Updated (1/21/2018, 9:48 p.m.) with status of negotiations over the shutdown.
The federal shutdown that began on Friday at midnight will have a minimal effect on higher education — as long as the shop reopens soon, that is. Republican and Democratic lawmakers worked over the weekend to break the impasse, but The Washington Post reported Sunday night that the Senate had adjourned and that a vote had been postponed until noon on Monday.
Although no new federal dollars can be spent during a shutdown, money that has already been approved — through student-aid programs or research grants, for example — will continue to flow.
“Federal student-aid programs are forward-funded, meaning most of the dollars for award year 2017-18 are already in place,” said a written statement from the National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators.
And “mandatory” programs — those whose funding is controlled by law, not by appropriations — will also continue, the association said. Such programs include the Pell Grant Program and money for federal direct student loans.
The same is true for tuition benefits paid through the Department of Veterans Affairs, said Terry W. Hartle, senior vice president for government and public affairs at the American Council on Education. The shutdown could still cause some immediate trouble, however. During the last federal shutdown, in October 2013, the nation’s five military-service academies experienced significant disruptions in their operations, including canceled classes and athletic events. Civilian staff and faculty members at those institutions were required to stay home during the shutdown.
Another potential problem: Websites maintained by the U.S. Department of Education would not necessarily be online or updated. Students applying for federal financial aid could continue to work on their applications, but if they needed help, the Education Department was asking them to go to its Federal Student Aid Information Center, which it said would remain open.
On Thursday and Friday, Robert Kelchen, an assistant professor of higher education at Seton Hall University, reminded his followers on Twitter to download any essential research data they may need from the government before the shutdown, in case those sites go dark.
Some applications for research grants could also be stuck during a shutdown, Mr. Hartle said, because peer-review panels would not be able to meet.
Of course, the longer a shutdown lasts, the greater the problems, he added. “The immediate impact,” Mr. Hartle said, “will be on people who want to go to the Smithsonian.”
Eric Kelderman writes about money and accountability in higher education, including such areas as state policy, accreditation, and legal affairs. You can find him on Twitter @etkeld, or email him at eric.kelderman@chronicle.com.
Correction (1/19/2018, 4:25 p.m.): This article originally misstated Mr. Hartle’s title. He is senior vice president for government and public affairs, not vice president for government and public affairs. The article has been updated to reflect this correction.
