Senior administrators said that while they are closely monitoring federal developments, they do not expect NYU to face “immediate or significant” fallout from the looming government shutdown if the White House and Congress fail to reach a budget agreement by Wednesday.
In a Monday evening universitywide email, Chief Financial Officer Taylor Jantz, Chief Research Officer Stacie Bloom and Senior Vice President for Global Enrollment Management and Student Success MJ Knoll-Finn said that university operations are “expected to carry on uninterrupted.” They specifically noted that financial aid, university research and visas and passports will not be affected.
“The University will continue to pay its bills,” the email read. “Were the shutdown to drag on for an extended period, we could confront some challenges.”
The administrators added that federal grants and loans would not immediately see changes because “most” funds for student aid and research are already disbursed, and will remain intact if a “relatively short” shutdown occurs. The note comes six months after the Trump administration threatened to pull funding from NYU due to alleged antisemitism and “illegal” diversity initiatives.
Administrators also said that because visas and passports are funded individually, they have “typically not been affected during previous government shutdowns.” While the possibility of a government shutdown is often floated at the end of the fiscal year, NYU administrators do not usually publicly address how they could affect the university.
Tensions in Washington, D.C. boil down to disagreements over a stopgap funding bill, a temporary measure used to extend current funding and allow more time for budget negotiations. Without full-year funding or a stopgap bill, a government shutdown occurs, halting all “non-essential” operations. President Donald Trump recently promised to permanently fire federal workers in the case of a shutdown, heightening anxieties and indicating a shift in tone from previous years.
Although Republicans control both chambers of Congress, the temporary measure can only be implemented with at least 60 votes in the 100-seat Senate, requiring votes from at least five Democrats. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer said that “large differences” remain, as Democrats use the little leverage they have to attempt to undo recent cuts to Medicaid and other healthcare programs.
Administrators urged members of the NYU community to contact the Office of Sponsored Programs if they believe that their work may be affected by the potential shutdown, and directed questions or concerns to the Office of Global Services.
Contact Leena Ahmed at [email protected].
