(Alexandria, VA) – Today, the nonprofit Federal Employee Education and Assistance Fund (FEEA) announced that its Shutdown Assistance Grants program would stop accepting new applications due to nearing its funding limit. FEEA expects to make grants of $150 to a total of at least 7,000 federal employees from across the country to support essentials like groceries, gas, and other basic necessities. The FEEA Board of Directors earmarked up to $1 million for this program and recent donations are also being used.

A few stats about the applicant pool for FEEA Shutdown Grants:

• FEEA has received more than 10,000 applications
• Applicants live in all 50 states, DC, Puerto Rico, U.S. Virgin Islands, Guam, Northern Mariana Islands, Germany, Belgium, United Kingdom, and Korea
• DC, MD, and VA combined continue to account for only about 8% of applicants
• The top 5 states by number of applicants are: Texas, Georgia, Florida, North Carolina, and Tennessee, which combined cover just over 40% of all applications
• 87% of applicants work for the Departments of Defense, Homeland Security, Treasury, or the Social Security Administration
• Top agencies include IRS, TSA, SSA, Defense Health Agency, and CBP; more than 180 agencies and components are represented among applicants

“Loss of pay during the shutdown is clearly affecting federal employees across a wide variety of agencies, all around the world. We are heartbroken at having to halt new applications to FEEA’s program just as many feds are about to miss a full paycheck, and we are actively seeking donations in hopes of reopening the program. Our thoughts are with all of the families struggling right now.”

Background on FEEA’s Shutdown Assistance Grants

The Shutdown Grant application is for direct-hire, civilian federal employees who are furloughed or working in excepted status, and whose current federal salary is $59,999 or less, including any locality pay. Individuals may receive only one grant for the duration of this shutdown.

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The Federal Employee Education and Assistance Fund (FEEA) has a mission to empower federal and postal employees and their families to achieve their educational, financial, and career goals as they serve the American people. FEEA was founded in 1986. Over FEEA’s nearly forty-year history, we have supported more than 60,000 families with emergency hardship loans, disaster relief grants, scholarships, tutoring, childcare subsidies, and more all across the United States and from almost every federal department and agency.