Federal Government Shutdown Frequently Asked Questions

As Congress did not pass government spending legislation by Oct. 1, the government’s authority to spend money expired and the federal government shut down. 

The length of a shutdown will depend on how soon Congress passes legislation.

The exact impact of a shutdown depends on its length. If the shutdown is short in duration, we expect it to create minimal disruptions at the university. While we do not currently anticipate much, if any, adverse impact on funding to UK due to a partial government shutdown, the impact of a prolonged shutdown will depend on many factors, including the length of time until a deal is reached in Congress and contingency plans of the agencies impacted. 

A major challenge is that most federal employees will not be permitted to work. That includes being unable to check email or respond to phone messages.

The university is closely monitoring the situation through its Office of Government Relations and Public Policy and will share information as it becomes available. Additionally, a team of leaders across the university are monitoring and developing plans to ensure we manage operations and minimize disruption. 

No. Our employees will continue to receive their paychecks as usual.

Federal funding for approved student aid programs should continue to operate in a close-to-normal manner. With student aid already disbursed for the semester and the 2026-27 FAFSA now available, impacts on Federal Student Aid (FSA) from a U.S. Department of Education shutdown should be minimal during a short-term shutdown. 

We are monitoring any potential impacts on FAFSA processing. Regular interaction between financial aid administrators and FSA may be impacted, depending on the length of a shutdown.

If you have a question about your student financial aid, please contact the Office of Student Financial Aid and Scholarships at 859-257-3172 or OSFAS@uky.edu.

We expect no immediate impact on research funding that is already awarded. As of now, we have no specific guidance from any awarding agency within the federal government regarding potential impacts. However, the impact on UK for submitting federal grant proposals will depend on the length of a federal government shutdown as well as guidance from the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) and each of the federal agencies affected. 

Federal research agencies will hopefully soon release updates on their shutdown procedures. Agency employees will likely be unable to answer the phone, respond to emails, maintain websites, hold meetings, review grant applications and process awards. Other vital support services would cease as many agency employees would be furloughed.

Visit research.uky.edu/federal-government-shutdown for more information.  

A short government shutdown will not impact patient care. UK HealthCare, including UK King’s Daughter and UK St. Claire, will continue providing inpatient and outpatient services at its hospitals and clinics across Lexington and Kentucky. 

Medicaid and Medicare services will continue. Additionally, the National Institutes of Health’s clinical and research activities, such as clinical trials, will continue during a brief shutdown. Again, the impacts of a prolonged shutdown are still unknown. 

Immigration services

• Some immigration services remain operational during a shutdown, whereas others do not. For the U.S. State Department, visa and passport operations are fee-funded and not normally impacted. Additionally, consular services will remain operational—both domestically and abroad—while funds remain available.
• U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services is a fee-funded agency and typically remains operational with few exceptions. However, the Department of Labor may cease processing labor condition and prevailing wage determination applications for H-1B and other employment-based cases. International students seeking Optional Practical Training (OPT) are typically able to apply for work permits.
• In a shutdown, services for American citizens are further prioritized, therefore international students and scholars may see delays in processing.
• If you have questions about a student or employment-based visa, please contact International Student and Scholar Services at isss@uky.edu or 859-323-2121.

Contingency plans should be available on each federal agency’s website. For example, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services published an updated contingency plan, which includes furloughing 45 percent of agency staff.