Government Shutdown Questions and Answers

Dear UMBC Campus Community,

As your vice president for communications and marketing, occasionally you will hear from me related to external news and how it may impact our community, as well as communications, marketing, and branding information.

Today, I write to share questions and answers, as well as resources if you need assistance, regarding the U.S. government shutdown that began at 12:01 a.m. on Wednesday, October 1. Several agencies and parts of the U.S. government have begun shutting down because Congress did not pass a stopgap funding measure by the deadline of midnight on Tuesday, September 30. 

No, because aid funds are disbursed at the beginning of the semester. Most aid programs are approved by Congress a year in advance, so a shutdown will not impact them. 

FAFSA processing, Pell Grant and loan disbursements, loan servicing, and critical operations will continue. Title I and Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) grant funding is available as usual. States, schools, and other grantees will be able to access funds from recent awards. 

The Office of Federal Student Aid is retaining employees as needed to conduct rulemaking and actions as required by law.

Students will need to continue making loan payments on their outstanding student debt. However, borrowers looking for specific assistance from the U.S Department of Education will not receive it during the government shutdown.

If you have questions about UMBC financial aid, please call 410-455-2387 or use this form to be connected with a UMBC financial aid representative.

Fee-funded operations of federal agencies providing immigration services generally continue during a shutdown. However, operations funded through appropriations are generally suspended.

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) will continue to process applications and petitions. However, processing times may be delayed particularly if an adjudication is dependent on functions performed by other agencies affected by the shutdown, or if USCIS resources are reprioritized. The E-Verify program will not be operational during the shutdown. 

U.S. Customs and Border Protection will continue to operate at U.S. ports of entry.

The U.S. Department of Labor has suspended immigration functions, including the processing of labor condition applications (LCAs), prevailing wage requests, permanent labor certification (PERM), and temporary labor certification applications. 

The U.S. Department of State will continue to provide consular processing during the shutdown. This includes issuance of U.S. passports and visas as well as providing assistance to U.S. citizens abroad. Certain domestic consular operations are suspended.

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement will continue operations during the shutdown.

For immigration services questions, please reach out to the Center for Global Engagement. 

The shutdown will have little to no impact on the continuance of federally funded research activities. Our institution’s research projects will proceed as usual, unless otherwise notified by the UMBC Division of Research and Creative Achievement (ORCA).

As for our NASA research activities, the researchers at Goddard have already received detailed information from their respective leadership about continuing to follow the standard procedures they have used during previous federal government shutdowns. 

A shutdown means that federal agencies cannot issue any new grants, contracts, amendments, continued funding increments, supplements, or no-cost time extensions requiring explicit prior federal awarding agency approval.

If you are planning to submit a research proposal, you will need to submit by the original deadline (unless you hear otherwise). It is important to note that the proposal review process will be delayed during the shutdown. This is because during the shutdown, most federal agency staff will not be working. Therefore, any inquiries about pending research applications, deadlines, or approvals may not receive an answer until the staff are back to work. Federal websites and other systems may also be unavailable or limited, resulting in little to no support for resolving problems or answering questions. 

If you have planned meetings, travel, or conferences with federal agencies, please check for postponements or changes beforehand.

Should you have any questions regarding federally funded research or a federally funded research proposal, please contact your applicable office in the Division of Research and Creative Achievement (ORCA). 

GI Bill benefits for student veterans currently enrolled and certified should not be affected by a short-term government shutdown. However, any student veteran working to obtain GI Bill benefits during or shortly after a shutdown may experience delays. 

Also, any questions or requests for assistance from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) may go unanswered due to some employees being furloughed.

During the shutdown, VA benefits will continue to be processed and delivered, including compensation, pension, education, and housing benefits. Please note that the GI Bill hotline will be closed, regional benefits offices will be closed, and the VA will not provide veteran career counseling or transition assistance activities until the shutdown is over. The VA has posted contingency planning information and resources on its website.

As for federal tuition assistance (TA) for servicemembers, Tuition Assistance Requests (TARS) with an October 1 start date forward will be impacted until a budget or continuing resolution is approved. Soldiers whose TA requests are canceled due to the government shutdown will receive a message in ArmyIgnitED or My Education Portal.

For assistance from UMBC with VA or servicemember benefits, please call the Registrar’s office at 410-455-2500 or submit an inquiry to our certifying officials here. 

The UMBC Employee Assistance Program offers free confidential counseling services, legal support and other benefits. In addition, the resources for displaced federal workers website provides services and opportunities that may be helpful.

UMBC students with federal internships should contact their immediate supervisor to determine how their work may be affected by the shutdown, and reach out to the UMBC Career Center to review any potential impacts of changes to their federal internship.

Any faculty or staff with appointments at federal agencies through the IPA should reach out to their federal point of contact for additional guidance.

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If you need any additional information about the impact of federal orders, please visit the UMBC Federal Actions Website.

Thank you.

Warmest regards,