Government shutdown halts some operations
The government shutdown beginning Oct. 1 could impact the U.S. Department of Education.
Although borrowers will still receive federal financial aid and be required to make student loan payments, the department will not handle civil rights complaints or new federal grants until the nearly 90% of its employees who have been furloughed return to work, according to a news article from the Associated Press.
However, officials at the Office of Management and Budget at the White House have indicated that there could be additional mass layoffs of federal employees during the shutdown. In the event that the layoffs affect the U.S. Department of Education — which has already seen its staff reduced from 4,100 to 2,500 employees by previous layoffs — disbursements of federal student aid are expected to continue to just under 10 million borrowers, Free Application for Federal Student Aid will be processed for incoming students and schools enrolling a high percentage of impoverished students will receive Title I allocations.
Some grant and Impact Aid program recipients may experience disruptions in payments, but a large majority of school districts received their grants prior to the government shutdown. The U.S. Department of Education will cease all pending investigations into civil rights violations filed by families until federal funding is restored by Congress.
Read more: Associated Press
The article presented here is intended to inform you about the broader media perspective on dentistry, regardless of its alignment with the ADA's stance. It is important to note that publication of an article does not imply the ADA's endorsement, agreement, or promotion of its content.