Every semester, students face the pressure of balancing classes, studying for exams and keeping up with workloads. But for many, the biggest concern isn’t just passing a course—it’s figuring out how to afford another semester. Many rely on financial aid to ease that burden, with billions of dollars allocated each year to help students cover the costs of higher education. However, a recent federal funding pause briefly raised concerns for students and financial aid offices nationwide. 

Questions quickly arose about how the funding pause would affect the disbursement of financial aid and whether students would face disturbances in receiving the support they rely on to stay enrolled. With financial aid being a lifeline for so many wanting to continue their education, any disruption to this funding could potentially threaten students’ ability to do so. 

“The biggest impact to the Lake Land community was the uncertainty of whether student financial aid was included in the federal funding freeze,” said Jennifer Hedges, director of financial aid and veteran services at the college. Hedges also commented that the pause was announced on the same day as Pell Grant disbursement, causing a delay while the school eagerly awaited clarification from the Department of Education. Thankfully, confirmation was received, and breaths of relief swept through the community as the grants were processed as planned. Students were able to continue their semester without experiencing financial hardship during an already stressful time, easing the uncertainty that may have been hanging over them. 

At Eastern Illinois University, a larger institution with more than double the student population of Lake Land College, Amanda Starwalt, the director of financial aid, acknowledged that “the pause memo was alarming,” given the importance of these programs for students. However, even with the university’s size, she reassured that the pause did not disrupt student aid and operations continued as usual. The initial concerns were quickly addressed as the university also received confirmation that student aid would remain unaffected. 

The pause on federal funding ultimately did not result in long-term issues for either institution. Despite Lake Land College experiencing a brief delay, students and staff at both schools were reassured that their financial aid would remain on track, allowing them to move forward without additional concerns.