The U.S. government officially shut down on Oct. 1 as Congressional leaders failed to reach an agreement on short-term funding after the end of September, which means many "nonessential" federally funded agencies and programs will stop work and furlough employees until an agreement is reached.
The Department of Education will furlough roughly 87% of its staff, according to the agency's contingency plan. The department manages the government's $1.6 trillion student loan portfolio and disburses funding and grants to schools and individuals, along with other duties related to K-12 and higher education.
Here's what current borrowers, college students and those applying for federal aid need to know.
During the shutdown, the Department of Education will pause new grantmaking activities and investigations into civil rights violations, according to the contingency plan.
But since most grants are disbursed over the summer, the impact to institutions and individual recipients should be minimal, the department says.
