At 12:01 a.m. EST, the United States Government officially shut down, leaving millions of Americans wondering what happens next. This includes student loan borrowers, who were recently made aware that this shutdown might delay their applications for an affordable repayment plan or earned debt forgiveness due to the fact that more than 1,000 Department of Education employees are expected to be furloughed. This news comes after President Trump and his administration terminated half of the department’s staff in March of this year. We share exactly what you need to know about the delays, including how you can expedite your application below. 

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How will the government shutdown affect student loans? 

Because of the way shutdowns work, the Department of Education, which is government-funded, will have to furlough 1,485 out of their 1,700 employees—or nearly 90 percent of them. That leaves the remaining employees to do the work of the entire department. 

United States Secretary of Education Linda McMahon released a Department of Education Contingency Plan on September 28, days before the shutdown, and it will impact borrowers who were hoping to get some news regarding their forgiveness applications. This is largely because there will be fewer employees to look through the applications. 

“Even fewer forms will be processed than before,” higher education expert Mark Kantrowitz told CNBC. “It forces the students to remain in suspended animation.”

As of publication, student loans are the only thing expected to be impacted by the shutdown—McMahon’s plan notes that federal student loans will remain unaffected. Borrowers will still be expected to pay back their loans, and applications for FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) will remain open. 

Also unaffected by the shutdown? People currently receiving student loans and Pell Grants. The funds will continue to be disbursed to borrowers as they would have before this congressional news broke. 

Even so, several student loan experts have voiced their concerns for the shutdowns, saying they believe these layoffs and delays will just help further President Trump’s ongoing plan to defund and diminish the Department of Education. 

“We expect Trump to use the shutdown and Republicans to use the shutdown as just another tool to do what they’ve been trying to do all year, including dismantling the Department of Education, slashing programs that serve English language learners, migrant students, shutter community schools and services for young people that are in the most need, like homeless people,” Kate Terenzi, a lead Fight Back campaigner for Popular Democracy in Action, told The Hill. 

McMahon was named the Secretary of Education in March of this year by President Trump. Before that, she was a senator and an active member of the Republican Party. “When I took the oath of office as Secretary of Education, I accepted responsibility for overseeing the U.S. Department of Education and those who work here. But more importantly, I took responsibility for supporting over 100 million American children and college students who are counting on their education to create opportunity and prepare them for a rewarding career,” McMahon said after she was sworn in as the Secretary of Education.  

“As you are all aware, President Trump nominated me to take the lead on one of his most momentous campaign promises to families. My vision is aligned with the President’s: to send education back to the states and empower all parents to choose an excellent education for their children. As a mother and grandmother, I know there is nobody more qualified than a parent to make educational decisions for their children.”

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Does the government shutdown impact schools? 

Most schools in America are funded with either state or city money. However the Department of Education does give out a select number of grants every year, so some educators could see a change in their classrooms during this shutdown, and McMahon’s plan details how they plan to stop new grants from being created or approved for the time being. 

The department will, however continue to fund Title I, a program that helps fund schools with an increased number of students in low-income families. The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) grant will also continue as normal, allowing support for students with special needs to continue. 

Can you expedite your student loan forgiveness application?

As of publication, there is no way to expedite your student loan forgiveness application. Processing times will depend on when workers at the department are able to review it.