The longest shutdown of the US government, although partial, is impacting higher education as tuition deadlines are coming up and students are paying their balances. But colleges and universities are coming alongside their students rather than letting them deal with financial burdens or a career setback on their own.

Due to an earlier bill, the Department of Education has funding to cover most students' financial aid and has been offering their assistance to college students. But the process of financial aid is still threatened by the shutdown and could be significantly slowed down.

Who was affected?

The students in the greatest jeopardy of missing out on financial aid are the ones submitting the FAFSA for the first time. First-time FAFSA applicants need access to the IRS for proper tax paperwork, but the IRS is not fully operational right now. So, in many cases, when students try to sort out their application and documents, they can't complete the process. This leaves students without a way to pay for their semester.

But the Department of Education has worked around this documentation barrier by allowing other paperwork as substituted documentation. This department is combatting much of the chaos of the government shutdown for students, but colleges and universities have also been playing a vital role.

University students who hold a federal position or use the financial means of family members with federal jobs are scrambling to pay for school and maintain regular expenses, too. As federally employed families are going without paychecks, many students are considering whether to continue their education or put it on hold.

How did colleges and universities help?

Colleges across the country have stepped up to offer grants to compensate for suffering finances. Several have also waived late fees, provided loans and designed tuition plans to accommodate these unique circumstances. Students are relieved and encouraged by the help of their colleges, which are preventing the derailing of their education and careers.

One private school that has announced its support is Brown University, which desires to prevent educational interferences from the shutdown, so their students' trajectories are on track. They decided to offer a short-term loan option where students can apply for up to $500. Rutgers University and the State University of New York are two other universities ready to help their students survive the shutdown.

Schools in areas with particularly high concentrations of government workers are also attempting to manage the dilemma their affected students are facing. Wayne State University is in the middle of one of these areas, and they have grants of up to $1500 for their students. Financial policies with this much provision usually are for low-income students, which Wayne State has a specific commitment to. But, the shutdown has caused them to temporarily give their attention to a new group of students who need support, too.

The College of Southern Maryland and Southern New Hampshire University are also tending to students who rely on government paychecks or funding for their educations and livelihood. Some students don't know what help they can receive or haven't requested special aid yet, but universities can expect more families and students to share their needs as money gets tighter.

How else did the shutdown affect students?

Another way college students are hindered is through internship availability. Students who planned to intern at a federal agency aren't able to gain experience and enjoy hands-on learning due to closed or partially functioning programs and services.

Some students dropped out before they knew their college was willing to provide help. Not every university has publicly displayed their emergency aid, but students can contact their school's financial services or aid office to hear the current assistance choices.

Although it's not clear when the end of the partial shutdown will be, the actions of universities, communities and individuals are making up for some of the difficulties federal workers and agencies are experiencing.