It has been 17 years since the United States federal government shutdown for an extensive period of time because Congress and the president couldn’t agree on a spending bill.

Much has changed since the last time, but what hasn’t is federal employees’, citizens’ and even government decision-makers’ understanding of what a government shutdown actually means.

“Every shutdown is different,” stated Gregory Korte in an article he wrote for USA Today on Tuesday, Oct. 1, the day of the shutdown. “The politics that cause them are different. Because of technology and structural overhauls, the way the government functions has changed since 1996. Much of what will happen is unknown.”

One of the bigger unknown concerns around the country came from students in higher education institutions who receive direct federal student loans and Pell grants. Park University students were not counted out regarding this situation.

Park’s President, Dr. Michael Droge, sent a mass email to all Park students the day following the government shutdown to ensure students the university was going to help in every  possible way.

“I would like to let you know that we at Park are carefully monitoring the situation related to the government actions taken this week, which have impacted student financial aid resources – especially those for students in the U.S. Military,” he stated. “Our students remain our top priority, and we will continue to sort through the facts to provide you current details and possible solutions.”

Of all the students affected by the shutdown in one way or another, military students were hit the hardest.

Jay Matthews, a freshman and military student at Park, explained how the shutdown affected him in different ways.

“Outside of Park University, I am a member of the National Guard,” he said. “That monthly income is necessary in today’s tight economic conditions. With the shutdown in effect, that paycheck has been lost. As an unemployed, full time student, the GI Bill benefits included in my Army contract have also been suspended. Although I have maintained a 4.0 GPA at Park, I am financially unable to continue my education without the tuition assistance funds and the GI Bill reimbursements.”

In Korte’s article, he worked to answer countless questions that people around America had asked, including explaining just what causes a government shutdown.

“Under the Constitution, Congress must pass laws to spend money,” he stated. “If Congress can’t agree on a spending bill — or if, in the case of the Clinton-era shutdowns, the president vetoes it — the government does not have the legal authority to spend money.”

Also in his article, Korte explained how this government shutdown occurred, saying the Republicans in the House of Representatives had passed a bill that did not include appropriate funding for Obamacare, but the Democratic Senate insisted on the program being fully funded.

Obamacare, which is another name for the Patient Protect and Affordable Care Act, represents the most significant regulatory overhaul of the country’s healthcare system since the passage of Medicare and Medicaid in 1965.

Obamacare has been a popular dispute between the Republican and Democratic parties since its launch in 2010 and was a major reason behind the shutdown.

As of now, President Barack Obama is still pushing for Obamacare, even with the government now re-opened and the Republican Party fighting hard against the program.

After 16 days, the government finally re-opened on Wednesday, Oct. 16, after President Obama agreed to sign a bill that would reopen federal agencies, call hundreds of thousands of civil servants back to work and raise the $16.7 trillion debt limit.

With Obama still working to get Obamacare favored by a large majority, many students at Park University have done their research to see how Obamacare will affect the health insurance they already have.

During the government shutdown, several students worried about how it would affect the health benefits and treatments they would possibly need during those 16 days.

Pearl Webb, a senior and public relations major at Park, said she was worried about what might happen with her parents’ health insurance, which she is still a part of, during the shutdown.

“My parents get veteran assistance and health care,” she said. “If they cut it that affects my dental and health care as well since they are paying for me out of pocket. My parents are retired, so that’s all they have.”

For now, with the government back open, veteran assistance, health care and federal aid for college students are without the threat of getting affected and causing issues for Americans.

“With the shutdown behind us and budget committees forming, we now have an opportunity to focus on a sensible budget that is responsible, that is fair, and that helps hardworking people all across this country,” Obama said at the White House during a speech.

In his email, Dr. Droge reassured Park students that Park was going to be with them through the whole of the shutdown.

“Park University is standing by you,” he stated. “We are focused on your continued success and we take Park’s Promise ― ‘Serving Those Who Serve their Community and Country,’ seriously. It is not just a nice motto at Park—it is truly the heart of our operation.”