Dear Carolina Community,
As you are probably aware, Congress was unable to negotiate a deal to continue funding the federal government and on October 1, 2025, the federal government began a temporary shutdown of affected activities.
As we enter day 29 of the federal shutdown, we are writing to provide an update on operations at this time. Most importantly, the University continues to operate on a normal basis. We will continue to use available funds to support work related to research contracts and grants as needed, and students receiving federal financial aid will not experience any changes to their awards.
UNC-Chapel Hill has plans for shutdown scenarios, and our campus is well prepared. Our Office of Federal Affairs and other front-line units are coordinating closely with the appropriate agencies of the federal and state governments as we monitor the possible impact on the University.
- If you have specific questions related to federally funded research, the Office of Vice Chancellor for Research regularly updates the shutdown 2025 webpage addressing many of these specific concerns.
- The Office of Scholarships and Student Aid (OSSA) will continue to provide regular updates on general federal topics as well as updates on financial aid and assistance. Students may also contact OSSA directly at [email protected] with questions.
- In addition, understanding that SNAP benefits may be paused, the Dean of Students office has compiled information and resources related to basic needs, including the Carolina Food Pantry Network, other campus food pantries and community resources. Students experiencing food insecurity may also connect to the Dean of Students team via the submission of a Care Referral.
No one can predict how long a shutdown might last. We will continue our analysis to determine what steps the campus may potentially need to take moving forward.
We will continue to keep the Carolina community informed as the situation progresses.
This message is sponsored by: Office of Vice Chancellor for Research and Office of the Senior Vice Provost for Student Success