For UTD students, the government shutdown isn’t some far-off concern. As college students, it’s easy to ignore headlines like “Government Shutdown Looms” or “Congress at an Impasse”; whatever drama is happening in Congress couldn’t possibly be more pressing than an upcoming midterm. However, a federal shutdown poses a threat to our education and throws our futures into complete disarray, killing all our hard work as college students.
The shutdown resulted from the disagreement between Republicans and Democrats over the next federal budget and is continuing into its fourth week. But more than shutting down the Smithsonian and short-staffing U.S. airports, the shutdown’s effects will strike close to home — via slashes to our research funding and financial aid.
UTD is a research university, but because of the shutdown, essential funding from the National Science Foundation and the National Institutes of Health has come to a standstill. As someone involved in undergraduate research, having one’s lab worry about finding more funding pipelines is stressful. Watching their current funding run out, labs are now struggling to cut costs and redirect their focus toward securing new grants rather than advancing their ongoing research.
Think about the implications of that. A graduate student on the verge of making a significant discovery might find themselves unable to access the funding needed for vital lab equipment. A professor’s years of hard work on a research proposal can get stuck in a digital pile no one can touch. This isn’t just a minor inconvenience; it sends a message that brilliant minds’ work hinges on decisions made by politicians who likely have never even visited our labs.
The federal government is also responsible for billions of dollars in grants and student loans, leaving schools and universities at risk. The silver lining of this situation is that because the shutdown happened in the middle of the semester rather than the start of the school year, we avoided the chaos of reorganizing our education and anticipating clarification emails from UTD. Shutdowns can occur in September, as lawmakers tend to take a month-long break in August and return to the Capitol in September to finalize spending bills before the end of the month; if the shutdown had occurred prior to the start of the semester, the financial aid distribution for new and returning students would have collapsed.
Universities rely on the Department of Education to process FAFSA forms; if the shutdown had happened earlier, then schools would be unable to generate aid packages and disburse financial aid such as Pell Grants at the start of the school year. And for prospective students, the FAFSA process for new federal aid can be impacted by the shutdown. While the form is automated and continues to operate during a shutdown, the customer service center for FAFSA may not be available. This means that if a student or family member encounters a serious problem that requires an intervention on their FAFSA application, they won’t be able to reach financial aid professionals, as 90% of the Department of Education staff has been furloughed.
While most programs are currently operating as usual, if the shutdown progresses, the programs will delete their remaining funding and will have to shut down until the federal government reopens or provides more funding. What may start as a delay in financial aid or visa processing can snowball into a block if the shutdown continues to progress.
Though universities are not affected at this time because of the shutdown occurring in the middle of the semester, students are stuck in verification. Future grants, federal loans, loan forgiveness or queries on financial aid are going to be significantly delayed. Tuition deadlines won’t accommodate this political mess.
For international students, consular services remain in operation as long as funds remain, but the Department of Homeland Security may not process applications for changes in status as per usual. During a government shutdown, the Department of Labor must suspend its operations, which means the Labor Condition Applications that are required for H-1B petitions can’t be filed or processed during the shutdown. Furthermore, the E-Verify system is temporarily unavailable, resulting in employees not being able to verify employment eligibility, which will affect STEM OPT Extension applications, which are 24-month work authorizations for F-1 international students with degrees in the STEM field. With the processing of visa applications, status changes and OPT approvals slowing down or being paused, international students are kept in limbo about their legal right to remain or work in the U.S. until the shutdown ends.
We often hear that college is our time to build our foundation for the future. We’re encouraged to work hard, secure internships and participate in projects that benefit our future endeavors. But a government shutdown threatens to take that foundation away from us. It shows us just how easily political maneuvering can undermine our hard work and aspirations.
So, the next time you see a headline about a government shutdown, don’t just roll your eyes. Be frustrated. While some Congressional offices may be closed during a government shutdown, we can still plan for the future. Voting in local and federal elections is the best way to ensure our voices are heard. Even voting in the upcoming November election will at least help us decide on the future of Texas. Furthermore, it’s important to adjust your budget temporarily if you expect delays in payments and get your documents in order so future shutdowns won’t hinder you.
Our academic careers are not pieces on a political chessboard. We deserve better than what Washington is currently offering, and by getting involved, speaking up and voting, we can build the stability and support needed to thrive.