The government shutdown has been affecting a lot of people, including graduate students.

Student Loans?

One of the biggest questions for students of higher education is “Will this shutdown affect my student loans?”  The short answer is no. According to the Department of Education, there should be “limited impact” on the FAFSA process. But if the shutdown continues into November or December, colleges and universities are anticipating a delay of processing and dispensing student loan aid. The long answer to this question remains uncertain.

If you’re one of the many students receiving scholarships from the military, your check may not be coming in the mail anytime soon. The same goes for military veterans who are receiving educational benefits. There have been some reports of universities making accommodations for these students, but the future of these programs is unknown.

Job Applications

Perhaps, you’re not relying on student loans or federal aid (lucky you) to pay for your education, but you are instead applying for jobs. I was in your shoes a year ago, and many times I had to go through “E-Verify,” a government service that verifies US citizenship. Unfortunately, the E-Verify service is unavailable due to the shutdown, which means that job seekers and employers are going to have to wait it out until the government reopens.

Job Opportunities

The government employs a large percentage of the national workforce, which means that if you’re looking for a job (e.g., research positions, contract workers, consultants, etc.), you’ll have to wait until the government reopens for many government jobs to be posted.

Grant Funding

Because of the government shutdown, the Fiscal Year 2014 Appropriations Act was not signed into law, which means many government grant programs have stopped, including programs at the National Institute of Health. Any NIH grant proposal that was due past Oct 1st is in limbo right now. Grants.gov remains open, but delays should be expected.