Government Shutdown: Higher Education Update

The autumn days are getting shorter as the government shutdown has become the longest in history. We know the effects of this stoppage are widespread, causing uncertainty, frustration, and fear.

While we recognize the essential role higher education plays in our society, we also understand that for those experiencing missed paychecks or other immediate challenges, some priorities must take a temporary backseat.

That said, UW Impact remains committed to keeping you informed about how the shutdown affects the University of Washington and higher education nationwide. For now, we plan to share updates about major developments but will wait to call for advocacy action until the immediate needs of our community are being met. When the time comes, we’ll need your voice to stand up for the UW.

Current Impacts:

  • The U.S. Department of Education is operating with limited staff after attempted mass firings. The lack of personnel is causing delays in services and student support nationwide. While federal student aid disbursements continue, students seeking assistance with new or ongoing applications are experiencing backlogs that may affect their ability to enroll or access aid.
  • The University of Washington cannot receive new federal research awards or renewals, leading to halted or suspended projects. Graduate students and staff supported by these funds face uncertainty around pay. Grant renewal delays hinder hiring, academic planning, and threaten retention of highly trained researchers.
  • Many institutions, including the UW, are using temporary gap funding and other short-term measures to offset lost federal dollars—resources that will become increasingly strained the longer the shutdown continues.
  • When the government is back in session, they are set to significantly reduce access to the GradPlus loan program, which harms the pipeline of future healthcare workers and other professional degrees.

We will continue to monitor the situation closely and provide updates as they develop. Please stay tuned for a federal action alert later in November – at that time, we hope you will consider reaching out to your Congressional representatives to share your concerns about the growing impact on higher education and the UW.

Thank you for staying informed and engaged.

UW Impact