How the government shutting down affects college students

This archived article was written by: Josie Slade

It’s been over two weeks since the government shut down. The affect of the shut down seems to have little effect on USU Eastern students, however, the government shutting down might have an effect on college students later. How might the government shut down affect college students?
 Military aid is cut.
The Department of Defense announced they will not be dispersing aid while the government is shut down. Military members who have aid or have applied for aid next January are at risk of losing all of the funding they receive. This results in an air of uncertainty for students who need aid for next semester.
 The longer the shut down goes on, the more likely you are to lose your finical aid.
Pell grant recipients and students with student loans are at risk. The Department of Education states that the longer the government is shut down, the more likely they will not be able to process aid next semester. The chance of college students losing their financial aid increases every day.
 You might need to change your travel plans.
Are you planning on studying abroad next semester? No last-minute passports are awarded and there are delays in passports that people applied for. Airport delays are also happening. TSA has furloughed all “non-essential” employees. Planning on going to a national park? Think again. Many of the attractions run by the National Park Service have been shut down. Though don’t worry too much, some states have reopened their parks. Utah, with the help of state aid, has reopened all five national parks to visitors. Your Spring Break plans may be affected.
 Academic resources are not being updated.
Any of the resources you might need for that research paper that are controlled by the government (U.S Census, the Bureau of Labor Statistics, The National Archives, etc); are not up to date or have been taken down all together. When the government shut down, so did the information.
 These are things that are affecting college students immediately as well as long term. The government shutting down has consequences on college students that only become more prominent the longer this continues.