(NewsNation) — The Department of Education‘s major student aid programs will continue, despite expected furloughs as the government shutdown persists.

The department plans to process incoming Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) forms, disperse student loans and hold borrowers accountable for their payments, according to its contingency plan.

The department expects to furlough roughly 87% of its staff, according to NewsNation estimates. That includes 632 of the 747 Office of Federal Student Aid employees, the Associated Press reported.

FAFSA, which opened early, to continue amid shutdown

The yearly application is an integral piece of the federal financial aid puzzle for incoming college students.

The forms launched on Sept. 24 — a full week ahead of the Oct. 1 deadline — marking the first time in two cycles the process has begun not only early, but on time.

That early release could give learners an upper hand, with an ongoing shutdown expected to slow — though not shutter— much of the Education Department’s proceedings. Roughly 125,000 people had begun their applications as of last week, according to the Trump administration.

Sarah Austin, policy analyst at the National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators, told NewsNation partner The Hill that no news is good news at this point.

“As we’ve seen in the last couple of years, if there were issues like major disruptions to the FAFSA, we’ve heard from our members very, very quickly,” Austin said. “They’re very on top of things.”