The United States government shutdown began Oct. 1 and while students have not been heavily affected yet, that may change if an agreement between Democrats and Republicans is not reached soon.

Every year, Congress is required to approve laws, otherwise known as appropriations. The appropriations are what fund federal agencies. Oct. 1 marked the date of the new budget year. Congress failed to pass a any appropriations and as a result, the government shutdown commenced. The government has closed departments including national parks and federal museums.

Students are understandably unhappy about this situation. “Shutting down one of the most powerful governments in the world simply because of personal ideology is a dangerous game to play,” said senior Pieter Maddens.

The shut down will most assuredly be dangerous for students. Offices that handle federal grants and contracts are also closed. This shutdown may affect college students across the United States. In the event that the government shutdown is extended, most of the U. S. Education Department will not be reporting back to work. This could potentially prevent loans and other governmental financial aid from being disbursed for the coming semester.

Over 6,600 schools and 14 million students receive student financial aid, whether it is from Pell Grants or Direct Student Loans. If the shutdown is prolonged, there won’t be enough people working in the Education Department to maintain the current level of productivity. This would cause the payment of financial aid distributed to students to be delayed. The department will also be unable to award new loans or grants since approximately 90 percent of the work force will be told to remain at home.

College students are certainly not the only people affected by the shutdown. At least eight hundred thousand civilian federal workers will be put on unpaid leave. During the last government shutdown, the workers received retroactive pay. In this situation, there is no guarantee.

Not all of the government programs were forced to stop. Social Security and Medicare are allowed to continue without interruption because they don’t require annual appropriations. Foreign embassies, intelligence agencies, the military and law enforcement will all remain open, because they are seen as key in maintaining safety and order.

Programs that have other sources of money will stay open as well. For instance, courts can use money they have collected via fees and fines. The Republicans and Democrats are currently arguing to pass a stop-gap bill. This bill would provide temporary money until Congress can pass this year’s budget laws.