Government Shutdown May Impact HU Funding

By: Alvin H. Green IV

The government shutdown could significantly impact Hampton University students, staff, and faculty, particularly those using government-reliant funding such as academic research grants or work-study positions.

At the time of publishing, the 2025 United States government shutdown has been ongoing for 12 days, with the Senate still deadlocked and unwilling to compromise on passing an appropriations (budget) bill. Due to the volatile nature of American politics today, the government shutdown could go on for even longer than officials previously thought, something sure to affect Hampton University. 

Although Hampton university is a private institution and does not rely heavily on significant government funding, programs like work-study positions and academic research grants are either directly awarded or funded primarily by the government. In the future, the shutdown could also further delay some government loans/scholarships like the V-TAG and FAFSA from being processed, preventing many Hampton students from receiving the funds they need.

“I’m not sure I'll be able to come next semester if my FAFSA money doesn’t get through,” said first-year Criminal Justice major Brandon Brown. 

If Hampton University loses government funding to such pivotal programs, the school could be forced to increase tuition to offset their losses and keep the programs afloat, if only temporarily. If that is not an option, the University could potentially have to lay off staff, stop offering certain internships or grants, or reduce their daily operation costs. 

Any and all of these scenarios happening would heavily decrease the overall quality of life, especially for international or immigrant students. Students that rely on H-1B Visas may not have the ability to have them renewed by the Department of Homeland Security, or will experience severe processing delays. The DHS still plans to carry out law enforcement despite the shutdown. 

The long term effects of the shutdown for HU students can only be avoided with the passing of a spending bill from Congress. House Republicans want to use a continuing resolution to extend the 2024 budget into the 2025 fiscal year. However, 60 votes are required to pass a budget resolution in the Senate, and Republicans only control 53 seats. 

According to Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, House Democrats will not agree to the continuing resolution unless Republicans restore funding for the expanded Affordable Care Act, which is set to expire at the end of the year, and reverse some Medicare cuts. The expanded Affordable Care Act, he said, will help make medical visits more financially viable for millions of Americans.

WHOV will continue to follow this story and the effects of the shutdown on students.