Noki Lam
Editor-in-Chief
The ongoing government shutdown, which has made history as the longest in United States history, continues to hinder financial aid for millions of students who rely on federal funding for education. The Department of Education remains partially operational, but processing delays and limited staffing still threaten students’ ability to receive financial aid in an expected timeframe, forcing many students across the country into complicated college planning situations.
Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) applications are still being accepted for the 2026-27 academic year, but processing times of these forms have been greatly slowed as a result of the shutdown. Students and their families are left with delayed verifications and responses to their requests for aid.
“We may see students experiencing delays,” said college and career counselor Ruthie Robles at the CCC. “Processing and response times could be much longer.”
Fortunately, students and families can rest assured that their federal aid will not disappear completely as a result of the shutdown, according to Shaan Patel, CEO of Prep Expert, a test prep and scholarship planning company that previously was awarded a $250,000 loan on the show Shark Tank.
“The good news is that Pell Grants and federal student loans are funded through mandatory spending, so you shouldn’t be afraid that, you know the shutdown is going to prevent you from getting financial aid at all,” Patel said. “However, the processing speed of new FAFSA applications may slow down due to this government shutdown.”
Meanwhile, student loan payments do not stop. Families already under financial strain are still expected to maintain payments with no relief offered for borrowers. The uncertainties of the shutdown are not exempting borrowers from penalties if they do not maintain payments.
“Borrowers should still make payments on federal student loans,” says the Federal Student Aid Office’s website. “Processing of refunds and discharges could be delayed.”
On the bright side, Patel recalls that history favors a positive outcome for those applying for FAFSA. During 2019’s 34 day shutdown, the second longest only behind the current 2025 shutdown, FAFSA ultimately was able to accommodate requests in the end despite challenges.
“The good thing is back in 2019, FAFSA still was able to disperse funds. Most financial aid offers still went out on time,” Patel said. “I expect the same to be the case here in 2025 – 2026.”
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