The current government shutdown has already closed many doors on adults seeking education. Schools that have the most significant dependence on federal funding are being hit the hardest. Guidance from the Department of Education in Washington, D.C., has assured grantees that at least some federal funding will continue to flow. The stop in other categories will devastatingly stop many educational projects around the country.
The Department of Education confirmed to ABC News that federal funding for Advanced Placement and International Baccalaureate programs will persist. This assistance is enabled by funding provided in previous policy-driven mandatory appropriations bills. This win is meant to fund more than 10 million students, helping them with critical programs like student loans and Pell Grants. The shutdown has an immediate impact for schools that depend on Impact Aid. This is particularly painful for school districts that happen to be located on tax-exempt federal lands, like many military bases and Native American reservations. These schools are among the most vulnerable because they lack access to local tax revenue.
Funding Challenges for Vulnerable Schools
Tax-exempt federal lands schools rely almost exclusively on federal funding for their operations costs. With the government shutdown ongoing, many of these wonderful institutions have entered a period of immense fiscal instability. Rachel Gittleman, a former Education Department management and program analyst at the Education Department’s Ombudsman Office, expressed her serious concerns. Yet what most concerned her were the broader ramifications of the stopped funding.
“For funds that have been delayed and for funds where there are further oversight or conditions that have been added, the funding is technically supposed to continue to get out the door, but the staff that is responsible for resolving oversight requirements or flagging these schools as able to accept the funds, that staff has been furloughed so that you can’t actually get the funding out the door,” – Rachel Gittleman.
The furlough of DOE staffers has already started hurting about 80% of the Department of Education’s workforce. This creates difficult scenarios not just for schools looking for urgently needed funding, but for students trying to receive timely federal aid. Gittleman noted, “If students have an issue getting their Pell Grant or getting their federal student aid, if the shutdown resolves in six days, then there will still be harm.”
Impact on Early Childhood Education
The consequences of this funding stop go beyond K-12 education and early childhood programs. Becky Pringle, President of the National Education Association (NEA) addressed that very issue, calling this a “grave and immediate threat” to preschool initiatives. These programs are lifelines for thousands of vulnerable children.
“A shutdown means the public schools that serve military families and military communities across the United States will be cut off from funding they need for day-to-day operations,” – Becky Pringle.
Pringle, in remarks to the press on Tuesday, stressed that these preschool dangers are important for handing over a trail to luck for our youngest youngsters. With loss of federal support, their access to critical educational resources during these formative years is curtailed.
Broader Implications for Students and Families
The ongoing federal shutdown has led to the loss of direct federal funding. That triggers a domino effect that casts a dark shadow over the educational lives of millions of students. Schools that have depended on the Department of Education’s backing will find it nearly impossible to keep the lights on and the doors open without sufficient funds.
Gittleman went on to explain that the vital services linked to school funding are in danger as well. “If, like, something breaks on the FAFSA form, the staff that is responsible for fixing it is furloughed,” she stated, illustrating how administrative challenges could complicate students’ access to necessary financial aid.
