US government shutdown expected to have minimal impact on universities

Chronicle of Higher Education : The US government was forced to shut down last night after Congress failed to agree on a budget. How long the shutdown will last remains to be seen. While some government workers will be furloughed and some institutions will be closed, the impact on university researchers and students is expected to be minimal, at least in the short term. Student financial aid should continue to be paid and grant recipients should continue to receive their funding. However, federal institutions such as the Library of Congress, the Smithsonian Institution, and the National Archives will close—and researchers who depend on those facilities will feel the effects. It is not the first time the government has been forced to shut down; the last shutdown occurred in 1995 and lasted 21 days.