The government shutdown means further disruption for the U.S. Education Department, which has seen half of its employees laid off by the Republican Trump administration. The department says many core operations will continue in a shutdown but civil rights investigations will stop and no new federal grants will be issued. About 87% of the workforce will be furloughed. The department still will manage federal student aid, with Pell grants and loans continuing. Payments will still be due. However, 632 of 747 employees in the Office of Federal Student Aid will be furloughed. The Office for Civil Rights will halt investigations into discrimination by race and disability, adding to an existing backlog of complaints.