Government Shutdown Impacts Dept of Education and Financial Aid
Sigh. Most Department of Education employees are on furlough.
During the shutdown, information on the Department’s websites may not be up to date and transactions with the agency are likely to be delayed. But financial aid funds for federal student loans and Pell Grants are provided through mandatory and multi-year funding, so those funds should continue to be available during the government shutdown. And I'm quite sure the interest will continue to accrue on our student loans.
I anticipate that delays are likely to surface as Department of Education officials in the Office of Federal Student Aid will be required to operate with the minimum number of employees necessary to maintain the systems that disburse Pell Grants and student loan payments. Those employees working in areas not directly related to Pell Grants or Direct Student Loans, such as the Work-Study and Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant programs, customer service activities, administrative functions not related to providing student aid to schools and students, and development of new programs or activities will not be working.
What a mess.
More: http://www2.ed.gov/about/furlough2013/index.html
And still more: http://www.insidehighered.com/quicktakes/2013/10/01/what-shutdown-means-colleges-students-and-scholars-update#ixzz2gfGDJKMs
