From Oct. 1 through Nov. 12, 2025, the United States government shut down because Congress could not agree to pass a spending bill. With the House of Representatives and the Senate being predominantly Republican, Democrats had leverage to make negotiations. However, during this time, not only were government employees not getting paid, other government assistance programs were also being affected. To be more specific, college students who are on active duty receive financial aid from the government to help pay for their tuition. 

The students at Park University who are active duty in the military use the Military Tuition Assistance program to fund their education. During the shutdown, this program was on pause, and their paychecks were delayed. 

An active duty student at Park University who asked to remain anonymous to protect their identity said the shutdown led to physical, mental, and academic strain during the shutdown. 

Physically, they explained, “The government shutdown has impacted my finances, although I’m not reliant on my income from the guard. I do use that money to supplement my groceries and other expenses.” 

Mentally, they described being affected in a roundabout way. “Being a part of the service was always meant to be a sacrifice, but there’s an idea that this puts more pressure on service members to remain impartial,” they said. “We’re expected to be the rock in the stream. However, when service members are used to execute political actions, it’s impossible to not feel somewhat complicit. It’s a prisoner’s dilemma; How can we be expected to uphold the standard, remain impartial as the administration continues to defy norms and create division amongst the people.”

They explained that specific laws keep members of the military from getting involved in what may be viewed as politically-motivated situations.

“Things like the Hatch Act and Posse Comitatus Act are meant to protect us from being involved in political actions, at the very least stateside,” they said. The Hatch Act, which is a federal law passed in 1939, protects federal employees from “political coercion in the workplace.” The Posse Comitatus Act, enacted in 1878, prevents the military from interfering in domestic policing. 

“It’s meant to be different here; Chicago, Seattle, and Washington D.C. aren’t warzones,” they explained. “There’s a pandemic of apathy and helplessness in our formations, especially amongst younger soldiers. The weaponization of soldiers in policing efforts across the U.S. creates social pressure that pits the American people against service members. Because of that, many young guardsmen feel like they don’t have the right to complain when so many people are suffering, or worse off, because of the administration’s actions.”   

In addition, the student explained the academic side effects of the shutdown. “The shutdown hasn’t directly affected my academics,” they said. “However, it’s clear to many that although Park does posture a military-friendly attitude, there is a gap between instructors and students, meaning many instructors do not understand what is being asked of our military students. We’ll persevere as we always do, but it’s clear that empathy is in short supply. I think, if anything, everyone is just fatigued. Every issue is so pressing and existential that people are just tired.”

Another impact included their specific financial institution — an organization that deals with veterans and service members requiring loans and additional services. With the flood of people, access to military administrative and medical services was a challenge for the student as well. 

They also mentioned other active duty members who are in more difficult positions: specifically, National Guard service members who are struggling without their typical flow of income. “At my last drill, I spoke with a National Guard member who is also employed through the FAA and is continuing to work without pay,” they added.

The student explained they were using Army Times, international news organizations and direct communication from their higher leadership to get information on the shutdown and its progress. However, they added, “Many of my administrative or medical tasks on the support side have told us they’re literally just waiting for the government to open back up.”

Lastly, the student said not everything will be back to normal immediately with the government’s reopening. “It’s not just the compensation, but the back load of work and fatigue of many federal workers,” they added.

During the government shutdown, Park University released a statement that said, “We are covering tuition for these students during the shutdown to ensure their educational journey is not derailed.” 

The Warrior Center at Park University is the department students who use any sort of government assistance or military scholarships go to for questions. They recommended students visit askVA.gov. They also informed military students that Park University provided a scholarship to cover those funds until the government opened up again.