College students should have no reason to panic about a possible government shutdown Friday.

While temporary delays in student funding are likely to occur, students will not be impacted long-term unless the shutdown is extended past Saturday’s proposal.

When the last shutdown occurred in late 1995 to early 1996, government workers were not paid, but according to officials, the effects were not shown months after the shutdown ended.

The shutdown has been proposed if Congress is unable to conjure up a budget for the remainder of the year or if it is unable to approve a short-term bill until a budget can be laid out.

Congress remains divided on how drastically it will cut spending, but President Obama remained optimistic when asked about it on Wednesday.

If the shutdown does occur, picture what Kent State’s campus could look like during a snow day: Only essential personnel will report with the executive branch having a very thin staff.

The effect on higher education is being questioned though. During the 1995 shutdown, only two employees in the Office of Postsecondary Education were allowed to work. During that time, the employees simply answered phones and told financial aid officials that they were unable to process any sort of transaction until the shutdown ended.

Although the process was complicated during the previous shutdown, it was not slowed by it. Colleges were still able to administer awards to students and life went on as usual.

While the potential shutdown Friday will not immediately affect college students, they should be aware of the situation. If it were to somehow extend past a few days, it could end up impacting them severely.