republican’s need for Democratic support for the funding bill to do so. Though Democrats proposed a bill that would keep the government funded until the end of October, it fell short and the government went into shutdown.

Government shutdowns can have a variety of consequences. This government shutdown impacted airports, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, and various employees. So how does the latest government shutdown impact college students directly?

One area of concern for many students was their student loans. The Department of Education has already faced many problems with the Trump Administration this year. Fortunately for many students, student loans are not heavily impacted by government shutdowns. During a shutdown, Pell Grants and Federal Direct Student loans continue to be disbursed. The time of a government shutdown is also very important. As the recent shutdown took place after the start of the academic year, most money had already gone out to recipients. The Department of Education also has a contingency plan in place for situations like this. There are still areas of concern though, especially as government shutdowns become longer. The longer the government is shut down, the higher the likelihood that staff will not be able to help students who encounter technical issues with their student loans.

Another area of concern for students is funding and grants for research. If grant funding has already been received, then there should be little to no issues. The Department of Education’s contingency plan states that all new grantmaking activities will cease, but if all funding has been received before this point, there is little impact. Similarly to student loans, it would be increasingly difficult to sort out technical issues with grants during a government shutdown.  

International students and Veterans could face some difficulties in the event of a government shutdown as institutions may have some delays. International students may find it hard to process applications for change in status and veterans may have some delays in the processing of their VA benefits. Also, during government shutdowns, the Office for Civil Rights halts its reviews of civil rights complaints. 

All of these things are the direct impact of a government shutdown, but there are also more long-term things to think about. An important long-term impact of the general inconsistency of federal funding is the reduction of seats for graduate students. Though the cutting of graduate seats has been most notable in big Ivy League schools like Harvard, other schools are likely to follow the trend. Overall, the impact of government shutdowns on college affairs is small at the moment, but recurring shutdowns and shaky federal funding will create larger issues. If you are struggling during this government shutdown, there are resources on campus and in Mobile to help. For food insecurity, there is the JagPantry in Meisler Hall and other food pantries across Mobile.