This story was reported and written by our media partner Capital News Service.
College students across Virginia feel increased distrust with the federal government and overall uncertainty as the shutdown looms.
Many college students and their families feel caught in the crossfire of disagreements among politicians, as the shutdown has impacted research programs and financial stability.
The federal government shutdown occurred on Oct. 1 due to disagreements on health policy.
Senate Democrats will not support the Republican funding bill because it does not include an extension of premium health care tax credits, which are set to expire this year.
Republicans currently have a majority in the House and Senate, and control the White House. A 60-vote supermajority is needed for the Senate to advance the legislation.
People who rely on these tax credits do not have job-based or public insurance, such as Medicaid, to buy health plans. With tax credits, programs like the Affordable Care Act helped make insurance more affordable for over 24 million people, according to the Kaiser Family Foundation.
The shutdown paused some federal operations, with an estimated 750,000 federal employees on unpaid leave each day. Military personnel were initially expected to work without pay, though President Donald Trump recently walked that back.
Should the government reopen, Trump also threatened to withhold back pay from furloughed federal workers.
The Trump administration announced “substantial” layoffs would begin on Friday, Oct. 10. Already the White House estimates there are 189,000 federal workers in Virginia who are furloughed or working without pay.
Ciana Calixto, a student at Radford University, has parents who work in government — her mom is a budget analyst and her dad is the program manager for first responder communications.
“A lot of college students are supported by their parents,” Calixto said. “Parents or family members who are government workers, they're definitely being impacted right now. I know I already am.”
Calixto and her sister are supporting their parents as they face financial strain during the shutdown. They have researched local food pantries, while their parents considered filling for unemployment, according to Calixto.
“A lot of elected officials need to touch some grass and go out in their local residences and see how it affects every single person,” Calixto said.
Jadyn Reed, a biological sciences student at Virginia Tech, said the shutdown should not be taken lightly. It impacts students with federal jobs, making it harder to afford essentials, such as bills and food, according to Reed.
For some universities such as Virginia Commonwealth University, existing programs will continue unless agencies state otherwise.
VCU last issued an update on Sept. 30 about the shutdown’s potential impact on research and programs.
Students with federal work study positions are concerned funding could run out for their positions, even if it has not yet.
“I think for some students it could affect them dramatically since they're in the health program and funding could decrease until the shutdown is done,” said VCU finance student Yoftahe Tewolde.
Victoria Chambers, a VCU mass communications student, said the shutdown shows how both parties fail to cooperate and make decisions.
This partisan gridlock is not an effective way for the government to represent its citizens, according to Chambers.
“For a government shutdown to occur, they clearly can't figure things out on their own,” she said. “So, who do we look to, who do we trust?”
Emma Shepperson, a theater education student at Longwood University, is frustrated with government officials' disagreements on funding.
“It makes some people feel frustrated that the people who they could be electing in office are not looking out for their well-being, for the well-being of the country, and young people in general,” she said.
Despite its impact on students, the shutdown has not been discussed in her classrooms, but it does motivate her to become more politically active.
“It persuades me to get more involved in politics and be more likely to be able to vote so that these types of things don't continue to happen or won't happen again,” Shepperson said.
For students such as Joel Bucarey, a public administration student at George Mason University, the shutdown only deepens the distrust towards the government among young people, he said.
Politicians have failed to lead, keep the government running and act in crisis, according to Bucarey. Many people feel their voices do not matter.
Bucarey also noted that civic inaction has consequences.
“People need to be aware that voting is one part of the problem, but the other part is protest,” Bucarey said.
Capital News Service is a program of Virginia Commonwealth University’s Robertson School of Communication. Students in the program provide state government coverage for a variety of media outlets in Virginia.