Overview
The government shut down on Oct. 1 due to a disagreement between Republicans and Democrats over the budget for the bill funding government services. With Republicans being short five votes to pass the bill, Democrats are using this time to try to negotiate for reversing cuts to Medicaid and getting premium tax credits for Affordable Care Act health plans extended into next year.
What will be affected?
As far as we know, FAFSA will not be affected because most of the process after submission is automated, and they have already processed some applications in late September for beta testing.
Student aid and the Pell Grant will also likely not be affected and will still be disbursed in the short term due to the department's contingency plans that are in place. The department also expects little disruption due to most federal grants to schools being awarded over the summer.
If you need help filling out a FAFSA form, you can go to the student aid website.
Or contact Student Financial Aid at 614-823-1502 or financialaid@otterbein.edu.
Some effects of the shutdown that you could see are longer air travel times, as the TSA is on back pay, which occurs when they receive their pay once the government is no longer in shutdown. There have also been flight delays and cancellations due to a shortage of air traffic controllers.
Services like the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) should not be affected in October, but there is a possibility for November delays if the Department of Agriculture fails to instruct states to transmit the necessary electronic files on time.
If you need food assistance, you can go to the Promise House on Home Street in the Commons Apartment Complex Lounge, 86 W. Home St.
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