Chapman University leadership has been following events in the U.S. Congress, as we approach the deadline for a government shutdown, set to begin on Sunday, October 1. At this time, the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) has not provided final guidance to federal agencies about what actions they may or may not take during a shutdown. However, based on existing federal agency contingency plans as they relate to higher education, we anticipate minimal impact on students, particularly in the short term.
For the fall, financial aid has already been distributed. Our Financial Aid Office continues to work through financial aid applications for the spring and expects no delay in informing students of their aid packages for the following semester. Students facing any type of hardship or those with specific concerns should reach out for support via finaid@chapman.edu.
In the event of a shutdown, the Department of Education (ED) will likely cease most of its operations. As a result, there will be delays for students and parents who contact the ED Help Desk. Chapman’s Undergraduate and Graduate Financial Aid Offices can assist students and parents with most questions about the FAFSA. A shutdown may impact university-level processing timelines. We do not anticipate any major impact on research operations, at least in the coming weeks. For more details, please refer to a statement issued by Chapman’s Office of Research under the “Notifications” dropdown menu.
